Middle English Dictionary Entry
hẹ̄le n.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | hẹ̄le n.(3) Also heile, heil(le, hiele, hiel(le, hile, & (error) hole. Pl. heles & helen, helan. |
| Etymology | OE hēla |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The heel of a person or an animal; ~ of the ancle; ~ spore, heel; cote of heles, a tunic reaching to the heels; (b) the foot; to the ~; coroune to ~, hed to ~, shulder to ~; (c) in phrases: at hele(s, close behind; ~ over hed, head over heels; fighten with heles, to run away; folwen heles, support (sb.); fro the .. hede unto the ~, from head to toe; tornen ~, withdraw, retreat; tornen to to ~, change one's mind; (d) ~ faste, ?tightly by the heels.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)14/3 : Wið wambe-wræce nin [read: nim] haran helan, ber on þine hed-claðe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)72/15 : Mi leof is ifeatteð..& smit me wið his hele.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)898 : Sparede he neyþer tos ne heles Til þat he to þe castel cam.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)149 : Taloun [glossed:] hele [vr. hile].
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)48.5 : Þe wickednes of myn hele shal go a-bout me.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2484 : Thogh nomore he fiele, Bot that sche hath a litel hiele, It is ynow that he therfore Hire love.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)48.5 : Whi sal I drede in iuel dai? Wiknes of mi helespor [L calcanei] sal vmgiue me ai.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)55.6 : Mi helespor bihald þai sal.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1789 : The kyng in his cortyn watz kaȝt bi þe heles, Feryed out bi þe fete, and fowle dispysed.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.728 : Right as a man is esed for to feele For ache of hed, to clawen hym on his heele.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)39a/a : Machil: cote of helyn.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)101b/a : In stede of a splynt was bidden þe legge to be bounden with þe thie, þat þe hiele [*Ch.(2): hole; L calcaneus] myȝt come to þe buttoks.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)2153 : Tho behynde begunne up lepe..And troden fast on others heles.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)251/7 : Fyrst let hym blede on þe hele of þe ankyll nyȝe þe erthe.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2682 : Of leggys and helys be tokenyth largenesse Mighty to be in strength of body.
- c1450 Treat.Perf.(Add 37790)234/22 : And therfore it is called calcalus, as who say, trodun apon with the heyle.
- a1475 Lord how (Brog 2.1)p.7 : Undure my hyelle is that me grevys, Fore at my hart I fele noo sowre.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)46a/a : The foot is compouned of iij parties, þat is, of þe hele and of þe sole and of þe wriste.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)62a : A heyll [Monson: an Heille]: Calcaneus, Calx.
- a1486 Knts.Bath in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)69 : Myne office is that y muste smyte of yowre hele be the small of yowre leggis.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)27/258 : Hit urne enddelong hire leofliche lich adun to hire helen.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)32 : Þe moder werede þe strongue here..Fram þe scholdre to þe hele.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4494 : Y wolde..to-cleue hym þorȝ flechs & bon Doun riȝt to þe hele.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)275/26 : He let hym arme feir and weele, ffrom þe Croune to þe heele.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1218 : Hir heer doun to hir helis wente.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)386 : His horse withe sendale was teldede, and trappede to þe hele.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7720 : The fell of þat freike, fuerse to beholde, Fro þe hede to þe hele herit as a capull.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1196/18 : The horse trapped in the same wyse down to the helys.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.154 : And [but] ȝif it were elbowis adoun to the helis, Or passinge þe knee, it was not acounted.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)7486 : Wel nygh on fote alwey we go; Ful dusty ben our heeles two.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)338/508 : Euere orn þe se after heom wel faste at heore helene bi-hinde.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7569 : He sett king Eliteus at her hele, Wiþ xv þousand in on eschele.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.443 : Somme..folwen Simon ate hieles, Whos carte goth upon the whieles Of coveitise.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)271 : Relande in by a rop..Ay hele ouer hed, hourlande aboute.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1899 : Renaud com richchande þurȝ a roȝe greue, & alle þe rabel in a res, ryȝt at his helez.
- a1425 Christ.Belief (LoC 4)11/399 : Fro þe rofe of þe heued vnto þe hele was þare no heale in him, ne haele dale, þat it ne was broken and brissed wid pyne.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3862 : Whene þey..see men begynne strokes dele, Anon þey gynne to turne here hele, And gynne to drawe in here hornes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1758 : So with a flote of Fresons folowand þi helis Þou sekis fraward Sichim.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)198 : The Erle of Wyltschyre..fought manly with the helys, for he was a feryd of lesynge of beute.
- a1500 Wast bryngyth (Cmb Ff.2.38)p.181 : Hys counseyle chaungeþ all hys wylle..They turne the too to þe heele, And all þat purpose they do lett.
d
- ?c1225 Ancr.(Cleo C.6:Morton)244 : Heleueste [Corp-C: þe feond..warð ibunden heteueste].
2.
(a) The back of a shoe or boot; the heel of a shoe or boot; (b) a spur; (c) lower hem of a dress; (d) ?the crust or the end of a pie.
Associated quotations
a
- (1409) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.572 : [No quarter called] forforte, [of] overlether, [made of new leather, or quarter of] overlether [behind, called the] hele [of new leather, shall be pieced with old leather].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4004 : Worþi dukes tweyne..sette a spore vp-on ouþer hele..And in þis wyse Pirrus was made knyȝt.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)683 : Þan fel þe portculis onone..Thorgh sadel and stede it smate al down, His spores of his heles it schare.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)10546 : Sporrys he had on hys hele Of red gold euery-deale.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)1369 : Men brouȝten hym..two spores that were boun, On hys helys thay ham dyȝt.
b
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)777 : Þenne gederez he to Gryngolet with þe gilt helez.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6394 : Ector..Toke his horse with his helis, hastid before.
c
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)31/25 : Thei furre her colers..and thei furre her heles, the whiche is doubed with filth.
d
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)8.178 : But dowel þe helpe, I ne wolde ȝiue for þi patent on pye hele [B: pies hele; C, Hnt: pye hile].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)76 : For a taynte..in the pasteron, betwene þe hove and the joynte, þer be on eyther syde the senne that comyth owte of the myddell off the thele..take a ffleme and smyte hyt into bothe helis as fferre as hit wyll goo, and lette owte þe water.
Note: New spelling
Note: Splinter, splint seems unlikely - note 'sinew' coming out of it. Prob. error by ed. (or MS) for hele. Many mistranscriptions in this ed.--per REL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: MPPsalter 48.5 quoted in 1.(a) is fig. Alter definition to include fig.?
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. heel.