Middle English Dictionary Entry
māl(e n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | māl(e n.(2) Also malle, mail(e, maille, (error) mel-; pl. males, malice. |
| Etymology | OF male, malle. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A bag, pouch; (b) ~ hors, a packhorse; ~ makere, a maker of bags or pouches; ~ panel (sadel), a packsaddle for carrying a bag or bags; ~ tre, the frame of a packsaddle; (c) idioms & fig. uses: ful a ~, a bagful, a great many, a large amount; helles ~, hell; piken ~, to steal from (someone's) bag or wallet; piker of males, a thief; unbokelen (unclosen, unlasen) ~, open the bag, display (one's) wares, tell a story, give information; wrieth the ~, the ~ wrieth, the bag turns, fortune turns, things turn out (in a certain way); (d) ~ wrie, a turn of fortune, lot, fate.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3543 : Ich þe wulle bi-tache a male riche peniȝes þer buod an sunda to iwisse an hundrad punda.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)115 : Of stor & of spices þei ladden grete male Into Egipte lond to sullen hit to sale.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)48 : A man þat bore Of red gold up-on hijs bac, In a male with or blac, Ne funde he non that him misseyde.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)63/1297 : Inouȝ a leide him be-fore, Bred and flesc out of is male.
- (1334-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100526 : In 1 Male de nigro coreo empt. pro d'no Priore, 2 s. 2 d.
- (1339) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.206 : [Articles contained in a] male, [namely, 12 girdles of Paris].
- (1368) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.90 : [A] male [with divers small objects necessary for women's occupations valued together, 6 d.].
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4201 : Þay fulde sakkes & trossede males.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.385 : His malys [L manticis] were i-serched and his trussynge cofres.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.694 : For in his male he hadde a pilwe beer, Which that he seyde was oure lady veyl.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.920 : I haue relikes and pardon in my male.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.566 : A male tweyfolde on his croper lay.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester10 : Ȝif a man come to towne with a fardel ate his bak, other a male with mercerye, and goth or stant yn the toun to schewyn hys ware, for ech day ob.
- a1400(c1250) Floris (Eg 2862)689 : Ȝeue him markes & poundes of þy male; Of þy tresoure tel þow no tale.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5468 : Þe kyng dude of his robe..And dooþ on a borel of a squyer..And trusseþ a male hym bihynde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.234 : I roos whan þei were arest and yrifled here males.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)14.56 : Ther þe marchaunt ledeþ a male with meny kynne þynges.
- (1419-20) Grocer Lond.in Bk.Lond.E.202/231 : Also hit is Ordeyned by all þe hole Felloschipe þat no maner Off Man Off þe Felloschippe schall sende no malys..nor non horslodys Off..sotyll ware Inne To Countre.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)76 : Me byfil to entren into toun..wiþ rusty brydel..My man to-forn with a voide male.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6376 : But therof yeve I lytel tale; I have the silver and the male.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)656/10 : Hec mantica, Anglice, male.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)323 : Male of trussynge and caryage: Mantica.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2807 : Gold and sylvyr in males þey pytte.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)16163 : Thresour with outyn tale he toke þem or þei ȝode, And muls with mony a male with þem furth forto lede.
- (1474) Paston (Gairdner)5.207 : Sir, I prey yow that Pytt may trusse in a male, whyche I left in your chambyr at London, my tawny gowne.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.12 : Fors hit with powder of þy male, Of gyngere, canel, and galingale.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)77a : A Maylle [Monson: Male]: Mantica, jnvolucrum.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)147 : Merlin comaunded that all the harneise and armoure sholde be trussed in males and cloth sakkes.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)107/224 : I haue here in my mayll, sothen and rost, Euen of an ox tayll.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)727/5 : Hec mantica: a malle.
b
- (1311) in Black Leathersellers23 : [John Monce,] Malmakere [Let.Bk.Lond.D 74: melmakere].
- (1337) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.146 : [The jury found that..William le Cobelere called] le Malemakere..[had assaulted Antoninus de la Castayn].
- (1345-9) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.III(1) in Archaeol.3186 : & male horsorum.
- (1350) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.240 : [A saddle-tree called] maletree, 10 d.
- (1355) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms216 : Joh. Malemakere.
- (1360) Doc.Finchale in Sur.Soc.6p.lii : Stabulum..iij ladesadelles..j cella quae vocatur malesadell.
- (c1360) R.Arms Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.14307 : Rogerus Malemakere.
- (c1360) R.Arms Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.14308 : Bartholomeus Malemaker.
- (1373) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2963 : In stabulo..j somersadill, j malesadill.
- (1378-9) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100388 : In una malesadill empt., 9 s. 3 d.
- (1381) RParl.3.112b : Johannes Sakkere, Malemaker.
- (1382) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2971 : In stabulo..ij somersadill, j malesadill, j hakenay sadill.
- (1384) Let.Bk.Lond.H (Gldh LetBk H)23 : [Thomas Wilgar,] malemaker.
- (1388-9) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99134 : In una Malesadell empt., 9 s.
- (1390) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5244/1 : Pro j malesadell ab eodem empta.
- (1391) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)2.290 : [To Roger Blythe,] malemaker [..he leaves a tenement in the parish of S. Brigid de Fletestrete].
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52152/24 : Pro iij capistris et male panel.
- (1393) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.213 : [Storehouse. One beam with the scales..one] malesadell, [2 s. 8 d.; another saddle, 4 s.; a saddle for a woman, 4 s.].
- (1397-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99215 : j malesadell, 6 s. 8 d.
- (1400) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.48 : Napre [worth 20 s..and a] malesadel [worth 40 d.].
- (1403) Will York in Sur.Soc.4326 : j malesadill.
- (1414-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99184 : l somersadil..l malesadil.
- (1419) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.66 : [John Salman,] malemaker.
- (1424-5) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)37 : [John Salman,] malemaker [..in the Mistery of Malemakers].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)323 : Male horse: Gerulus.
- (1446) Will Durham in Sur.Soc.295 : Item, j Malesadill sine apparatu, ij Somersadills.
- (1469) Ordin.Househ.Clarence in PSAL (1790)97 : Item, A maile horse and a botell horse, whiche the seid maile-man shall keepe.
c
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)22 : Quhu lucifer, ðat deuel Dwale..held hem sperd in helles male.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)41/900 : He scholde come his sone to hale And habbe gold ful a male.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)226 : He wole aske half a pound to bien spicerie..And bringe rotes and rindes, bret ful a male off noht.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3115 : This gooth aright, vnbokeled is the male; Lat se now who shal telle another tale.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.26 : Vnbokele and shewe vs what is in thy male..Telle vs a fable anon.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3263 : So moche tresoun is in his male Of falsnesse, for to seyne a tale.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.206 : Yiff ye shal telle your owne tale..Ye will vnclose but a litil male Shewe of your vices but a smal parcel.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7308 : And of they wo vnbocle thy male And tell me all the verry troug[t]h.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.2219 : Hough acordeth this tale? Al a wrong, me thenketh, wriheth the male.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)701 : Who shall be the first that shall vnlace his male In comfort of vs all & gyn som mery tale?
- (1465) Paston (Gairdner)4.190 : Pampyng and I have picked your male And taken out pesis v.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Aesop (Hrl 2251)642 : A cloth sakke stuffid, shame it is to pike a male; What nedith the see to borwe of smale rivers.
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.43 : The male so wryes That no kunnyng may prevayl..Ayens a wommans wytt.
- a1500 Theoph.(RwlPoet 225)p.15 : For þu so wel hast told þi tale, Tak þe þer pens ful a male.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)686 : Tregetours, tryphelers, feyners of tales, Lastyuyous lurdeyns, & pykers of males.
d
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)667 : Ther pouert ys þe malewrye [rime: bye, monye], Thow ryght be, he xall neuer renewe.
2.
The belly, digestive tract; pl. the entrails, viscera.
Associated quotations
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.24 : Þe glotoun, þer he fint goed ale, He doþ so muchel in his male.
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.25 : If þou havest bred and ale, Pult hit nout al in þi male.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.546 : For in the tellinge of his tale, Nomore his herte thanne his male Hath remembrance of thilke forme.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)27a/b : Faux: a male.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1230 : Art þow I-wonet to go to þe ale To fulle þere thy fowle male?
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)77/28 : The one hath a swerde in the oþers herte, and the other hath a knyffe in his malyce [L cultrum in visceribus].
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.OFools (LdMisc 683)167 : Tabourerys..Plese more this daies whan stuffed in ther male.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Sense 1.(d) is admittedly speculative, since the compound (if compound it is) can be othewise read, e.g. as containing wri adj. or wri(e n. combined with the present word; or wri(e n. modified by mal(e adj.(1) ('misfortune').