Middle English Dictionary Entry
nāvel(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nāvel(e n. Also navelle, navil(e, naville, (early) naful-, (early infl.) nafolan, nafolen, nafelan, nafelon, (early SWM) neavele, nevele, (error) avel & naule, nawele & (chiefly EM) novel(e, novil(e, noule, nowel(e, nowil. |
| Etymology | OE nafela, ?Merc. neafula. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The human navel, umbilicus; ~ shaft (stede), navel; (b) the navel of a beast; imaginary navel of a bird, eel, or dragon; (c) the stomach of a whale; (d) ~ wort, the plant navelwort Cotyledon umbilicus.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)115.93/5 : Þeos wyrt fremeð wel, ȝeeten & to þan nafelan ȝewriðen, swa þat heo fram nafolan ne feallan ne maȝa.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)124.109/2 : Wid þat rengc-wyrmes derian ymbe þa nafolen.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)37/17 : Þisne læcedon man sceal do þan manne, se his nafulsceaft intyhþ. Nim eormeleaf and seoþ and wryð þanne swa hæt uppan þane nafelon.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)12/107 : Snikeð in & ut neddren..et muð & et earen, ed ehnen & ed neauele [vrr. neuele, nauele].
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)444 : Ðe mereman..fro ðe noule niðerward ne is ge no man like.
- ?a1300 11 Pains(1) (Dgb 86)404/104 : Hoe þat euere wedlak brekeþ þe flod to heere nauele takeþ.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)p.148 : En my le ventre est umbil [glossed:] the nowele.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5981 : Vnto þe nouel he him carf; Þe misbileueand paiem starf.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)7259 : Bi þe nauel he carf him ato.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)42/1197 : Me schel þe mannes lenden anelye, Þe nauele of þe femele.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)509 : Þat blod him compþ of þe, Fram vaste be-side þy nauelstede.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)881 : Attes nauel þe dent a-stod.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))SSol.7.2 : Thi nauele [WB(2): nawle] a turned cuppe, neuere nedende drinkes.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1957 : The statue of Venus..Was naked fletyng in the large see, And fro the nauele doun al couered was.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.489 : Lik unto wommen..Up fro the Navele on hih thei be.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60a/a : By þe nauel þe child is I-holde & I-fed in þe modir wombe.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.242 : Pouerte nis but a petit þinge, appereth nouȝt to his naule.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)459 : Al arn we membrez of Jesu Kryst, As heued and arme and legg and naule [rime: Poule] Temen to hys body.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7798 : Fro þe nauele vpward he was man, And lower doun lik a hors y-schapid.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.2584 : He rofe hym euene to þe nouele doun.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)47b : Make a plaster of mogwort and lay that to þe navill all colde.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)15b/a : Þe stomocal partie is fro þens vnto 3 fyngers nyȝ þe vmbilic, i. nauelle.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.841 : Ther berdis rauhte ouer ther nouele doun.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)360 : Novyl or navyl: Umbilicus.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)979 : He slewe hir vnslely and slitt hir to þe nauyll.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)12/21 : If he be strong, it may be drawe out..þe skyn of þe wombe vndir þe nauele.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)82/2 : Ley it al hot be-thwen her brest and here nawele.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)106/16 : On of hem sche myth see fro þe nowle vpward.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)82 : A child was born at Emaus that fro the nowil upward had too bodies and too hedis.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)908/2 : Hys shuldirs were naked and unhylled unto hys navyll.
- c1475(?a1449) ?Lydg.Pag.Knowl.(Trin-C R.3.21)149 : Virgo þe gouernaunce haþe..Of nouell & wombe.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)26a/25 : And I had some of this enpostume with carvyng and dryvyng of þat water in the wound that was with in þe navyle as gret as a loofe of two pownd.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)8844 : It [unborn child] takiþ of þe modris blood Þat is of a veine parteyninge To þe navel fastenynge.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 40.11 : His strengþe in his lendis & his vertue in þe nouele [WB(2): nawle] of his wombe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60a/a : Aristotel..seiþ þat eueryche beest þat gendriþ with eiren oþer withoute eyren haþ a nauel in tyme of burþe; And whanne a brid waxiþ, þe nauel is hid & nouȝt I-seye.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)61 : Take Laumpreys and sle hem with vynegur..slyt hem a litel at þe nauel.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1992 : He strake þe dragon in at þe chavyl, Þat it come out at þe navyl.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)14 : Take Gornard or Congere, a-fore þe navel wyth þe grece, for be-hynde þe navel he is hery of bonys.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)131.336 (v.2:p.348) : They seyin come forth .. a foul beste, hauynge the lyknesse of a gret cat .., whoos tonge was longe and brood and blody and hyng douun to the nouylle.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)20 : The bobyn nexte the nauyl of the Ele maketh the hawke after sore age.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)117 : To mak lamprey in galentyne, tak a lamprey and let hym bleed at the navile, [etc.].
c
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)278 : He lurkkes and laytes where watz le best In vche a nok of his nauel.
d
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)567/47 : Belberici marini sunt similes vmbilicis vmbilicus ci anglice navelwort.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)620/1 : Vmbilicus..Nauelworte.
2.
(a) The center, central point; (b) the junction of a leaf with a stem; (c) the hole in a peach after the removal of the stone; (d) ~ stok, the hub of a wheel.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.9.37 : Lo, þe puple fro þe nouel [WB(2): myddis; L umbilico] of þe erþe comeþ down, & oon company comeþ bi þe weie þat beholdeþ þe ook.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.65 : Oþere swelowes..beeþ in occean; oon is in þe west clif of litel Bretayne and is i-cleped þe nauel of þe see.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.343 : Þey sette a stoon in þe mydel of þe lond as it were in þe nauel and bygynnynge of fyue kyngdoms.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)182b/a : In þe myddel of þis Iudea is þe Cite of ierusalem as it were þe nauel of alle þe cuntrey.
b
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.97rb : Qwere it [viz., 'puliole regale'] be set in gardyn, it is fote hey, stalk as good gret stre, saf wrongisch & somdele ribbed or fleggid, many nouelis or knottes, & in euery of hem a leef or too.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)326/761 : In euery nowele sche beryth here flowris.
c
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)12.173 : Hoot picche, a droppe yf into vch avel gon is, That so they [peaches] be coart to swymme in sape.
d
- c1425 WBible(2) (Bod 296)3 Kings 7.33 : Nauelstockis [Roy: the extrees and the naue stockis..weren ȝotun].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 LDirige(1) (Dgb 102)171 : Man, that is of woman born, Lyuynge short tyme he is Er his nauel be knytte and shorn.
Note: may = 'umbilical cord' — see rejects to shēren v. 1.(c)--per REL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. navel.