Middle English Dictionary Entry
nol n.
Entry Info
| Forms | nol n. Also nolle, nole. |
| Etymology | OE hnol |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The head; often as the seat of intelligence; (b) the crown of the head; (c) the back of the head; ~ of the hed.
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Ne mai no lewed (Hrl 2253)45 : Nys no wyt in is nolle.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.405 : Oon childe was i-bore wiþ foure feet, and anoþer wiþ tweie nolles and moldes [Higd.(2): ij hedes; L duos..vertices].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)38a/a : Þey spekeþ of oþir withoute nolle and necke [L sine ceruice] and with eiȝen in þe schuldres.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)32 : Þei hadde wel dronken..And ek also, with his pylled nolle, The pardowner.
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)211 : Þu art wood on þe Nolle!
- a1456(a1426) Lydg.Mum.Hertford (Trin-C R.3.20)39 : She al day, with hir iowsy nolle, Hathe..Dronk dolled ale.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1061 : But yf þe gardyner..nape thaym on þe nolle ere þay þaire neste caicche.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3259 : It lijth al in þy noll, Both wit & wisdom.
- a1475(a1450) Tourn.Tott.(Hrl 5396)60 : Þay set on þer nollys, For to kepe þer pollys, Gode blake bellys [read: bollys].
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.66 : A! Hicke Heuyheed! hard is þi nolle To cacche ony kunynge.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.128 : Swiche fresshe foodis beth..for her dignesse endauntid of dullisshe nollis.
b
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)536/1 : Uertex: nol.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.28.35 : Mowe þou not be heled fro þe sole of þe foot vnto þy nolle [WB(2): top; L verticem].
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.128.4 : The iust Lord schal beete the nollis [L cervices; Rolle Psalter: skalkys] of synneris.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.3.17 : The Lord schal make ballyd the nol of the douȝtris of Sion.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)68b/b : Vertex: a nolle.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.355 : Þey vseþ longe berdes and longe lokkes hongynge doun by hynde hir nolles [L a posteriori parte capitis].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)40a/b : Þe occiput, þe nolle, is þe hindere partie of þe heed.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)80a/a : Blood hath maistrie in þe forhede..and fleume in þe nolle [L occipitio] of þe heed.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)102/17 : I anoyntide þe nolle [L ceruicem] & þe necke oonly wiþ oile of rosis.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)357 : Nolle: nodul.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)807 : Þe noll [Dub: nole] of Nicollas þe kyng he fra þe nebb partis.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)66/17 : Noynthe þe hed in þe nolle be-hende.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)35/4 : Þe movyng power..is placid..bihynde in þe nolle of þe heed.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)35/12 : Þe synewes of þe bodi bigynnen at þe nolle of þe heed, and þei goen doun in þe necke into þe rigge boon.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)97a/b : Thou schalt bynden long wolle al drie to þe nolle of þe heed and to þe spondilis.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)11/17 : Mynde is sette in þe nolle bihinde.
2.
(a) The back of the neck, the nape; (b) ~ of the hed, the hollow at the nape of the neck; (c) one of the ligaments at the back of the neck; (d) the neck; of hard ~, stiff-necked, stubborn; hard ~, obstinacy, arrogance; harden (enduren) the ~, to be or become stubborn; reren up the ~, be arrogant.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.26.13 : Y..haue ladde ȝow out of þe loond of Egipcianys..&..haue broke þe cheynys of ȝoure nollys [L cervicum] þat ȝe myȝte go vpriȝt.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prols.Esd.(Bod 959)4 : Þe gretnesse of charge put vp on owre nollis bereþ doun.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 15.10 : What tempten ȝe God, for to putte a ȝok on the nol or necke of disciplis the which nether we nether oure fadris myȝten bere?
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)49b/b : Þe formere partye [of the neck] hatte gula, & þe hindere ceruix, þe nolle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)49b/b : Ȝif þe heed is temperatliche greet & þe nolle of þe necke somdel greet, it tokeneþ liȝtnes of complexioun.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)263/25 : Make an enplastre..& leie it vpon his heed & vpon his nolle hoot.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deut.28.48 : He schal putte an yrun ȝok on thi nol.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.48.4 : Thou art hard, and thi nol [WB(1): haterel] is a senewe of irun, and thi forhed is of bras.
b
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)304/5 : We moun garse a man bihinde in þe nol of þe heed [L in fontanella post caput inter duas ceruices].
c
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)147/16 : On þe riȝtside & also on þe liftside of þe necke ben ordeined ij nollis, whiche ben of ligamentis matire, þe whiche proceden out of þe boonys of þe heed & of þe spondilis, & þei strecchen doun to þe eeris in lenkþe biside þe spin boon, & þei ben a couche & a restynge place to þe senewis þat comen out of þe nucha.
d
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.9.6 : Not for þy riȝtwisnessys þe lord þy god shal ȝyue to þe þis beste londe..siþþe þou ert apeple of most hard nolle.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.8.28 : Madyan forsoþe is mekid beforn þe sonys of israel, ne þei myȝtyn more ouyr reryn vp þe nollis.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.36.13 : He endurede his nol & herte þat he were not turned aȝen to þe lord god of israel.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.29.1 : To þe man þat þe chastisere with hard nol despiseþ, feerly deeþ shal comen vp on to hym.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.16.11 : If oon were rerid vp þe nol [WB(2): if oon hadde be hard nollid; L cervicatus], wunder if he hadde ben harmles.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.7.26 : Þei herden not me ne booweden in þer ere, but inwardli hardeden þer nol.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 7.51 : With hard nol and vncircumsidid hertis and eeris, ȝe withstonden euermore the Hooly Goost.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.185 : In a mannys ȝowþe..the nolle is bolde..But in his elde þe stature boweþ..þe bolde nolle [Higd.(2): coppe; L cervix] abateþ.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)216/8 : Make him..cauterijs, oon a litil aboue þe forheed & oon bihinde þe nolle in þe welle þerof [L in collo in fontinella].
3.
A pole of the heavens; north ~, the celestial north pole.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.9 : For þis lond lieþ vnder þe norþ nolle [Higd.(2): partes; L vertice] of þe world, þey haþ liȝt and briȝt myȝtes [read: nyȝtes] in þe somertyme.
4.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1273) Hundred R.Tower 2631 : Will. Wysnol.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. noll.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(c) & 2.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. noll of the head.