Middle English Dictionary Entry
oul n.
Entry Info
| Forms | oul n. Also ouel, houl, noul, (early) ōwul, houel, ouȝl, (error, pl.) owekes & (WM) eul, neul, evil, (early SWM) euel, eaul, (early SWM or SW) aul. |
| Etymology | OE āwel & Merc. *ǣwel. The ME development precludes short a. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A hook or hooked instrument; esp., one used as a torture instrument; ?also, a fork [quot.: a1200]; (b) a fleshhook.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)548/20 : Fuscinula: owul.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)2178 : Heo duden..tuhen hire tittes up of hire breosten, bi þe bare bane, wið eawles [Roy: ewles] of irne.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)16/2 : Hure þolien..Wið hare eawles gledreade hare dustlunges, as þah hit were a pilche clut euchan towart oðer.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)110/10 : Þe deoflen schulen pleien wið him mid hare scharpe eawles [Nero: aules].
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)80 : Þi bile is stif & scharp & hoked Riȝt so an owel [Jes-O: ewel] þat is croked.
- ?a1300 11 Pains(1) (Dgb 86)405/234 : Ten þousent deuelen..þer doþ þe wrecche soule wo; wiþ irene houeles [vr. eaules] hoe hem to-draieþ.
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Dgb 86)342 : Þe fendes..Stikeþ hem and bredeþ Wiþ pikes and wiþ howeles [Jes-O: eaule].
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)486 : Euer-ech caste is owel [Lamb: ewle] op oþur.
- c1300 SLeg.Geo.(1) (LdMisc 108)33 : With kene Owles þer-under þe tormentores stode And todrowen is holie lymes.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)234 : Þe luþere gostes ornen al-so a-boute heom..With hokes and with ouȝles.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)248 : Þe feondes..heore wrechche flesch..mid Ovles [Corp-C: houles] heom to-drowe.
- a1325 SLeg.Blase (Corp-C 145)88 : Byneþe þer stode inowe Tormentors wiþ kene oules and al is fleyss to drowe; As me draweþ wiþ combes wolle, his fleiss þer wiþ hy tere.
- a1350 SLeg.Patr.(Ashm 43)311 : Somme honge bi stronge oweles [Ld: crokus] iput in eiþer eie, þoru þe þrote somme.
- c1375 SLeg.Patr.(Eg 1993)220 : Wiþ irene hokes & newles, heo to drowen him faste.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1730 : Ful hard it is with flessh hook or with oules [vr. owekes] To been yclawed.
- a1450 SLeg.Suppl.Bod.(Bod 779)352/80 : Tormentorus him helpe to his deþ Inowe; wit oulus & wit crokus his flesch hyȝ to-drowe.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)200/24 : He made..forto rase hur fayre body wyth evylys.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)219/5 : He commawndyt forto bryng byfore Laurence al maner of turment: gynnys, ȝerdus, skorgis, staues, evillys, howkys.
b
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)626 : Creagra: nowle.
- ?a1500 Trin-C.LEDict.Suppl.(Trin-C O.5.4)576/15 : Creagra: an owel.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Cp. al n. and eile n.