Middle English Dictionary Entry
ǒule n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ǒule n. Also oul(le, ouel(e, houl(e, nou(e)le & hole & ule, hule & (in names only) oula-, noul-, ol(e-, olle-, wol(le-, ul(le-, hulu-, (infl. or pl.) ouln-, olen-, olne-, hol(l)en-, ul(l)en-, uln(e-, hulen-, ules-, hulles-. |
| Etymology | OE ūle; infl. & pl. ūlan. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An owl; horned ~, a horned owl; (b) her. the figure of an owl on a shield; (c) a pictorial representation of an owl; (d) ~ flight, twilight.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543/4 : Strix, uel bubo: ule.
- c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)412 : Strix, ule, i. huan.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)4 : Iherde ich holde grete tale, An hule and one niȝtingale.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)28 : Hit was þare hule [Jes-O: vle] eardingstowe.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)708 : Meuz chaunte ki houswan [glossed:] houle.
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.155 : Hail seint Franceis wiþ þi mani foulis, Kites and crowis, reuenes and oules.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)27/4 : Þe enuious ne may ysy þet guod of oþren nanmore þanne þe oule oþer þe calouwe mous þe briȝtnesse of þe zonne.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)89/444 : Owles and nytcrowes..seen betre be nyȝt þan by day.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1727 : As an oule fleth be nyhte Out of alle othre briddes syhte, Riht so this knyht..schop his rode On nyhtes time.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4131 : A part ek of the horned Oule, The which men hiere on nyhtes houle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)144b/b : The owle hatte..bubo and haþ þat name of þe soun of hire voys..Crienge of þe owle by nyȝte bodeþ deþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)259b/b : Þe openynge of þe owelis [L noctue] yhe is moche and þe openynge of þe egles yhe is litel.
- ?a1400 Bozon (Hrl 1288)205 : Bubo (anglice an howle) rogavit accipitrem.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)115/4 : Oules mowen not wel see adai for liȝt of þe sunne, ne durren not fle ne be seie among oþere briddes for þei schulde be ascrid.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2569 : Þe owle also, so odyous at al, Þat songis singeth at festis funeral, Declareth pleynly þe fyn of euery glorie Is only deth.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.319 : The owle ek, which that hette Escaphilo, Hath after me shright al thise nyghtes two.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)149/2 : Abouen all foules of þe world þei worschipen the Owle.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)599 : Thow farst by love as oules don by lyght: The day hem blent; ful wel they se by nyght.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2253 : The oule al nyght aboute the balkes wond, That prophete is of wo and of myschaunce.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)374 : Owle, or howle, byrde. Bubo.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)723 : Minerva men..bringen..a niht-brid, a bakke, or an oule.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)233/16 : For þe gowte, Take an howle and choppe her small.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)73/5 : For a wood man. Do þe man þat is frentyk etyn of an owle þat howtetz.
- a1475 Holy berith beris (Hrl 5396)p.94 : Iuy hath berys as blake as any slo; Ther com the oule and ete hym as she goo.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)90a : An Owle: Bubo, lucifuga, vlula.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)102/13 : For alle goutes a gode oynement. Take an oule and pull hym, and open hym as þou woldeste ete hem..be[t] it to poudre and tempre it with bores gres, and anoynte þe sore be þe fyre.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)701/37 : Hic bubo, Anglice, a nowlle.
b
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)857 : He bar þe scheld of goules, Of syluer þre whyte oules, Of gold was þe bordure.
c
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.648 : In which were peynted alle thise false fowles As been thise tydyues, tercelettes, and owles.
d
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)571 : Yff ȝe haue ony syluer, in happe pure brasse, Take a lytyll powder of Parysch and cast ouer hys face, Ande ewyn in þe howll-flyght let hym passe.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)28 : They..gon yn to the waren al be nyght, evyn a non aftyr the owle flyght, when trew men schulde be at her reste.
2.
(a) A name for Satan; ~ of helle; (b) as a term of abuse and a type of ugliness; (c) as a type of spiritual blindness; (d) in proverbs, sayings, and comparisons.
Associated quotations
a
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.27.22a : Lord Ihesu..descendyng..for to helpe..releve his poepil, wich the wreched, horrible owle of helle had drawe owt of ther nest..ye owe for to helpe and defende from this cursed owle namely alle tho þat beren scrippe and burdon.
b
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)42.308/12 : Hire felawes..calde hire Oule and foule þing.
- c1460 Chaucer CT.WB.(RwlPoet 149)D.1081 : For hym þouȝt hur fowler than an owle.
- a1500 Vnto you (RwlPoet 36)6 : Most fresch of contenaunce, euyn as an Oule ys best and most fauoryd of ony odyr foule.
- c1500(?c1450) Wedding Gawain (Rwl C.86)310 : Thoughe I be foulle, Choyse for a make hathe an owlle.
- c1500(?c1450) Wedding Gawain (Rwl C.86)316 : 'Now farewelle,' sayd the kyng, 'lady.' 'Ye, Sir,' she sayd, 'ther is a byrd men calle an owlle, And yett a lady I am.'
c
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)115/3 : Here hedes ben more like to hedis of blinde oules, boþe bodili and gostli, þan forte ben hedis of Cristis spouse.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)117/3 : Þis maner speche be soþ, þouȝ it seme orrible and unsaueri to blinde oules þat mow not se ariȝt for here heiȝe hornes of cacchinge muse.
d
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)3032 : As oule and stormes strong, So criestow on heye In herd.
- ?c1350 Bozon Contes in SATF (GrI 12)23 : Stroke oule and schrape oule and evere is oule oule.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4282 : Men dreme alday of owles and of apes.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.585 : Bot Oule on Stock and Stock on Oule; The more that a man defoule, Men witen wel which hath the werse.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1081 : He wedded hire on morwe And al day after hidde hym as an owle [vr. hole] So wo was hym his wyf looked so foule.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2409 : I carpe, I crye..I fesyl fowle; I loke lyke an howle.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)258/119 : He lokis..like an nowele in a stok, Full preualy his pray for to wayte.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)194/14 : As sone as a man commes to mans state, anon he will ȝeue sentence and dome of euery crafte and connynge, þoo he knowe no more þer-of þan can þe howle of musik.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2309 : He is..ffair as the hors, As the howle malicious.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.120 : The owle to þe stone, and þe stone to þe owle, but euer a-bydyth' þe sely owle.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)190/23 : Man..is hardy as a lyon..ontame as a bole, domme as a fysche, resonnabyl as an aungelle, leccherus as a sqwyne, malycious as an owle.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)359 : All oon to the a ffaucoun & a kyte, As good an oule as a popyngay.
3.
In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.224].
Associated quotations
- (c1100) in Wallenberg PNKent236 : Hulecumbe.
- (c1135) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)99 : Ulecotes.
- (1187) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Vlenhala.
- (1190) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)267 : Ulleberga.
- (1197) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)99 : Vlescotes.
- (1221) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Ullenhale.
- (1242) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)118 : Olecumbe..Wollecumb.
- (1242) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)267 : Holenhale.
- (1249) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)288 : Hululeg.
- (1251) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)267 : Hulenhale.
- (1265) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)267 : Hullesbarewe.
- (1285) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Hollen Hale.
- (1287) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)99 : Ouelkotes.
- (1291) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Olnehale.
- (1302) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)267 : Olenhale.
- (1302) EPNSoc.34 (West Riding Yks.)41 : Oulheued.
- (1317) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Oulnhale.
- (1327) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames146 : Nic. atte Noulton.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10220 : Rado de Oulehole.
- (1332) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10332 : Rado de Hulehole.
- (1333) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)288 : Oulalegh.
- (1336) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.153 : Olcestre.
- (1340) EPNSoc.4 (Wor.)267 : Ollebarewe.
- (1363) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Ulnhale.
- (1389) in Wallenberg PNKent416 : Ulle.
- (1414) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)99 : Ulcotes.
- (1447) EPNSoc.32 (West Riding Yks.)236 : Owelecotes.
- (1454) EPNSoc.13 (War.)245 : Ulnehale.
- (1457) EPNSoc.35 (West Riding Yks.)124 : Owlcotes.
- (1461) EPNSoc.9 (Dev.)435 : Owelhole.
- (1486) in Wallenberg PNKent142 : Wolberough.
- (1487) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)257 : Ulcotwra.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. owl.