Middle English Dictionary Entry
ō̆ver-al adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | ō̆ver-al adv. Also -al(l)e, -eal, our-al & (early) oferal, -eal. |
| Etymology | OE phr. ofer e)al. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Everywhere, all over, in every part or place; ~ abouten, abouten ~, all about, everywhere around; (b) in both of two places, on both sides; (c) throughout, all through; (d) ?anywhere; (e) ~ ther, wherever.
Associated quotations
a
- a1126 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1125 : He ferde ofer eall Engla lande..& ofer eall he wæs underfangen mid wurðscipe, & ealle hine iæfen micele gife & mære.
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1130 : Se abbot..wæs underfangen ouer eall swa hwar swa he com mid mycel wurðscipe.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)96/11 : Þe Hælend..festæ feowertiȝ daȝe & feowertiȝ nihtæ togædere ær þam þe he moncyn ofer all openlice lærde.
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)4/44 : Heo [worms] brekeþ þine breoste ond borieþ þurh ofer al.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)83 : Þa com þes Mon he nefre ne gulte, þes mihte speken ouer al.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4609 : Al a-buten ouer-al he makede stænene wal.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)163 : Þat lond..bicam waste and was roted oueral.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)41/432 : Ich..truste o mi lauerd þet is meister of alle mixschipes & wurche his wil ouer al ase forð as imei.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)25/21 : Þe ureisuns þet ich nabbe buten ane i mearket, beoð iwriten ouer al wið ute þe leaste.
- a1250 Orison Lord (Nero A.14)203 : He wule ðet þin wille oueral beo i-uorðed.
- a1275 Stod ho (Tan 169*)3 : Þe blod out stremed oueral.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)611 : Ut of his ðrote cumeð asmel; mid his rem forð oueral.
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)1426 : He sowte hys moder oueralle, Wit inne eueriche walle.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7695 : Vor me miȝte..lede hardeliche Tresour aboute & oþer god oueral aperteliche.
- c1330(?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch)p.657 : Þe reftes al cipres be, Þat swote smal casten he Ouer al aboute.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)104/24 : Zoþ hit is þet he [God] is oueral [F partout] yhered, ine erþe, ine ze, ine helle, ase he is ine heuene.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.507 : For comunly men woot it wel ouer al [vr. ouere al] That myghty god is in hise heuenes hye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Kings 8.41 : Þi grete name schal ben herd, & þi stronge hond & þi strauȝt out arm oueral [WB(2): euery where].
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.216 : Ful wel biloued and famulier was he With frankeleyns ouer al in his contree.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.340 : Tho was the toun withoute wal, Which nou is closed overal.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2084 : He made that the ryuer was so smal That wommen myghte wade it ouer al [vr. ouer ale].
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)915 : Oueral [F Par tut] yn þat cuntre Þere þey made nat þys solemnyte were here vynys al destroyed.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12610 : Ioseph and maria turnd a-gain To seke him..Ouer all a-bute þan in þar kyth.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)10.44 : Þat is Anima, þat oueral in þe body wandriþ, Ac in þe herte is hire hom heiȝest of alle.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)150 : He ferde as freke were fade, & ouer-al enker grene.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5643 : Þis Iubiter was moste magnified Of hem of Crete, a-bouten ouer al.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)477 : Alle these thingis..With gold and asure over all Depeynted were upon the wall.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)23932 : Ouer alle [L Undique] þai wondede and wondes tok.
- c1430(c1395) Chaucer LGW Prol.(2) (Benson-Robinson)107 : Fayr was this medewe, as thoughte me, overal.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)131/15 : Owr merciful Lord ouyral present, comfortyng hys vnworthy seruawnt, seyd vn-to hir, [etc.].
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)87/14 : Þe Grekis..hadde nede of Achilles..he was souȝt oueral, but þei myȝt not heere of him.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)81b : Þe feeld þat þou schalt fiȝte ynne ne is not oueral euermore yliche wyde & brood.
- a1450 Agnus Castus (Roy 18.A.6)150/5 : Dens canys..haþ a ȝelow flour and he growyþ wel-ny ouyr-al.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)6756 : All aboute he wasted and stroyde; Pure and ryche our all he noyed.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)114/8 : Symond..yaf..to the mynchons of Godestowe..that mede that the forsaid Symond bought..with all his pertynentis overalle.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)90a : Ouerall: passim, vbicumque..quoquo gencium.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)150/14 : He put away and made apostatacion of the signe of the crosse and destroyed it oueral and gretely pursued Cristen peple.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)208/133 : The people hym full mekyll prasyd ouer all in euery place.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1024 : Synne regnyth in this londe ovire alle.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)671 : Women with schylde ouer all a-bowt With swerd & fyre sle & brenne.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)89 : They seyde þat they had ben ouyr-al and cowde not fynde Jhesu.
b
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)70b/a : Vtrobique: oueralle.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)372 : Ovyral:..utrobique.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)224/31 : It is ryght harde, ȝe impossible, that thou ioye here in this worlde and that thou regne wyth Criste..and that thou appere oueral [L utrobique], in both places, gloryos and ioyful.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)90a : Ouerall:..utraque locorum.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10356 : Maria sal þou do hir call, Fild wit godds grace ouer-all [Ld: ovir alle].
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)125/32 : And this he shewith wele in his Psalmys, which ouirall ben fulfilled with lawdes and praysingis to God and suffrage of prayere.
d
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.482 : Humylitee..is in foure maneres..The seconde is to chese the loweste place ouer al.
e
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.249 : Ouer al ther as profit sholde arise Curteys he was.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)201 : I hatte..infirmitee, that oueral ther [F par tout ou] j fynde hele sette me to wrastle with him.
2.
(a) Especially, preeminently, above all; in particular; ~ and al, beyond every other, beyond all; ~ wel, very well; (b) in general, generally.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)38/658 : Eadi meiden..ne beo þu nawt trust ane to þi meidhad wið uten oðer god & þeawfule mihtes &, ouer al, miltschipe & meokeschipe of heorte.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)20/11 : For an þing i biseche þe, eauer & oueral, þet tu wite to þe mi meiðhad unmerret.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)22/3 : Pine is oueral [Corp-C: ihwer] þuruh creoiz idon to understonden.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1996 : Covoitise..is overal A pourveour and an aspie.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.291 : He bosteth and braggeth..And entermeten hym ouer-al þer he hath nouȝt to done.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)1003 : Trouthe hymself, over al and al Had chose hys maner principal In hir.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2965 : Hit were..semly for wemen Þaire houses to haunt..And, ouer all, þere onesty attell to saue.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)512/3 : There be som of us know the hondys of that good knyght overall well.
- ?1536(1402) Jack Upland (Gough)193/60 : Why holde ye silence in one howse more than in another, sith men ought over-al to speke the good and leve the evell?
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2508 : Wher such thing falleth overal That eny king himself misreule, The Philosophre..In special a cause sette.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4173 : A king is holden overal To Pite, bot in special To hem wher he is most beholde, Thei scholde his Pite most beholde.
3.
(a) Entirely, wholly, completely; altogether; in every way; (b) in all respects; in all cases; at all times, always.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)20/312 : Al as ich seide ear folhið ure lauerd & tah nawt ouer al.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1389 : Þan gropede he euery wounde, And founde hem þanne in euery plas ouer al hol & sounde.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.1945 : He..tolde him over al the cas, How that his fadre moerdred was.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2129 : By Pyramus and Thesbe may men lere, Thogh they were kepte ful longe streyte oueral, They been acorded rownyng thurgh a wal.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4395 : Ȝyf y may skape þys euyl harde, Þan shal y do oueral ryght.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)10492 : Þe sacrament of þe autere Oueral passeþ hys powere.
- c1400 *Bk.Mother (Bod 416)142/5 : Ȝif þou ȝeue þe oueral to do þin offis: to be affectous, kinde, tretable, and humble; þou shalt haue witnesse of alle þat smellest wiþ beste oynementis.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6091 : They wolde overall holde hem stille Of trouthe that is ageyne her wille.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)170/7 : Þei..bisien hem wiþ al her desier for to conforme hem in alle þingis, and oueral boþe in þouȝt and deede to seke and wirke aftir my wille.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1048 : And he so ofte had doon to hire offence, And she ay sad and constant as a wal, Continuynge euere hir innocence ouer al.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)32/14 : Al þe intencioun of helynge of woundis is for..to restoren þat þat is departid, þe which þat mai not oueral [vr. overe al; L vbique] be doon, for if þat membris of office ben kutt of, þei moun neuere be restorid.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)p.78 : Noiþer sacrament nor benefice nor ministry is ȝeuun nor tan frely after Cristis bidding; but oueral goþ symonie priualy or apert.
4.
?Indiscriminately, heedlessly.
Associated quotations
- a1450(c1395) WBible(2) Pref.Jer.(NC 66)p.67 : But the crafte of hooly scriptures is that science aloone, that alle men calengen ouer al [WB(1): pasemel; vr. parselmel; L passim]..the olde chaterynge damme..the olde dotid man..the sofistre.