Middle English Dictionary Entry
perselī n.
Entry Info
| Forms | perselī n. Also perselie, -sili(e, -soli(e, -cel(l)i, -cili(e, parseli, -ce(l)i & perselẹ̄, -sile, -cele, -cile, parsele, -sile, -cile, perselei, -solei & persel, -sil, -cel, -cil, parsel, -cel(le, -cil & perslī, parsli, perslẹ̄, perslei. |
| Etymology | OF perresil, percil, peresil, AF persylle & OE peter-silige, peter-silie, from ML. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One of several plants belonging to the parsley family; esp. the common or garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum); (b) wilde ~, one of several uncultivated plants allied to common parsley; Alexanders or horse parsley (Smyrnium olusatrum) [quot.: a1300]; (c) ~ bed, a bed of parsley; ~ blades (leves), leves of ~, leaves or sprigs of parsley; ~ rotes (mores), rotes of ~, parsley roots; jus of ~, an extract made from ground parsley, esp. from the seed; ~ sed, sed of ~; (d) wild thyme (Thymus serpyllum) [cp. serpol]; (e) fleawort (Plantago psyllium).
Associated quotations
a
- [ a1300 Hrl.978 Vocab.(Hrl 978)556/11 : Petrosillum, i. peresil, i. stoansuke. ]
- ?a1300 Wor.F.157.Gloss.(Wor F.157)185 : Petrusilinum: persil.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)p.110 : For to make a Roo Broth: Tak Parsile and Ysop and Sauge and hak yt smal, boil it in wyn and in water and a lytyl powdre of peper.
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)107 : Spyces speden to spryng, In erbers enhaled..Þe persel [vrr. percel, percele, persile], þe passenep, poretes to preue.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4350 : Of many a pilgrym hastow Cristes curs For of thy persely [vrr. parsel, percely, persle, persele, percelly, parselee, persly] yet they fare the wors That they han eten with thy stubbul goos.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)242a/b : Of persily beþ many manere kynde, but þe beste is macedonicum of macedonia, swete in taste & wiþ good smylle and odour.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.13 : Eowtes of Flessh: Take Borage, cool, langdebef, persel..cast hem in gode broth and seeþ hem, and sue hem forth.
- a1400 Alphita (SeldArch B.35)169 : Silonum uel sinonum uel simonum..est tercium petrosillinum usuale, s. ortolanum uel domesticum, gall. et angl. persile, quando simpliciter ponitur petrosillinum pro usuali intelligitur.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)275/2 : His breed wole be þe better for him if it be medlid wiþ poudre maad of fenel-seed & persil.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.270 : I haue persile [vrr. percyl, persely, persil, percele, persel, perceel, persoly; B vrr. percile, percelle; C: perselye] & poret & many cole plantis.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)62a : Petrocillium: Persely ys hote in the þirde degre.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)158b/a : For amannes yȝe þat is blew or blak of brossur: Take white of eyren, stampe it wiþ persilye, make it þicke as an oynement wiþ oute fyre & bynde it þer to to it be hoole.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)438 : Farsure for Chekyns: Take the ȝolkes of harde egges, and bray hom smal, and take sauge and parsel and hew hit smal..and do into the chekyns.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)393 : Persley [vr. percyly; Win: Percyle], herbe: Petrocillum, vel petrocilium, vel petrocilinum.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)21/23 : Tak rosemaryn, lauandre, puliol rialle..persell, ysoppe, [etc.].
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)140/5-6 : Humlok or herbe benet..haȝt lewys lyk to persolye, and so it flowreth and bryngyȝt forth seed as doth perselye, but þis herbe stynkyȝt.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)192/19 : Petrosilium is an herbe þat men clepe persely; þis herbe is comoun.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)81 : Take parcill, Swynes grece or suet of shepe, and parboyle hem in faire water.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)100 : Putte the broth and þe parcelly into an erthen potte.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)104/28 : Take garlek, auence, percille, solsecle and grynde hem well to-gedir.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.11 : Iusselle: Take fresshe broth of gode befe..Boyle hit softly, and in þo boylyng, Do þer to sage and persely ȝoyng.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.31 : Take persoley and sage and grynde hit wele With þe brothe of pigges.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)79b/b : Also take percile and grinde it riȝt smal with þe crummes of sour whete breed and wiþ wommans mylk.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)94a : Percel [Monson: percelle]: petrocillium.
- a1500(?a1450) Treat.Garden.(Trin-C O.9.38)126-7 : Further ouerpasse y nell Tyl y haue tolde þe kynde of percell: Percell kynde ys for..To be sow yn þe monthe of mars, so mote y the, He wul grow long and thykke, And euer as he growyth þu schalt hym kytte.
- a1500 Herb Salad in James Cat.Cai (Cai 414/631)487 : Herbes for a saled: letuse parselan, persely, [etc.].
- a1500 Sln.Herb List (Sln 1201)75 : Herbes for Sauce..Percely.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)55/14 : Saue ys mad in þys maner:..tyme, persoly, borage and wermod, [etc.].
b
- a1300 Hrl.978 Vocab.(Hrl 978)556/12 : Closera: alisaundre, wilde percil.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)193/4 : Petrocillium agreste is an herbe þat men clepe wylde perselye; þis herbe haȝt lewys lyk to þe thre lewyd gres, but þe lewys of þis herbe are sumdel reddere, and þe stalke is red, and it growyȝt in feldys, and it haȝt a long seed as haȝt þe thre lewyd gres, but þe seed of þis herbe is noȝt fully so long ne so strong of sawour.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)326/783 : Of baldmonye and of hys los Sum-what to tellyn is my purpos; Wylde persyle most is he lik; Both growyn in fen and in fennys dyk.
c
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)102 : Tak eggys and temper hem wyth Jus of Parcyle and wryng hem thorwe a cloth, and wan that bruet is boylyd, do that therto and meng tham togedere wyth fayr grees.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)55 : And if he may not pisse, take of lekes þe leeues and of an herbe þat is clepid marrubium album and of modirwort..and percel leeues..and stampe hem..and make a playstire þerof.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)162a/b : Þes ben sympel medicines..Cole sede, dille sede, nettel sede, malowe sede, percile sede, smalleache sede, and fenel sede.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)25/3 : For euyll at þe hert:..Tak þe rutes of fenkell, þe rutes of percell, þe rutes of horsehelme..& sethe þam..& þane gyffe þe seke ilk day at drynk.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)44/20 : For hym þat may noghte pys:..Tak þe jus of percelle & oyle of olyue & boyle þam wele to-gedir and drynke it.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)7 : Trype de Motoun: Take þe pownche of a chepe..an caste it on a pot of boylyng water..þanne take leuys of þe percely an hew hem þer-to, [etc.].
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)35 : Soupes of Salomere: Take boylid Porke & hew yt an grynd it, þen take cowe Mylke & Eyroun y-swonge, & Safroun, & mynce Percely bladys & caste þer-to.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)120/21 : Smalache or Merche..beryth a Seed lyke to perselye seed.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)127/22-3 : Amiyis..sedyth as it were perselye, and þe seed is as it were þe seed of perselye..and þe seed is lyk to perselye seed.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)18/23 : Þer come so swete a savur oute of his parcell bed & his erbis, þat he was so replete þerwith þat ij or iij dayes hym liste nevur at e[ate].
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)199/10 : For drynes off the tunge: Take þe sede of persely and put yt in a smale lynyng cloþe, and hang yt in cold water..and þen with þe cloth rubbe thyn tonge.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)227/4 : For þe dropsy:..take a grete quantite of watercrassun and halfe so moche of sawge..and persly-rotis and browne fenell..and sethe þes herbys..and drynke at mete and at soper.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)237/3 : For þe stone: Take smallagesede, louage-sede, fenell-sede, saxifrage-sede, perslysede..and drynke a sponful.
- c1450 Dc.55 Cook.Recipes (Dc 55)117 : Sturgeon buille ou turbutt: Draw a turbutt or a sturgeon..buille hem in water..serue hym forth colde, a pece or too in a dissh with vert sauce, and cast persely leues wette in vynegre on hym.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)152/460 : For the jawndes or þe ȝelowȝ euell take..the roote of yonge fenell and the rote of yonge persely, and do away that þt is with in the rynde and seth heme wele togedir in stale secund ale and gyf hym to drynk vij sponefull at evyn.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)76 : Pro mingentibus sanguinem: Take amerose 1 manum, sanguinarie manum 1, percely seed, manum sem., stampe hem, & tempre hem wyþ good mylke & ȝef þe seeke to drinke.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)429 : To þe cold dropesye may [þis] ȝet do bote: Take..sawge and percely-rotys, [etc.].
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)88/5 : To makyn watir of sedis: Take percelly-seed, smalache-seed, and anneys, [etc.].
- (1452-4) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)339 : Item, paye for hurtilbery rootes, parsely sede, and othir sedis.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)294 : For the ree to goshauke: Take a dase, and stampe it in a morter, and wring oute þe jus, and with a penne put it in to þe haukes naris..To a sperhawke take perseley morys in the same manner.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)826 : Quinces & peris, Ciryppe with parcely rotes, riȝt so bygyn your mele.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)30a/22 : Take toty..and meng hem with oyle of Rose and þe Iuse of percell or of an other cold herbe.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)12/14 : Pro fluxu: Take red wyn and þe sed of persile and stampe hit and tempere hit and drynke hit ofte.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)73/4 : For to make aque vite: Take sauge and fynel-rotes and perselyrotes and rosmaryne and tyme and lauendre, of euerech lyche moche, [etc.].
d
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)137 : Persile, serpillum in latin, for-þi þat, as hoo seiþ, it crepith forth ny by erþe; Persile is hoot and drye.
e
- c1450 Agnus Castus (Bod 483)195/7 : Percylye [Stockh: Pillium is an herbe þat men clepe syil].