Middle English Dictionary Entry
pūcel(le n.
Entry Info
| Forms | pūcel(le n. Also pusel(le, pusil(le, pushel, pucele & (?error) puce. |
| Etymology | OF pucele, pucelle, puchele. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A virgin, young woman; also, a chaste young man; (b) Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans; (c) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (1439) Liber Scac.in Archaeol.2136 : A Tablet of Seynt George..in yat oon partie ys an aungel..and in that other partie ys a pusell knelyng wt a lambe.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Ballade ROL (Sln 1212)54 : Medicyne to myscheuous, pucelle withoute pere.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)315/6 : 'Be ye a pusell or a wyff?' 'Sir,' she seyde, 'I am a clene maydyn.'
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)794/5 : The kynge knew well that sir Launcelot shulde gete a pusyll uppon his doughtir, whyche shulde be called sir Galahad.
b
- [ (1429) St.Alb.Chron.(1) in RS 28.5 pt.1 (Hrl 3775)42 : Fœmina malisiosa Franciæ, 'la Puselle' dicta. ]
- (1434) Proc.Privy C.4.223 : A disciple and leme of þe fende callde þe Pucelle þat used fals enchantementes and sorcerie.
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)96 : Ther was a woman takyn y-armed in the ffeld..the whiche was called Pucell de Dieux, a false witche.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)439/24 : At that same Journey was take the wicche of Fraunce that was callid th[e] 'Pusshell'.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)172 : The xxiij day of May, the Pusylle was brent at Rone.
- a1500(a1470) Brut-1461(1) (Add 10099)501/3,11 : Þe Dolphin..began to..make destres vpon Englissh men by þe mean of his Capytayns..La Heer and Potonde, Sayntralles, and especial A maid which they named 'la Puce [?read: Pucelle] de Dieu'..þe forsaid Pucell was taken in þe felde, Armed like A man.
c
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2131 : Emma la Pucele.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475 ?Lydg.Rex Salamon (Hrl 2251)29 : O pulcra pusel, thow mayst be payde To play in nostra partibus.
Note: Additional quot.; (barely) postdates sense (a)