Middle English Dictionary Entry
quail(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | quail(e n. Also quaille, whaile, quale, queil & (error) qukaile. |
| Etymology | OF caille, quail(l)e, qualle & ML quaila, qualea. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The European quail Coturnix coturnix; ~ ei, the egg of a quail; bevei of quailes, a flock of quail; (b) a quail used for food; the cooked flesh of a quail; (c) in proverbs; gon couch ~, to go crouch like a quail; (d) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)325a/a : Qvaile eiren beþ litil and rounde..and þe quaile is a litil brid and hatte quisquila and haþ þat name of þe voice and is a fleisshy brid wiþ many feþeres and is of lasse flight þan a larke and liþ vnder a clotte as þe larke doþ.
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)16 : Coturnix, i. quaile.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)66 : Here [spaniels'] ryght craft is of þe perterich and of þe quale [F caille]..also whan þei byn itaught to be couchers, þei byn good for to take þe parteriche and þe quaile with a nette.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)641/11 : Hec qualia; Anglice, quayle.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)339 : Ther was..the hardy sperhauk eke, The quayles [vr. queylis] foo.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.2697 : Gaulteer..Saide he was born to be lord of Tuscan..Tolde he was lad, conueied be a quaile..That was the sentence of the birdis songe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)418 : Quayle, byrde: Quistula [Win: quistiola], qualia.
- 1448 in Hodgkin Proper Terms56 : A Bewy of quayles.
- a1450 Dur-CRO.Bk.Hawking (Dur-CRO Roll D/X/76/7)36/236 : For all hole-foted feles lyggys in [this] kynd of speche. So dos partrik, fesaund and whayle.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Cock (Hrl 2255)116 : Among estatys whoo hath moost quiete..Geyn Phebus vprist syngen wyl the quaylle.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)603 : A beuy of quayles.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57367 : I payd the same day to Rescharde Monyer fore a kage and a hondered qwayles.
- ?a1475 Gloss RSS in Sln.1986 (Sln 1986)56 : Quayle [glossing:] quiscula.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)101a : A Qwayle [Monson: Qvkayle]: Quisquila.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)487 : He..spronge forth as sperhauke after partriches or quayles.
- a1500 Terms Assoc.(3) (Lamb 306)233 : A beve of Quailles.
- a1500 Today in (Hrl 1002)p.164 : I hyrde the fowles syng..The quayle and the goldefyng and the lapwyng.
- a1500 Vnto you (RwlPoet 36)p.220 : Youre swete loue wyth blody naylys, Whyche fedyth mo lyce than quaylys.
b
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)p.101 : Tak Partrichys rostyd and checonys and qualys rostyd.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A quayle y whynged.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)79 : Quayle rosted..serue him as thou doest a partrich.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)437 : Of quayle, sparow, larke..þe legges to ley to your souereyne ye ne lett, and afturward þe whyngus, if his lust be to ete.
- a1475 Terms Assoc.(1) (Brog 2.1)60 : A quaylle ithyide.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)61 : Quayle rost..rost hym as a pertuche.
- a1486(c1429) Menu Banquet Hen.VI in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)p.58 : Le iij Course..Plovers, Quayles, Snytes.
c
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1206 : In ialousie I rede eek thow hym bynde, And thow shalt make hym couche as dooth a quaille.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1085 : I stod as stylle as dased quayle.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2385 : I am al betyn, toppe and tayl, Wyth Abstynens wyl I no more dayl; I wyl gon cowche qwayl At hom in ȝour gonge.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)186 : The quaile-pipe can most falsly calle, Til the quaile vndir the nett doth creepe.
d
- (1327) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames286 : Simon Quayle.