Middle English Dictionary Entry
qualm n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | qualm n.(1) Also qualme, quelme, cwaolm & (early) cwalm, cualm, cwealm, kwalm & (error) qualyn. |
| Etymology | OE: cp. A cualm, WS cwealm, cwelm. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Pestilence or illness affecting men or livestock; widespread death caused by pestilence; also, fig. a pity, shame; ~ onfalle, an access of plague; ~ of orf, widespread death of livestock, murrain; (b) affliction, disease; (c) death, a death; (d) ~ hous, a prison, esp. a prison for those about to be put to death; also fig.; ~ stoue [OE cwealm-stōw], a place of execution.
Associated quotations
a
- a1126 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1125 : On ðes ilces geares wearð swa micel flod..þat feola tunes & men weorðan adrencte..& corn & mædwe spilt mid ealle, & hunger & cwealm on men & on erue.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)115 : Ȝif he forsihð þas isetnesse..þene bið his erd ihened oft and ilome, eiðer ȝe on herȝunge ȝe on hungre ȝe on cwalme ȝe on uniwidere ȝe on wilde deoran.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15920 : Þe qualm [Otho: cwaolm] gon to stunte; men gunnen to sturien.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)177 : Eft þis worel [read: woreld] ebbeð, þenne hit þat tuderinde wið-teoð, and cumeð coðe oðer qualm and michel þerof felleð.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)26/431 : Mohðe fret te clades, & cwalm sleað þet ahte.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1157 : Þu bodest cualm of oreue.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)418 : Sethþe þare cam in þe londe a swyþe strong qualm of orue, Þat schep and reoþeren and oþur bestes aldai leiȝen a-storue.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5038-40 : So gret qualm [B: manqualm; vr. deþ; C: pestilence] com ek among mon þat hii þat bileuede aliue Ne miȝte noȝt al burye þat folc, þat deide so Riue. Vol of siknesse & of qualm & sorwe þis lond was þo.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)415 : Tho that qualm was astin [read: astint] of beste that bar horn, Tho sente God on eorthe another derthe of corn.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2014 : Yet saugh I..A thousand slayn and noght of qualm [vr. qualyn] ystorue.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4721 : Qualm has beistes al ouergan.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5999 : Þan sent godd a qualm on-fall On besteis in þat kingrike all.
- ?a1400 Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Petyt 511)16474 : Qualme [Lamb: 'Deus auribus nostris' hatte þat salme Þat þey seide for þat man-qualme].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1968 : Over alle the houses angles Ys ful of rounynges..of deeth, of lyf..Of hele, of seknesse..Of qwalm of folk, and eke of bestes.
- 1532(?a1400) RRose (Thynne)357 : Elde was paynted after this..Iwys, great qualm [F morie] ne were it non, Ne synne, although her lyf were gon.
b
- ?c1335 Nou ihc for þi (Hrl 913)18 : Be aware, whose euer wol, Al quelme and sorow þat euir is, At þen end so find we sulle Þat for man is sin it is.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4724 : Bot if sum bote o þe be tan, þe folk mon dei vp al bidene Wit qualm, þis hunger es sa ken.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)105.29 : & cessauit quassacio..and the qualm left..the qualm left of manny ded.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Geo.(1) (LdMisc 108)91 : Swete louerd Iesu crist..graunte me..þat þare ne falle in þat hous no qualm in al þe ȝere, Ne gret sijknesse ne hongur strong þat þarof beo no fere.
- a1325(?c1300) Caiphas (Sln 2478)128 : Cryst com as moeklych as a lom To habbe for ȝou deþes dom..Wel auȝte ȝe queme such a qualm.
d
- (1199) CRR(1) 210 : Locus in quo suspensi fuerunt latrones predicti vocatur qualmstowe.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Bod 34)94/659 : He..tahte us treowe ileaue þurh þet eadi meiden Katerine, þet te king pineð i cwalm-hus [L carcere].
- c1225 St.Marg.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)11/3 : Þe wari..het hire kasten in-to cwarterne & into cwalm-hus.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)56/8 : I þe munt of caluarie, þer ure lauerd hongede, wes þe cwalm stowe [Cleo: kwalm stouwe], þer leien ofte licomes irotet buuen eorðe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)74/10 : Ha [the soul] is her in uncuððe iput in a prisun, bitund in a cwalm hus.
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)283 : A nu mon ledes him forð to munte caluarie to þe cwalm stowe.
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)48/27 : A now me leden him forþ to mount of caluarie to þe qualmstouwe to don him þere o dawe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)138a : A Whalme: quassacio, molacrum.
Note: New spelling
Note: See DMLBS s.v. quassatio n. 'act of pounding [or] shaking; affliction, disturbance.' Which presumably places this quot. under MED sense (b).
Note: The equivalence with 'molacrum' is more problematic. DMLBS glosses 'molacrum,' citing only this passage, as '(understood as) pestilence or sim.,' a gloss that if relied on here threatens to be circular. Perhaps one should look rather to Lewis & Short, s.v. molucrum, sense C, 'a square log of wood at the place where sacrifices were offered,' in which case 'whalme' should perhaps be taken as standing in for '~ stoue,' execution place.