Middle English Dictionary Entry
quellen v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | quellen v.(1) Also quel(le, whellen, (error) querlin & (early) cwelle(n & (late) quaile. Forms: sg.3 quelleth, etc. & quelth, (early) cwelleth, cwelth; p. quelled(e, queld(e, whellid, whellit & (early) cwelde, quālde, cwālde, quōlde; ppl. i)quelled, queliet, quelde, iqueld, quelt, (error) quelþe, (early) cwelled & wōld, (early) iquāld. |
| Etymology | OE cwellan; WS p. cwealde, A *cwalde, cwald; also cp. Nhb. p. ācwelede, ācwelled. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To kill; kill (sb.), slay; also, to kill by strangulation or suffocation [quot.: PParv.]; (b) to kill (an animal); -- also without obj.; ~ as beste, slaughter (sb.) like an animal; ~ to the deth; (c) don (leten) ~, cause (sb., an animal) to be killed; (d) fig.: to speak ill of (sb.); (e) ppl. quelled as adj.: slain, dead.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)38/213 : Ne sculen namare þa Judees hire sune swingan ne cwellen.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15526 : Þeȝȝ tokenn himm..& cwaldenn himm o rodetre.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)878 : Heo qualden [Otho: cwelden] þa Frensce, alle þa heo funden.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5451 : Þat word com to Rome Þat Coel hæfden iquald Asclepidiot þene king.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8759 : Þu woldest..wel wreken þi folc þat Vther her qualde.
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)279 : Was tat barabas a þeof þat wið tresun i þe burh hafde a mon cwelled.
- a1300 Hwi ne serue (Jes-O 29)57 : Seynt thomas wes biscop, & barunes him quolde.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)89 : Nime we & quellen þis ilke hinderling.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)255 : He was on ðe rode wold, And biried in ðe roche cold.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)43 : Þe princes of þe lawe þouȝte..to quelle lazar, ffor þe gywes mony on Come aboute Ihesu and by-leouede on him anon.
- a1325 SLeg.Mich.(Corp-C 145)566 : Ȝe mowe iseo wanne þonder is menging of fur in wete; Wonder is þat it ne quelþ [Hrl: quelleth] men bi weies and bi strete.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)885 : He nom atte last His ost & upe is cosin bigan to werri vaste & bigan berne & quelle.
- c1330(c1250) Floris (Auch)677 : I þouȝte to han iqueld [vr. sleyn] hem boþe.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7076 : Seigremor and his hadde swiche vertu Þat, on of his ȝif þe oþer afeld, þeroȝaines tventi he queld.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1166 : Þemperour say þat siȝt, his men so i-quelled.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)orig.draft 417 : Olyuer..is a man of mod, heþene men to quelle.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1753 : Þys dragun slogh so merueylouse, So moche folke gan he quelle Men seyd he was a fende of helle.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7698 : In feild and tun, in frith and fell, Saul soght dauid for to quell [Frf: quelle].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2109 : For be hit chorle oþer chaplayn þatbi þe chapel rydes..Hym þynk as queme hym to quelle as quyk go hym-seluen.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)3627 : Tholome, to fore heom alle Fast he gan heom quelle; Mony he cleuyd in to þe sadel.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)419 : Qvellyn [Win: Qverlyn] or querkyn: Suffoco.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.304 : Se the flood be good ther thow wilt dwelle, For oft of hit exalith myst ympure, And fle therfro in caas hit myght the quelle.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)49 : Þay questede and quellys, By frythis and fellis, Þat þe dere dwellys, And darkys and darys.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)1981 : Though he had venged hym of his fo That had his good knyghtes quelde.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4743 : The grekes..With alblasteris also amyt full streght, Whappet in wharles, whellit the pepull.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7114 : The Troiens..Wold haue..grippit the goodis, & the gomes qwellet.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1307 : He..Bretens doun all þe bild & þe bernys quellis [Dub: whelles].
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)1611 : The man of egypt can he qwell And hyde hym that none suld see.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)154/91 : My knyghtys xaln rydyn on rowe, knave chylderyn ffor to qwelle.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)1192 : Aftyr hym he rode And vnþer a chesteyn tre Þer he hadde hym quelþe [Lamb: qwelled], But þe lord hym yeld.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)11 : The Saxsones..quelled all the Cristen folke that they myght come by.
- 1591(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hnt HM 2)198/339 : Shewe me here thy sonne snell, For the kynge hase byd mee quell [vr. quaile] all that we fynd mon.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)70.8/3 : Ȝenim þas ylcan wyrt absinthium & hara-huna & elehtran, ealra ȝelice micel; seoð on swetum watere odðer on wine; leȝe tuwa odðer ðrywa to þan nafolan -- hit cwelð þa wyrmas.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1843 : He shollde fihhtenn Onnȝæn an drake & cwellenn himm.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.34 : Fecche þe hom Faucuns þe Foules to quelle.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.854 : He..preyed hym that he hym wolde selle Som poysoun that he myghte his rattes quelle.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5357 : Sche him tawhte..Hou he this beste schulde quelle.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1449 : Men &..houndez..buskkez after þis bor with bost & wyth noyse, To quelle.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1304 : So was he bargayned & bouȝt & as a beste quelled.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)81 : Medle þe rounde with lym and stampe hem to-gidre, and þis quelliþ fisshes.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)233 : [The falconer] quotes [read: quopes] thaym [hawks] to the querrye that quelled [vr. whellid] hym to þe dethe.
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2018 : Ȝiff þe deofell wære warr Þatt Cristess Goddcunndnesse Himm shollde ræfenn all hiss mahht..Ne munnde he næfre letenn himm Þurrh rodepine cwellenn.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)51/162 : His stepmoder..hire of-þouȝte þo he swuch man was þat he him let so quelle.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1211 : Of wilde bestes he let þritti þousend quelle.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1546 : His moder he let quelle anon vor to se wiþinne Hou vair þe inewarde was þat he kened was inne.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1246 : Sire, þou seidest me ȝer-while þou schuldest me do quelle.
d
- ?c1450 Sey þe best (Mrg B 21)p.287 : Sey þe best or be stylle Wyth thy tonge noman thou qwelle..Optimum dic ve tace nullum perimat tua lingua.
e
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.114 : He leched lazar þat hadde yleye in graue Quatriduanus quelt.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1324 : Quykly of þe quelled dere a querre þay maked.
2.
(a) To destroy (a body, the world); (b) to overcome (sb., a soul, country, etc.), subdue; put to nought (the Devil's power, a plot); alleviate (an unfortunate or evil condition, a sore); (c) in a curse; (d) ~ oute, to dash out (brains).
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)526 : Ðor is writen quat agte awold Ðat ðis werld was watre wold.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)362/200 : They ordeyne..to brenne my body and schamly it quelle.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)8033 : Þe laþe gast Aȝȝ niþþreþþ Godess genge & cwelleþþ hemm & wannseþþ hemm Þurrh hise unnfæle þeowwess.
- c1275 Þene latemeste dai (Clg A.9)7 : Þe feond þencheð iwis þe sawle forto cwelle.
- c1300 11 Pains(2) (LdMisc 108)p.35 : He saȝh at helle ȝates stonde Galutres al fuyrie to fonde Sunfole soules to quelle.
- c1390(a1325) Ipotis (Vrn)334 : He wente to helle, Þe fendes pouste forto quelle.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)10038 : Þe berbikans seuen..er þe seuen virtus..þe seuen sins ar sett to quel.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17268 : Þou harud hell, And queld him þat all wald quell.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)4 : Suffraunce..quelles vche a qued and quenches malyce.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)752 : Þat syre..watz borne oure baret to quelle.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)15/24 : He hasted him to þe Swin with sergantes snell, To mete with þe No[r]mandes þat fals war & fell, Þat had ment if þai might al Flandres to quell.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)29a : The juis y-dronke is gode to quell þe cancre and þe pipis of the emrodys.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)66 : Coveytyse Mankynd euere coueytyth for to qwell.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)13117 : Þe fend is qwaynt vs fort qwell bot yf we lefe his lare lyghtly.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)16790 : Bot god, þat hym his helpe hath heyȝt, ordand þat qwayntyse forto qwell.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)150/132 : We xull telle..How harwere of helle was born þis nyght, myrthis to melle and fendys to quelle þat were so felle Aȝens his ryght.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)542 : At hys deth I xall apere informable, Schewynge hym all hys synnys abhomynable, Prewynge hys Soule damnable, So wyth dyspeyer I xall hym qwell.
c
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.705 : Syn he is goon, the foule feend hym quelle!
d
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.46 : They fighte and bringen hors and man to grounde, And with hire axes out the braynes quelle.
3.
In surname.
Associated quotations
- (1353) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.271 : Richard Quelhogge [..bought a pig that had been lying by the water-side of the Thames, putrid and stinking..and from the same had cut two gammons for sale].