Middle English Dictionary Entry
ratele n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ratele n. Also ratel, rathehele, rathele, rathhele, ratil, ratile, rachille, ratle, rattel, rattle, rattelle, retil. |
| Etymology | Comparable to MDu. ratele n., which parallels the English in being applied both to noisemakers and to plants, but may be more directly derived from ME ratelen v. If rare OE hrætel-wyrt contains the same element, it may be preferable to regard the English group as a native one, and the Dutch developments as cognate. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
In the names of plants: (a) simply: any of several unrelated plants, including especially ground pine Ajuga chamaepitys, wall or common germander Teucrium chamaedrys, yellow rattle Rhinanthus crista-galli, and perhaps red rattle Pedicularis palustris ; (b) in compounds and combinations: litel (peti) ~, more ~, the former probably germander, the latter ground pine [so in Daniel, following Platearius; reversed in Alphita] ; mede ~ [see also mede n.(2), sense (b)]; medwe ~; wode ~ [?error for mede ~], any of the aforementioned species; cou ~, probably bladder campion Silene vulgaris, though its red and whit varieties may be identified with red and yellow rattle Pedicularis palustris and Rhinanthus crista-galli respectively [see also cou n., sense 2.(e)], .
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Add.15236 Gloss.(1) in Hunt Plant Names (Add 15236)64, 217 : [Camepitheos:] anglice rachille ..; [Quercula Maior:] anglice rathele.
- a1325 MS Sln.420 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 420)217 : [Quercula Maior:] anglice ratele.
- a1400 MS Add.15236 in Hunt Plant Names (Add 15236)64 : [Camepitheos:] rathhele.
- a1425 MS Ex-C.3519 in Hunt Plant Names (Ex-C 3519)64 : [Camepitheos:] rathehele.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.56v : Camedreos or camedreus or camedrea, gamandrea, germandrea or germandea, camytrius or camytria, polyon or polyona, trysagus or trisaga, quercula maior; germandre. Oþer vulgal knowe Y non þerfor, but as Y fynde in a Plateare abreggid calleþ it 'ratele.' It is hot & drye in 3 gre. It is strange & in fewe places had. It is nowher but of settyng or sowyng, & of sowyng bot eluyssh. It hath many smale rotys whityssh and growyng in manere of a þikke bossh; many smale stalkys not passyng a gode fot in hy3te with leuys nyh rownde & peny brede or lytel mor, & gentellyche endentyd; & come August & Septembre shynyng as polisshid, & floures skilful, smale, & redissh.
- a1500 MS Sln.347 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 347)217 : [Quercula Maior:] anglice ratyll.
- 1523 MS Add.27582 in Hunt Plant Names (Add 27582)64 : [Camepitheos:] anglice mederatel or ratyl or fartyng-grasse.
b
- ?a1350 MS Sln.5 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 5)217 : [Quercula Minor:] gallice germaundre, anglice medratele.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.43rb : Camedreos, 'ratle,' quercula maior appellatur; camepitheos, peti ratle, is quercula minor: the more ratile & þe lytil, it arn boþe alyk in qualite: hot & drie in þe 3 gre.
- ?c1400 MS Trin-C O.8.2 in Hunt Plant Names (Trin-C O.8.2)74 : [Cauliculus Agrestis] rubeus: red crowratyll [corr. to: cowratyll].
- a1425 MS Roy.12.E.1 in Hunt Plant Names (Roy 12.E.1)74 : [Cauliculus Agrestis] rubeus: rede crowratyl [corr. to: cowratyl]; albus: wyt crowratyl [corr. to: cowratyl].
- c1425 MS Dgb.29 in Hunt Plant Names (Dgb 29)64, 71 : [Camepitheos:] anglice mederatele ..; [Carpobalsamo:] anglice moderatele, gallice germandre.
- a1475 MS Cmb.Dd.10.44 in Hunt Plant Names (Cmb Dd.10.44)64 : [Camepitheos:] woderatell [?read: mederatell].
- a1500(?a1400) MS Sln.282 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 282)64 : [Camepitheos:] medaratell.
- a1500 MS Cmb.Dd.11.45(2) in Hunt Plant Names(Cmb Dd.11.45)64, 74, 247 : [Camepitheos:] medowratill ..; [Cauliculus agrestis:] cou-ratyll ..; [Stinum:] cowratil.
- a1500 MS Sln.2527 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 2527)64 : [Camepitheos:] medratele.
- a1500 MS Sln.3545 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 3545)217 : [Quercula Maior:] anglice ferthynggrasse, mederatle.
- a1500 MS Cmb.Dd.11.45(2) in Hunt Plant Names(Cmb Dd.11.45)217 : [Quercula Maior:] meduratill, sterching-gresse, penygresse.
- a1500 MS Sln.964 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 964)62 : [Camedreos:] anglice med-ratil.
- a1500 Agnus Castus (LdMisc 553)200/21 : Qvercula maior is an herbe þat me clepuþ germandre or horsechire; Þis herbe hath leues lich to medratele bot hij buþ more sharp at þe ende.
- a1500 MS Trin-C R.14.32 in Hunt Plant Names (Trin-C R.14.32)74 : [Cauliculus Agrestis:] anglice glaunde or kowrakke [corr. to: kowrattle].
- ?a1500 MS Antq.101 in Hunt Plant Names (Antq 101)62 : [Camedreos:] med-retyll.
2.
A rattle; ?error for rakil n.
Associated quotations
- a1500 Lady Prioress (Hrl 78)p.113 : His ragys and his rattelles clen be [read: he] had forgett.