Middle English Dictionary Entry
rēal n.
Entry Info
| Forms | rēal n. Pl. realles, etc. & rialle. |
| Etymology | From rēal adj.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A noble, person of royal blood; coll. the nobility; (b) royal power or possessions; also, ?kingdom; ?error for realte n.(1); (c) service owed to the king.
Associated quotations
a
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)641 : Here I make the relese in my rentis..And by-fore thiese ryalle resynge the my ryghte.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)597 : The kynge of Cyprys on þe see þe Sowdane habydes, With all þe realls of Roodes.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)4395 : Þe kyng..Sente proclamaciown..his ryals hym to meten.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)7 : Glorious God..Save oure lege lord þe kynge..And all þe ryall of þis revme.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7157 : He araiet for þat Rioll..A faire toumbe.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)8078 : Diamede drughe the lady ner..He rode to þat Riall.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2612 : That lord is riall of the town & holdith hem..lowe.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.91 : The cheuyteyns cheef þat ȝe chesse euere, Weren all to yonge of ȝeris..Reffusynge þe reule of realles kynde.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.301 : A new þing..noyeth nedy men and oþer, Whanne realles remeveth and ridith þoru tounes, And carieth ouere contre þer comunes dwelleth To preson þe pillourz.
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)407 : Þis ryall was rydand Wyth hond and hauke opon hys hand.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)64 : Pees was made..a for recorde of all the riales of Fraunce in presens of oure enbassatours.
- c1500 Chaucer LGW (Trin-C R.3.19)2128 : Now be we duchessys..And sykered to the ryals [Rob.: regals] of Athenes.
b
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)7096 : Me thinketh oure goddis speciale And haue vs ȝeuen gret riale; For vs haue thei mechel wrought.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)255/17 : I haue þe renke and þe rewle of all þe ryall [rime: dowte me] To rewle it by right.
c
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)615/31 : Warine..warantiȝid..to þe fore-seide Roger..all þe fore-seide londis..withoute harme..& also furþermore of þe riall [L regali] for euir.
2.
(a) A gold coin worth ten shillings, also called the royal or the rose noble; (b) a continental coin of varying value.
Associated quotations
a
- (1471) Paston (EETS)1.354 : I send yw demi a riale [vr. v s.] for to by wyth swger and datys fore me.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)465 : He louyth no grotys nor pens..Gyf ws rede reyallys.
- 1478 Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/199)20/5 (p.19) : I understand we sshal paye howre custom and subsete at Caleys to the sodears sterlyng money, xxiiij s. for the li. Were we payd xxj s. iiij d. Flemyche, we schall paye from henys forwarde after the rate of ster., that ys, ij ryallys for a li.
- 1482 Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/140)187/27 (p.172) : Thes be the goldys and whyte mony that ffollowyth that ys apoynttyd ffor the payment, as they were corrant affore the Doches dyedd ..: the olde nobull at xj s.; and the Nemyng grotys at iiij d. ob.; the ryall at xiij s. iiij d.; and the old sengull plack at ij d. ob. ; and as ffor any oder goldys and oder syluer, they wyll non.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)933 : Dalton had made to him a Ml. pownde Of as goode golde as the Ryalle was.
b
- (1420) Proc.Privy C.2.279 : For makyng of a hows att ye seege of Myllon..vij fraunkes et iij ryals.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)15 : In Flaunders..there be xxxti ryalles for a peny.
- c1500 Money Coins MSS Hast.in HMC (Hnt HU 1051)1.420 : A Riall of Fraunce with a kyng standyng..weyng ij d. ob. weight [is worth] iiij s. vj d.
3.
Hunt. The second tine of a hart's antler.
Associated quotations
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)17 : Þe first tynde þat is next þe hede is cleped Aunteler, And þe secound Riall [vr. reiall].
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)80 : Þe rials [vr. reals], þe whiche ben the secounde tyndes, beþ nye the Auntelers.
- c1425 Twiti Venery(1) Prol.(Vsp B.12)151 : An hert hath fourched, and then auntelere, ryall, and surryall.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)29 : I seghe ane hert..With auntlers one aythere syde egheliche longe, The ryalls full richely raughten frome the myddes.
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)leaf e i/b : He [hart] hath Awntelere..Ryall and Surriall.
4.
A medicinal herb; ?= puliol real, sauge real [s.v. real adj.(1) 3.(b)].
Associated quotations
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)55/8 : In may..most best [read: be] gaderyd..plantayne, riol, scabiose, [etc.].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450(1438) GLeg.Ambrose (GiL53) (Eg 876) 265/293 : I wote well that we be anoynted by the comaundement of the reaws, but we be confermed by the wordes of scriptures.
Note: Neither MED real n. nor adj.(1) record the spelling reaws.
Note: New spelling (with a final w or u).