Middle English Dictionary Entry
sāle n.(2)
Entry Info
Forms | sāle n.(2) Also sal(le & (K) zale. |
Etymology | OE sala & ON: cp. OI sala. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Sale; selling; a sale, bargain; also fig. in proverb; at ~, ?at inspection; god ~, profitable selling, a good bargain; (b) baken (breuen) to ~, to bake (brew) for the purpose of selling; ben to ~, be for sale; chepen (profren, putten, sellen, setten) to ~, setten at ~, offer (sth.) for sale; comen to (turnen in-to) ~, come (go) to be sold; leden to ~, convey (sth.) to market; maken to ~, make (sth.) for the purpose of selling; (c) maken ~ of, to sell (sth.); (d) price; current price.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)504 : Wos with swerde wirchez bale He ssal him silue hab þilk sale.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)91/3 : Loue of herte..is þe godes peny, huer-mide me bayþ alle þe guodes of þe wordle..Loue heþ ine eche stede his zales.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester10 : Zyf an hors come thoruz toune charged and non sale, ob.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)19239 : Qui has þou tempted sathanas To mak sli lesing o þi sale?
- (1411) EEWills19/32 : Y wille þat þe forseyd sale of my londes and tenementes in Scheffeld, Burfeld, and Sulhamstade Abbis be made principaly to my wyfe.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)75 : Me byfil to entren into toun..On a palfrey slender, long, and lene wiþ rusty brydel mad nat for þe sale.
- (1437) RParl.4.508a : The commen sale and issue of alle ye Wolles and Wolfelles of this Roialme..been, and of lange tyme have been, sore tarried and hindred.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)440 : Sale, or sellynge: Vendicio.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1137 : Sale in þe cite was cesed with þanne Was noȝt for besauntes to bye þat men bite myȝt.
- c1450 Chaucer CT.Co.(ChU 564)p.437 : For who so euel byeth shal make a sory sale.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)3.635 : Yet she is a mayden at a-say and sale.
- c1450 Tappster fyll (SeldArch B.26)3 : God send vs good sale.
- (1454-5) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2.p.50 : That euery estraunger that cometh to this towne with any Cors herynge White or Redde to wham hit apperteyneth to haue an hoost for sale and deliueraunce of thair heryng..shall take his hoost..a Meis heryng.
- (1457) Lease Ebrington in Campbell Chancellors 1373 : I have solde..the reuersion of the Manour of Ebryghton..by reason of which sale I have by my dede enrolled and subscribed with myne owne hande.
- (?1474-5) Paston (EETS)1.174 : Thei schall, by theire wrygtyng suffycient or othere-wyse, make notyse and yeve knowleche of thes seid graunte, bargeyne, and sale to all the seid now feffes.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1066 : The churche is made oonly for hooly meditacion And not a hous for chepmen and tellers of tales..And not to speke of wynnyng ne of your grete sales.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)79/22 : When he segh þat Crist was demed to þe deth by hys sale, anon he fell yn dyspayre, and ȝede anon and hongyd hymselfe wyth þe grenne of a rope.
- a1605(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(2))18078 : In byggyng I wyll ha trwe wayt, but in my salle I do gret slayt bothe in peys and in balance.
b
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)116 : Of stor & of spices þei ladden grete male Into Egipte lond to sullen hit to sale.
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)122 : Iosep in þe pette hi chepeden to sale.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)431/80 : Þis chepmen he sei wel uer come wiþ camailes moni & fale And þis asse al biuore; hi ladde þing to sale.
- (1348) Doc.in Welch Hist.Pewterers Lond.3 : That non persone ne estraunger wirk ne bere suche maner vessel of peauter in þe Cite to sel ne it put to sale afore the mater be assaid.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5084 : The Ston he profreth to the sale.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.54 : Ȝif oþere chalouns beþ y-founde þat ne habbeþ þelke a-syse, in was hond hij beþ y-founde, be forfeted, ȝif hit ne so be þat hit ne be to sale.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.66 : Euerich brewestere of myȝte of towne þat breweþ to sale..make good ale.
- c1430 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/2)p.59 : No manere vitayles þat comyth yn-to þe town to sale þat no-body bere hem out of þe town vnsolde.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)127 : The marchaundy also of Portyngale To dyverse londes torneth into sale.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)137 : She heeld..a balaunce Wherinne she peisede the zodiac and the sunne in gret entente to putte hem to sale.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)p.393 : For welle niȝ alle her blessyngis ben sett to sale and to prise in-to crystenynge & confirmacion.
- (1455) RParl.5.310a : Provided also that the said Acte..extende not..to eny Graunte..of half forfaitures of suche Cloth put to sale.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)188 : Yf it hap homward þat ech man tell his tale..þouȝe wee [read: I] shuld set at sale Al the shrewdnes that I can, I wol hym no thing spare.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)1909 : Four outlawes..chepede me þat chyld to sale, For syxty florencys all be tale.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1296 : I herd a wise man say How in Catilonye..Magnesia, with myneral meenys alle, Be made to sale, if ye for theyme calle.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.23 : We commaunde ȝou..þat euery Baxster that bakethe to sale, that he bake & sell iiij wastels for a peny.
c
- (1438) Will Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.4330 : I be qwethe to Richard Whaplode, my cosyn, xl s. of my good, because I had robyn hym v acre of lond, the wheche lyeth in Walton feld, & there of I have maad a sale.
- (1443) Doc.Trade in BRS 776 : The forseid Hankyn..ledde þe ship and goodes with hym to ffowey and þere made sale of þe same ship and goodes.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)180 : If men made of you saale, mihte no man livinge ouerbigge yow ne loue yow to michel.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4926 : I wille..the Sexteyn of Bury and the Priour of Dusgylde..make a sale of my seid hefd place.
d
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.64 : He sholde make whitbred, and wel y-bake, after þe sale of corn, and vp-on þe a-syse of þe marchasye.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.66 : Euerich brewestere of myȝte of towne..þat hij make good ale, vp-on þe sale vp-on þe corn, and vp-on þe assyse, y-ȝeue.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)440 : Sale, or pryce: Precium.
- (c1462) Paston2.280 : It were wele done to selle som nough at London, for there I vndrestond is best sale.
2.
In cpds. & combs.: (a) ~ kene, eager for selling; desirable for purchase; ~ worthi, fit for sale; (b) ~ bred (clothes), bread (clothes) intended for sale; ~ market, a market; (c) lettre of ~, a bill of sale; wode ~, sale of wood.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)76/9 : Whennes comeþ þanne þis outcry þat is sette on broche saale keene in euery chirche to selle þise goostli þingis wiþ suffragis & soilmentis & manye ȝeeris of pardoun.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)132/12 : Þere ben þoo þat steerchen or poppen her facis..to make hemsilf salle-kene to synne & setten abrood her pappis to cacche men wiþ her lymȝerdes.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)441 : Sale worthy: Vendibilis.
b
- (1447-8) Shillingford92 : They have lette to prove to trie and weye sale bred made by the said tenantis of þe said Bisshop accordant to the statute therof made.
- (1455) RParl.5.304a : This Acte..extende not..to any Graunte..of the Subsidie and Awenage of sale Clothes in the Counte of Wiltes'.
- a1500 Hal.Gloss.(Eg 829)8 : In foro venali: in the saale market.
c
- (1433) Proc.Privy C.4.163 : Þei shal have delivered unto hem jowelx and weddes of þe Kinges..with sufficeant lettres of sale of þe same.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)32/1 : Þei taken hem ofte here londes and rentes and grete heritages in wedde and in dede wedde, as morgage and bi lettres of sale.
- (1452) Paston (Gairdner)2.280 : Richard, Duc of York, by his lettre of saal..hath..solde, graunted, and confermed unto John Fastolf, Knyght, the jowelles undrewriten.
- (1471) Paston (EETS)1.352 : I must ell nedes sell all my woodes..and if I shuld selle them now, ther wull noman gewe so myche fore them be ner an c marc. as they be worth, be-cause there be so many wood sales in Norfolke at thys tyme.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)57 : In eche off these dayis ye shall haue one egge off eche henne…it is a feble soyle of eges & xxx eges be not worth vj d.…ye shall sufesyently be recompensed þer fore & off vj more for to bere ovt þe ferme off þe cok withe þe sayle off þe cheknys þt your sytyng henne hathe broughte furthe & withe þe sayle off þe egis þt your hennes shall lay in þt oþir halfe yere.
Note: New spelling