Middle English Dictionary Entry
salt adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | salt adj. Also salte, zalte, sealte & (early) selte & (early infl.) saltne & (in surname) solte-; comp. salter; sup. saltest. |
| Etymology | OE sealt, salt. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Salty; containing salt; also fig.; (b) ~ se (flod, flum, fom, swot), ~ strem(es, stremes ~, water ~, the sea; (c) ~ erthe (pasture, sondes), salty earth, etc.; ~ strond(es, ?the waters of a tidal estuary; ?the waters of a river which flows directly into the sea; (d) ~ fleume, salt phlegm; also, a skin ailment [cp. saucefleume n.(a)]; ~ humour, salty fluid, salt phlegm; ~ swot, salty sweat; ~ teres, teres ~, salt tears; (e) dirty; -- mistransl. of F sale; (f) in surname & place names [see Smith PNElem.2.96-7].
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)119/8 : Þe greate ze is uol of wetere and welle of alle weteres zuete an zalte.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.25 : Salt welles..beeth salte [L salsæ] alle þe woke longe, forto Saturday at none, and fresche from Saturday at none for to Monday.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)313a/b : Of sauours ben eighte dyuers: swete, vnctuous, salte, [etc.].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)314b/b : Salte þinges clenseþ and tempereþ and departeþ moysture.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)984 : Bod ho..a stiffe ston..Also salt as ani se.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)995 : His make..on þe mount lenged In a stonen statue þat salt savor habbes.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)104/11 : In Ethiope all the Ryueres..ben somdell salte [F salez].
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)166a/a : Souredouȝ is..moiste, and þe salter þat it is, so moche it is þe lesse moiste.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)395/4 : Soche maters ben moste made in ham þat..vsen euel metes, þat is, to salt metes and bitter metes, swete and scharpe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)441 : Salt, or salti: Salsus.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)221/22 : Medyl þe lycuris to-geder and loke þat þey be ryte salt.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)172/30 : If he [curate] es not salt or sauery in wysdom, he es an hounde a-boute the floc of god, bot he dryuez not a-wey the wolfe wyth berkynge of prechynge.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)52b/ a : Reed colour aboundiþ yf þe bittirnesse of þe mouþ & of þe spotil be not salt.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)53a/b : Of fleume vitre þe spotil is watri or walwisch; Of fleume salso, þat is salt.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)352/37 : Yf seekenesse come..thy mouthe shall be salt and byttyr.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)107a : Salte: Salsus.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)161/31 : Alle watrys, bothe sqwete and salt [Lambeth: bytter; L amare]..had her begynnyng of þe see.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2118 : v of these ix [tastes] be engendrid with hete: vnctuous, sharpe, salt, bitter, and dowsett.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)1540 : Telle me now, I pray þe, þis, Whi mannes vrine so salt is.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3049 : He to scipe wende & fram þan londe hælde ofer þane saltne strem.
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)69 : He tok his leue..And dude him into þe salte flod.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)508 : Huy gonne to seili swiþe in þat salte fom.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1305 : Anoþer drem dremede me..Þat ich fley ouer þe salte se Til engeland.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3280 : Egypcienes fellen to ðe grunð; Of hem alle bi-leaf non fot Vn-drincled in ðat salte swot.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)151/3272 : He was maroner wel gode, A stertte in to þe salte flode.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)9/225 : Me may inne sealte se Cristny wel mitte beste.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.445 : Forth she sailleth in the salte see.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1347 : Nereides..thei note To regne upon the stremes salte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)165b/a : Þe reede see..is þe saltest see.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)17/191 : Þey..passed ouer þe salt foom & to Grece þey com hoom.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.6641 : Swiche a tempest roos vp on þe see..þat þei dar nat take Þe water salt.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)3361 : Alas, that thi god Appollo Ne hadde throwe the In the salt-flom.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1462 : So longe he seyled in the salte se Til in the yle of Lemnon aryvede he.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)898 : I will passe in pilgremage..For to seken a saynte be ȝone salte stremes.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Lover's NYG (Add 16165)67 : Lat no wawes ner no wynde lettyn þy passage Ne stormes of þe salt see.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)56.168 : They wele..vnschepen Al here good that they haven In the salte flood.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)819 : Fram Cipres vnto Iherusaleme Men mowe holde þe salte streme.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)245/1 : I assente me..to gete me over the salte see.
- a1425 By a forest (Bod 596)183 : In salt see I sailled wel wide.
- a1500 Mandev.(3) (Rwl D.99)420 : The ryuere of Damby..puttith the cours of the salte see awaye and holdeth his owne swettnes.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)145a/b : Whanne the briddes waxiþ, þe male gooþ and soukeþ salt erþe and..puttiþ in þe mouþ of þe briddes to maken hem haue talent to mete.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1422 : Ten thowsande men he semblede..And sett sodanly on oure seggez, by þe salte strandez.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)1575 : A grete nauy she had on the salt-stronde.
- (1470) Paston2.585 : At hye spryngys the see..bryngyth the salt sandes amongys the gras and makyth yt bytter.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)53 : Shepe, yeff þey be pastured in salt marris, þen shall xx moder shepe answere off as moche as þe to kyne þat gone in salt pastur.
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13849 : Þe posstless ȝæfenn uss Þurrh lare..To wattrenn..Þurrh beȝȝske & sallte tæress Þatt herrte.
- a1300 Wenne hic soe (StJ-C A.15)9 : Hiþe hi mai wepen and selte teres leten.
- a1350 Suete ihu king (Hrl 2253)20 : Suete Iesu..me shulden ofte þe grete wiþ salte teres.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1280 : The pure fettres of his shynes grete Were of his bittre salte teres wete.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4835 : Upon hire whyte cheke The wofull salte teres felle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)49b/a : Ȝif þe matere..is of salt flewme, al þat is in þe þrote semeþ salt.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)82a/a : Wakynge ouer mesure..comeþ of to grete meuynge of þe brayne..& of to salte humours.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)190/18 : Þis passioun comeþ of humouris brent..& herfore is a good purgacioun þat purgiþ salt humouris.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.45 : Þei synge for þo soules and wepe salt teres.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1172 : He longe hadde..with his teeris salt hire brest byreyned.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)115a/b : Fissures of þe lippes cummen of salte aduste humours.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)24/25 : The 8 chapitle is of þe propre sekenessis of þe hippes, of handes, and of feet: as, of þe mormale and of salte fleume [*Ch.(1): saulsfleume; L flegmate salso] and of smale cancres.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)392/37 : The causes..of thise infecciouns..is an euel fretynge moysture, þe whiche is medlede with a grete blode and with a salt flewme.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)395/8 : In olde men..is ofte tyme salte humour igendred.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)532/27 : By cause of colacioun, in þe dede apple or salt flewme þe commune vse is praysed, þe wasshynge of smythes water, [etc.].
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)7b : Myȝt men sen how þe salt swote of ȝonge men..in þe ryuer of Tybre wiþ swymmyng was waschen awey.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)3248 : Cesar in teres salte gan hobunde.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)144.486 (v.2:p.435) : A myllere .. with a syknesse clepid the salt flaum was greuyd in his oo lege peynfully.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)15903 : Swych pressyng..Causeth from a manhys Eye The salte terys dystylle doun.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)52a/b : Colera citrina..is engendrid þoruȝ commixtioun of þe reed coler and of salt fleume.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)103a/b : Vlcus sordidum..is an old wounde hauynge grete crustis, or schalis as it were, of salt fleume or oþere spicis of þe mormole or þe scroful.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.239 : Dred and sorwe..in maner schul schadyn þin blood be wepyng of salte terys.
- a1500 Quest.MOxf.(Hrl 1304)285 : Wherof was Adam made? Of..salte, wheroff Adam hath salt teris.
e
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)112 : A brid that men clepeden..lucifer..was bifore a whyt brid..Now he is bicome so blecched, so salt [F sale], so foul that he is werse than the deth.
f
- (1180-90) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)143 : Salteburnam.
- (1211) EPNSoc.13 (War.)146 : Saltmere.
- (1261) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)215 : Saltheng'.
- (1277) EPNSoc.38 (Glo.)248 : Saltemor.
- (1279) Doc.Durham in Sur.Soc.58110 fn. : Cum toto prato quod vocatur Saltemedus.
- (c1280) Cust.Battle Abbey in Camd.n.s.41135 : Heredibus Radulfi Soltebrede.
- (1282) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)215 : Saltenges.
- (1293) EPNSoc.5 (North Riding Yks.)143 : Salteburnam.
- (c1325) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)215 : Le Saltyng.
- (1336) EPNSoc.13 (War.)146 : Saltmere.
- (1408) EPNSoc.14 (East Riding Yks.& York)215 : Salthenges.
- (1453) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.29207 : Recepta..de vj s. viij d. r. de tractu de l'Sayne inter le Stell et Saltpane ex opposito le Conyngarth.
2.
(a) Treated or preserved with salt, salted; (b) ~ fish (ele, samoun, etc.), salted fish, etc.; also, salt-water fish [1st quot.]; hering ~; (c) ~ metes (thinges), salted meats or other food [some quots. may belong in 1.(a)].
Associated quotations
a
- (1373) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.159 : [One barrel] saltsmult.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)314b/b : Salt fleissh is best y-watred and y-tempred in salt water.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4688 : Ma þan a thusand selers Fild he wit wins..And warnistore o salt [Göt: saltid] fless.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.268 : I haue no salt bacoun.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)661/32 : Caro salsa: salt flesche.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)96b/b : Make a rounde plumasole of towe..& þan wete it in hote salte wyne &..in hote salte honye.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)182b/b : A mollificatiue..is þe stronger ȝif þe grece be olde and not salte.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)4674 : Thei drow out larder of venyson, Salt beff, and salt bacon.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)193 : Of eche last of heryng, fressh or salt, iiij d.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)134 : Portyngale..hathe..salt hydes and suche marchaundy.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)529 : Iresshmen..grete plente bringen of salte hydes.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)121 : [T]ake a peece of salt beof..and ley hit in to þe ymeres in þe fyre..& al hoot þurste hit in to þe wounde.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)224 : Item, tak walwort jus..& wheten mele & salt smere; frie hyt to geder & plaster hyt þer to.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)55 : Tak salt lard of pork and dice it smale.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)159b/a : Þe..pressure schal be wet in hoot salte wiyn.
- c1500 King & H.(Ashm 61:Hazlitt)300 : Venyson salt and fressch he brouȝt.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)14 : Englode is vol inoȝ of frut & ek of tren..Of salt fichz & eke verss, of vaire riuers þer to.
- (1328) Expense R.Wodeford in EHR 55633 : Pro allecia et salte fy[sc]he, j d.
- (1363) RParl.2.276b : Stokfissh, saltfissh, vins, cire, & spicerie.
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.97 : Stokfyssh, heryng, salt eel, and sturjoun.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)161a/a : Hedes of salt fysshe y-brent heleþ þe bityng of a wode hounde.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)153b/b : A maner of scabbe..is caused of malancolius metes, as befe and salte fische.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)106/8 : Þe hedes of salt [*Ch.(1): salted] fisshes were soden þeryn.
- (1436) in Rec.B.Nottingham 2156 : [Uno] warþe [de] saltfyssh.
- (1439) RParl.5.8a : The Purveours of his Houshold taken..all manere of Salt-Fyssh..and all manere Vitaille and Stuff yat longith to Houshold.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)441 : Salt fysche: Fungia.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)545 : The marchaundy of..Selande Be..garleke and onyons And saltfysche als for husbond and comons.
- (?a1450) Doc.in Dugdale Monasticon 1443 : Sche must purvey..for xviij salt fish for the covent in Lentyn.
- (1456) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2.p.56 : Customes..of hake, heryng saltt, and other saltfyssh..long to the Chambre.
- (1468-9) Stonor1.102 : Saltefyhs and saltesamon, vij d.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)554 : Of alle maner salt fische, looke ye pare awey the felle..& on youre soueraynes trencheur ley hit.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)566 : The salt lamprey, goben hit a slout.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)832-7 : Mustard is..metest with alle maner salt herynge, Salt fysche, salt Congur, samoun, with sparlynge, Salt ele, salt makerelle, & also withe merlynge. Vynegur is good to salt purpose & torrentyne, Salt sturgeon, salt swyrd-fysche savery & fyne. Salt Thurlepolle, salt whale, is good with egre wyne.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)68 : He wolde hafe grete providence of..stokphyshe and saltfyshe owt of England commyng by shyppes.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)17 : Saltfyssche ys sold in some place aftre vixx the c.
- a1525(?1460) Cov.Leet Bk.312 : No maner man shuld frohensfurth cutte stokfysshe ne saltfyshe vppon such borde as he cutte fflesh þe weke before.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)87a/a : Þe pacient schal absteyne and spare salte metis.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)56a/b : Be wyne withdrawen hym..and alle salt [Ch.(2): salted; L salite] þyngz.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)113b/a : Þe pacient schal ete no scharpe metes neiþer no salte metes.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)431/3 : Etynge of..salte þinges helpen to ȝelownesse [of face].
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)248/11 : Moche vsynge of salt mettis..enfebelyth the body.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)76/12 : Þes þynges dryes and feblys þe body..to drynke mekyl old wyn and to ete salt metys.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(d)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. salt humour.