Middle English Dictionary Entry
seiling(e ger.
Entry Info
| Forms | seiling(e ger. Also seilande. |
| Etymology |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The act of sailing, traveling on water in a ship; with ~, by sailing; (b) a measure of distance; thre (six) daies ~, the distance traveled by sailing for three (six) days; (c) distance by sea; (d) in proverb; (e) in cpds. & combs.: ~ firre, the fir tree, whose wood was used for making masts, spars, etc.; ~ galeie, a galley used for traveling on large bodies of water [cp. galei(e n.(a)]; ~ nedle, a compass.
Associated quotations
a
- 1372 ME Verse in Grimestone PB (Adv 18.7.21)p.32 : Tria versantur cotidie in periculo, videlicet: þe schip in þe seyling..Nauis in pelago.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 27.9 : Whanne now seylinge [vr. seylyinge] was not sykir..Poul coumfortide hem, seiynge..'I se for with wrong and harm..bygynneth seiling for to be.'
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.403 : Vnder þis dayes in kyng Latyns tyme was þe seyllynge [L navigatio] i-made þat is i-cleped þe seylynge of Argonautes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)35b/a : He metiþ & haþ sweuenes..of seilynge of [read: on] coolde watir & of swymmynge þerinne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)233b/b : Flex is nedeful to dyuers vse, for þerof is y-made cloþing to weryng and seyles to seylyng [L vela ad nauigandum].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.70 : William..Now is..in þe see with saile on mast vpsette; Toward þis lond þei drouh..He had redy sailyng.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6293 : Þei wendyn haue be sure, Demyng þe Grekis pleinly of þe se Forweried and feynted hadde be, Wiþ longe seilyng parbraked & forbroke.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)65 : Ceylynge: Velificacio.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)101/7 : That se may no man passe, neythir with seylynge ne with rowynge ne be non othir slygte ne queyntyse.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)226 : He..wole not truste to the mariners forto be caried in the schip with hem bi her rowing or seiling.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1418 : Of the Coste of Norway they had a sight; Of sayling they were all preste.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3678 : The Troiens to take was þere intent euyn, And hor sister to sese with sailyng þai wend.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.325 : Þat ilond is from Irlond and from Bretayne þre dayes seillynge [Higd.(2): by the saylenge; L velificatione].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)193a/a : Thile is þe last Ilonde of Occean bytwene norþ cuntrey a south, vj dayes sailyng [L nauigatione] byȝonde Bretayne.
c
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.73 : Schort witted men and litel of assay seie þat Paradys is longe seillynge out of erþe þat men woneþ ynne, and also departed from þe erþe and hiȝe as þe mone.
d
- c1450 Cato(2) (Sid 63)588 : To seile is sekerer be þe strande þan in þe tempest fer seilande.
e
- 1409(1338) Doc.in Nicolas Navy 2475 : Une mast, un trief ove iiii bonetz, un topchastrell, un seilyerde, un bowespret..ii seilyngnedeles, un dyall, [etc.].
- (1409-11) Doc.in Nicolas Navy 2444 : One dyoll and one seyling-needle.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)179 : The boxtre pipere, holm to whippes lashe; The saylynge [vr. salynge] fyr; the cipresse, deth to playne; The shetere ew; the asp for shaftes pleyne.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2088 : A wynde came dryuynge Kynge Rycharde, With all his grete nauyes And his saylynge [vr. saylande] galyes, To the shyppe that stode in depe.