Middle English Dictionary Entry
sō̆le n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sō̆le n. Also sol(le, soile, zole, soule, soel. |
| Etymology | OE solu or sole (cp. solen pl.) & OF sole, sol(le, soul, soel & L solea, ML sola, AL soela. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The sole of the human foot; also, the under surface of an animal's hoof; fot ~; (b) a ~ of a (the, his) ~, the ~ of the fot, the ~ of his (thi) fet, the soles of the (his, here) fet, soles of fet, etc.; (c) the bottom of a shoe or boot; also with pun on sense 3. [last quot.]; also, a piece of leather of the size of a sole; ~ of lether; ~ of sho, sho ~; ~ lether, leather used for making soles; also, a length of such leather; double ~, a sole consisting of two layers; (d) ~ under fot, ?a footstool; ? = (a) above; (e) soles of fet, mistransl. based on misinterpretation of L planta 'young shoot or plant' as 'sole of the foot.'
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)p.149 : La plaunte [glossed:] sole.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.26.23 : Goldene pileris vp on siluerene feet, & faste feet vp on þe plauntis or soolis [vr. soulis; L plantas] of a stable womman.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.13.22 : Defoulid ben þi foot soles.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)281a/a : Þe coloure of hornes and of soles of bestes is after þe colour of þe heer of þe body of þe beste.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)114 : Oynones wole hele þe breches of þe feet or of þe solys.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2903 : Brode shoilinge fete thai haueth alle; In Engelonde groweth no better wolle Than þere wexeth vppon her solle.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)46a/a : The foot is compouned of iij parties, þat is, of þe hele, and of þe sole, and of þe wriste.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.1.7 : The sool of the foot of hem as the sole [WB(2): soole] of a calues fote.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.177 : Þe lengþe of a manis body, þat is, from þe sole of þe foot to þe top of þe heed, be suche sixe as þe brede.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.351 : For greet knelynge his knees were as þe sooles of his feet.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)132b/b : Fir cole brenneþ & greneþ soles of feet þat trediþ þeron.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)182a/b : In some mounteyns ben men with þe sooles of þe feete y-turned bacward.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283a/b : Som tyme hors haþ potagre and leseþ þe soles of here feet [L sotulares].
- a1400 Alle-mighty god in trinitie (Roy 17.B.17)41/446 : Fro þo crowne of þo hed noght was sene to þo soule of þo fote, but al blody.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)73 : A grete hert and an olde haþ a better sool of his foote..þane hath a grete dere.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)80 : A greet boor shal haue..brood sooles of þe feet [F sole de pied].
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1493 : In þe brede of man es contende Als lang space..Als fra þe haterel oboven þe croun Es sene tyl þe sole of þe fot doun.
- a1425 Adam & E.(3) (Wht)93/5 : Fro þe coroun of þin heed vnto þe sole of þi feet alle dyuerse membris of þi body be þei turmentid.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)11a/b : Calcaneus: þe sole of þe fote.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)71b/a : Þe sole of þe ffote is alle fulle of ligamentes.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)290/26 : He wald cut in sonder ane armyd knyght..fro þe crown of þe hede vnto þe sole of þe fute.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)76/198 : Make a pleystre of peritory friede with boture..and bynd to the sooles of the feete.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)85a/b : The signys of þe puncture of a scorpioun ben þese: þe lippis of þe puncture wexen harde as þe sole of þe foot.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)116b : A Sole of the [Monson: A] fuyt: planta, vola, solea; plantaris.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.315 : God schal smytyn þe with seknesse incurable from þe sole of þe foot into þe top of þe hed.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)407 : Anothere deuyll at my fete, with a nothere longe broche..puttes it in atte soules of my fete.
- a1500 Diseases Women(3) (Yale-M 47)53/442 : Frote well þe sooles of hyre fete with vynegre and salt.
- a1500 GRom.(Glo 42)753/18 : Fro þe sole of his fete vn-to þe toppe of his hede Was non hole plot.
c
- (1378-9) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103587 : 1 pare botarum et Wampas de Dubelsols, 4 s.
- (1408) in Rec.B.Nottingham 254 : Thomas Aldom..et Johannes de Asshe..appretiaverunt..iij pecias de soollether ad iij s. iiij d.
- (1408) LRed Bk.Bristol2.108 : Faulx quyrs..appellez soleletheres et ouerletheres, malement tannez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)100a/b : And aboue..plagellez of monyfold cloþ, And after, a splent of a sole [Ch.(2): pece; L solia] of leþer, And be it bounden, þe ligature bigynnyng bihynd þe necke.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)173b/b : Stiptik þingez..as centauree..& netez lether, olde solez, aduste.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)184a/b : Take..pouder of beene brent, off olde scho soles brente, [etc.].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)463 : Sole, of a schoo: Solea.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)497/8 : He had on a payr of new buttows..and þe solis war lyke as þai had bene sodden in hate watir.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)208 : Tak cow tordes & olde soles of schou, & brenne hyt to pouder in anewe erþene pot.
- (1458) Will York in Sur.Soc.30218 : Unum daykyr de soleledder.
- a1486 Arms Chivalry (Mrg M 775)43 : Thre coordis muste be faste sowid un to the hele of the shoo and fyne cordis in the mydill of the soole of the same shoo.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.93 : Þey vsedyn gallochis, a soole benethyn wyt a festyng abouyn þe foot.
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)83 : All pepull..schuld pray for all the olde schu solys that ben rostyd in the kyngus dysche on seterday.
d
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)64a/a : Suppedianus: sole vnder fote [Pep: Suppedaneus..scabellum sub pedibus, scrinium, subsidium; Hrl 2257: Suppedianus: a sole of a fote].
e
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)173 : Sowlis..haviþ in hem þre thinges, scil. to stire or meve withe sovlis of feet [L vegetare cum plantis], [etc.].
2.
(a) A heavy horizontal timber used as the foundation of a wall; also, a wooden or stone window sill; ~ ende, the end of a foundation timber; (b) ~ sho, a piece of iron that supports the frame of a plow; cart ~, a wooden bar supporting the bottom of a cart; (c) the rim of a wheel; (d) ?a place, site.
Associated quotations
a
- (1388) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)5.52 : [2 windows carved heavily..] soles.
- (1417) Doc.in Sur.Soc.8511 : We award that fra the sole end of the frunt before in to the streteward un to the third post..be drawen a lyne just.
- (1417) Doc.in Sur.Soc.8512 : John Hesill sall ga lyne right fra the bak syde of hys post that standys in hys hall hend un to hys sole in hys house that he byggys, And that..Hesyll may hafe rowme thar to lay hys sole.
- (1419-20) Mem.Ripon in Sur.Soc.81144 : In ij liminibus de quarcu et ij soles de esch emt. pro ij sperys de novo faciendis in prædicta domo, 7 d.
- (1433) Fabric R.Yk.Min.in Sur.Soc.3553 : iij balkes, iiij stanzons, vij bandclogs, iij soles.
- (1434) Indent.Fotheringhay in Med.Mason246 : The soles of the windows..shall be altogedir of free-stone.
b
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)878 : A coustes claies et roulouns: Be sydes hirdeles and cartesoulis.
- (1434) Doc.in Rogers Hist.Agric.3551 : [2] soolshoon [& 2 great plough irons].
c
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2468 : At euery lyme herof ar huge whelys And brood withal the sole of euery whel is.
d
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)34/391 : So wold mo, no frese, that I se on this sole of wifis that ar here.
3.
Associated quotations
- (1252) Close R.Hen.III68 : c soles, xl cungros friscos.
- (1347) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9941 : In playces, sperling, et soles emp., 6 s. 10 d.
- a1350 Ipswich Domesday(1) (Add 25012)102 : Ordene est qe nul regrater..ne preygne hors de paners playz, sooles, floundres.
- (1372) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.367 : [Certain fish called] soles.
- 1419 Liber Albus Lond.in RS 12.1244 : Qe nulle bat qe amesne oysters, welkes, muskeles, ou soel, ne demurge pluis long a vende qun pleyn meer.
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)126.122/6 : Broile the sooles & messe it in dysshes.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)437 : If hit be on fyssh day, make hit..of soles or tenches.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)463 : Sole, fysche: Solia.
- a1450 Terms Assoc.(1) (Rwl D.328)604 : A troyte gobonyd, a soyle y loynyde.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)31/13 : Than mayst thou ete a good soule aftir, as thyn appetit takith the.
- (1454) Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.491b : Payd to Petyr..for iiii copyll solys, 6 d.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)579 : Soolus..must be takyn of as þey in þe dische lowt.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)737 : Zole, Eles, lampurnes rost a leche..y make now bost.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)93/325b : Solia: solefyssche.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)26 : They..pull yt owt of hyrnys and hoollys There as they fynd the fatte soollys.
4.
?In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1310) Sub.R.Bdf.in Suf.GB 1852 : Rogerus Solewrythe..Alanus Soleurytte.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)56 : Prelats, wiþ þer stafis and oþer ornaments, are statuit ymagis, ful of kaff, wiþ a bow to sley þe fowlis, and as a nap in þe rof, so a sole in þe heyre of honoris.
Note: This may be covered by one of the current senses, but it's not clear. Ask Anne Hudson.--REL
Note: If "a nap" = "an ape" (as Whiting Proverbs K61 says) then could "sole" = "fish"? And could the sense be probably something incongruous? Still not clear what "heyre" is. One expects a plural if it is 'heirs.' Could it mean 'hair,' or 'herre' (= hinge), or 'air'?--per REL
Note: Could "heyre" be here n.(1) = army? One of the forms is heir(e.. (This quot. is not there, but would be needed for date in any of the senses.)--per MLL
Note: Another consideration: could "sole" be "fole" (long-s / f confusion?) See MED fol n. sense 2. = sinner. Translation: "..so a fool in the army of honors"?--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sole.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. foot sole.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sole of the foot.