Middle English Dictionary Entry
sōl(e adj.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | sōl(e adj.(1) Also soul(e, soulle, sul, soil(e, soel, (error) foule. |
| Etymology | OF sol, sole, soul(e, sul & L sōlus. Freq. used as quasi-adv. in ME. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) In an unmarried state, single; also, celibate; ~ womman, womman ~; kepen ~; liven ~; (b) deprived of a father, daughter, lover, or counselors; ~ of, deprived of (one's wards, help).
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.2080 : Ne wolde he that she were loue ne wyf, But euere lyue as wydwe..Soul as the turtle that lost hath hir make.
- (1418) EEWills34/16 : I wille that ȝif Ionet my wif kepe here soole, withoute husbonde, Twelf-monthe after my decese, than she ffounde be of my goddes durynge þat ȝere.
- (1424) EEWills60/10 : Wul I þat forth-whith my said ioint feffes make her astate..of þe same too lordshipes, vp condicion þat she lyve sool, withoute husbond.
- (1443) Will York in Sur.Soc.3089 : My wyll ys that Jonett my wyfe have my chefe maner place..als lange as she kepis hir sole; and yf sho tak hir a husband than the sayde place..remane to..my son.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.BC (Trin-C R.3.20)112 : For it is an inpossyble To fynde euer suche a wyff, I wil lyve sool during my lyff.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)6.234 : He muste ensample of the Turtle take, And be well ware that he not varye, But life sool whan he hathe lost his make.
- (1455) Lin.DDoc.79/5 : To Mawt Denham, of fee, so longe as she is soole, yeerly, x marces.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)989 : Shuld nevir man..bryng it in my mynde To be no more I-weddit, but lyve soule a-loon.
- (1464) RParl.5.548b : She to have and to hold theym as woman soule.
- (1464) RParl.5.549a : If she were or had been soule woman at the tyme.
- a1475(1456) ?Bokenham Lineage Clare (ArmsV Clare Roll)p.476 : Is he sole or maried, this prynce mighty?
- c1475 A philosophre (Hrl 372)p.44 : This counseil I..That if ye mowe chastise your carnal membre, For to leve soul and keep you contynent.
- (1485) RParl.6.285b : That the same Countesse..have..disposition thereof..as anie other sole persone not covert of anie Husband may be.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.774 : Many mayde..Be-lefte wer sool..Behynd her fadris.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1917 : Þin owne douȝter..An ende made; and þou wer lefte al sool.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.4296 : Þe kyng..Of his wardis destitute and sool.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3065 : Now þei ben for euermor Of helpe al sool.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4827 : Ȝe cast to declyne Away fro me, bareyne lefte and sool.
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)35 : Þe dethe hath take my lady and maystres And left me sole.
2.
(a) Alone, solitary, without companions; ~ bi mi-self (him-self, etc.); ~ from, separated from (sb.); (b) of the soul: separated from the body.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)95 : If þe deer be soule, þe berner shal vncouple all þe fynders, and if he be not soile, to houndes suffisen til he be disseuerid.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2405 : Pelleus in a doolful cave..lay..Soule saue his wyf, with-outen any feris.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2163 : He..Rood ay forth..Sool by hym-silf, with-oute companye.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3023 : He was not soole..For with hym were other twoo.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.49/30 : One a day, whan the mayde was sole yn her chambre, this malignynge theyf was presente.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)208 : I fonde þe soul & þi wyttes echone ffer fro þe fled.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)1.865 : She is euere in stody and euere-more soole.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)142/4259 : Y go ful drepyngly And drawe me sol from company.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1409 : To fer aforn, and sole, a foo may bete; He may be clipped of, that goth behinde.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)22136 : Stylle awhile I stood Sool by my silffe.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)4 : The gode man..fled company of peple for hevynesse, that he was moche soell by hymself.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)9 : When the deuell sye that she was angry and sole by her-self..he was gladde.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)75 : Sir, now sholde ye speke of youre gref, and not wepe whan ye be soill.
b
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.301 : When þat þe soule is soole and separate, Beholdyng on þat souereigne þoght onely, Than may be seen þat now ne may he noght.
3.
(a) Single, one and no more; ~ doughter, only daughter; no ~, no single (person); on ~, a single (person or thing); (b) one and only, pre-eminent; also, unique; ye (water) ~, you (water) alone, only you (water); (c) in correl. constr.: not ~..but more; (d) ?as adv.: entirely, quite [quot. may belong to 2.(a)].
Associated quotations
a
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)771 : Exspenses of one yere don in Fraunce..Myght wynne Yrelonde to a fynall conquest In one soole yere.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)93 : It is hard to make the forberinge oon sool moment.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)20/21 : Truste thou neuyr in oon sool ffisiciane.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)35/1 : Y amonisshe thee that thou ne make oo soole man thi leef tenaunte.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)22/21 : Not Interupt..ner subiecte to non oþer londe..but to here owne soole kynge.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)1.62 : All was felawis and felawschepe þat ȝe with ferde, And no soule persone to punnyshe þe wrongis.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)2 : Dame Maude..soule doughter and heire to..Henry the first.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)330/10 : I perceyued that with a soole bit she might put a man to dethe.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)364/23 : Whan thou hast any grete thinge to doo, aske counseill, for thou art a man soole.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)237/10 : What shall he be that shall lay forthe..oon foule [read: soule; F seule] correction for the infinite delites committed in chefe?
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)65/31-2 : All thynges were created of o soole substance and of o soole disposicion.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)71 : Ye be of ful febill herte whan ye thynke to dye for oon sole woman.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)235 : I am but oon sool man as be ye.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)326a/a : Þe vnite of þe trinite..moot be sole and singuler, wiþoute piere.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)8/210 : Alle my comfort, lo, that are it ye; So ben ye sowl, my lady and maystres.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)16/471 : She is the sovl fenyx of Araby, Which may not be thorugh praysid in a yere.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)21/603 : On greef y dewre, myn owen sovlle hertis blis.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)109/3270 : Mi verry lady and my sul maystres.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)65/31 : The worcher forsoth of al myracles is the one and sool God.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)65/26 : And thow medled it with water soole [L aquam solam], it will make it white.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)49/8 : Among all þerfore þat are dere to þe, lete ihesu be sool þy derlyng and þy special.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)138/29 : Grace..sekiþ non oþir mede but god, whom sool he desiriþ for hys rewarde.
c
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)180/5393 : Of this yeft if y were in certayne, As had y more comfort, soth to sayne Not sool comfort but more felicite, Then in this world may be writene playne..the which suffisid me.
d
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)194/5793 : The anker hath no more him forto greue Then sool alone vpon the wallis stare.
4.
Without partners in the possession of land, rights, an office, etc.; ~ seised.
Associated quotations
- (1427) Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk.71 : John shall do hym self to have a soole astate..of al the landes and tenementes, whiche Wauter, Lord Hungerford, stant feffid jn, soole or ioyntly with other.
- (1434) Proc.Privy C.4.192 : Þe Kynges uncles..doubten greetly to take upon hem sool so greet a charge.
- (a1444) Pet.Chanc.in Seld.Soc.10130 : After the which yifte the seid Thomas hath continually occupyed soule and taken alle the hole profitz.
- (1444) RParl.5.122a : So that everych of the seid xxv be sole sesed of freholde yerely to the value of xiii s. iiii d. of rent.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)1224 : Herry..had the sool reule of the empere.
- (1450) RParl.5.172b : Of every persone havyng soole estate of frehold to his owne use..vi d.
- (1459) RParl.5.350b : He..shall have and occupie soule the seid Office or Offices.
- (1461) RParl.5.483a : That no Londes..and other Heritementz wherof the seid John soole by hym silf..was seised..be not forfeit.
- (1470) Paston (EETS)1.562 : William Wayneflete..oon of th'executoures of the testament of the same Ser John Fastolf, now sole hathe taken vpon hym th'execucion of þe same testament.
- (1472) in Bull.IHR 349 : I wil..þat she soole be Executrice of this my poore testament.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)24/18 : Kynge Athelstan..sool and ffirste helde þe Monarchie of alle Englonde.
- (?1477) Stonor2.26 : Þe garden..and..cottage..if John Fen died soole seased of them..moste go unto þe next heyr.
5.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1203) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames326 : Walter Sole.
- (1274) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames326 : Osbert le Sol.
- (1332) Nickname in SAU 63183 : Will. Soule.
- (1377-81) Nickname in SAU 63183 : Joh. Soule, fletcher.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1400 Treat.Penit.Job (Pep 2125)185/138 : On þat same soul vertue of humilite þe swete lady of paradys..reioysed hire of.
Note: Additional quot., sense 3.(b).