Middle English Dictionary Entry
souel n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | souel n.(1) Also soule, sowel, saule, (early) saȝel; pl. soueles, etc. & (early) soghles. |
| Etymology | OE sāgol, sāgel. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A stick, pole, or staff; also, a pointed stick, stake, or post set in the ground; heie ~, a stake used in hedging; steng ~, one of the pieces of wood allowed as the woodman's perquisite.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6127 : Ælc bær an honde ænne saȝel [Otho: staf] stronge and bi-siden heo gunnen heongen cniues swiðe longe.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)549/40 : Fustis: sowel.
- (1235-52) Cust.Glastonbury in Som.RS 588 : Si colligat spinas, debet colligere ij fasces spinarum..et debet habere j palum quem ponit ex transverso fascis et j palum quem vocant Stingsoghles.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3616 : So griseliche be þe engins For to sle þe Sarrazines, In ich half y-sett arawe, Scharpe soules doun of þe hulle y-drawe; Þer-mid þai hewe þe gret stonis, Bi-hewe quarre for þe nonis.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)5801 : He seye..a grom cominde..A gret soule in his hond he bar..Gij wel feir him bisouȝt Ȝif him þe staf þat he brouȝt.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)248a/b : An hegge..is a maner closynge of breres, of þornes, and trees y-made; þe sowelis and stakes [L sudes siue pali] ben y-pight in þe grounde and þer aboute beþ..y-wounde þornes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)248b/a : Svdes..is an heysaule outher a stake y-scharped at eyþer ende, And þis noun sudes comeþ of suo..to sewe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)253a/b : Vynes needeþ to be trayled to be þe bettre susteyned, and þe latyne for picchynge of sowiles for traylynge is paxillare.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)302a/b : Þe huntere..picheþ ful scharpe soweles and stakes aboute þe foot of þe tree..and þanne þe bere comeþ and..falleþ doun vpon þe soweles and stakes and sleeþ himself in þat wyse.