Middle English Dictionary Entry
sperling(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sperling(e n. Also sparling(e, spirling(e, spurling. |
| Etymology | AF esperlinge, espirlinge, vars. of OF esperlenc; also cp. MDu. spierlinc, MLG spīrlinc and AL sperlingus, spirlingus, (late 15th cent.) sparlingus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A fish of the family Clupeidae, esp. the sprat Clupea sprattus; ?also, a shoal of sprats [quot. ?a1500, 1st]; also, the pilchard Sardinia pilchardus; also, any small fish of the genus Merlangus, such as the whiting Merlangus merlangus, or of the family Salmonidae, such as the grayling Thymallus thymallus, or perh. the European smelt Osmerus eperlanus; -- sometimes coll.; ~ time, ?the spawning period of the fish; (b) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (1307-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.993 : In 8 salmon. et..ccc sperlinges de villa, 18 s. 8 l/2 d.
- (a1377) Acc.Abingdon in Camd.n.s.5138 : In sperlyng, xiij s. xj d.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.136 : Riht als sturioun etes merling..lobbe keling etes sperling.
- (a1422) Doc.St.Alb.in RS 28.5 pt.2 (Cld E.4)317 : Pitancia per Dies Piscium..sexdecim merlinges..vel..centum smelte, vel centum sparlynges.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)641/26 : Gamerus: spyrlyng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)52 : Broche for spyrlynge or herynge: Spiculum.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)609/23 : Sardallus: a sparlynge.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)833 : Mustard is..metest with..sparlynge..salt makerelle, & also withe merlynge.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)118b : Sperlynge: piscis est, ipimera, sparlingus.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)705/17 : Sperlyngus, thimalus: a sperlynge.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)763/32 : Nomina piscium aquarum recencium..Hee spunere [read: epimere], -arum: a spyrlyng.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)764/20 : Tumalus: a sperlyng.
- -?-(a1471) Doc.in Hele Notes Aldeburgh65 : [Every boat..fishing for] sperling [in] spurling tyme [shall pay], [etc].
b
- (1246) Select Pleas Manor.in Seld.Soc.26 : Johannes Sperleng.
- (1390-91) Leet R.Norwich in Seld.Soc.569 : Rogerus Sperlyngg.
- (1452) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 976 : For wast of iiij torchys at ye beryyng of spyrlyng, viii [?read: viii d.].
- (c1461) Paston1.521 : Alys Neche and Jaferey Spyrlyng..haue agreyd..þat ther schall be set a tenaunt.