Middle English Dictionary Entry
taillen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | taillen v. Also taille, tail(e, teilen, talle & (in surnames) tai-, tal(e)-, taulle-, tol-; p.ppl. i)tail(l)ed, tail(l)ede, taillet, taild. |
| Etymology | OF tailler, AF (in surnames) taille-, tall-, vars. of taillier; also cp. AL taillāre, tallāre (vars. of ML talliāre) & ME taille n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. entaillen v.(1), (2), (3), fe-taillen v., talien v.
1.
(a) To cut (sth.), trim; ppl. tailled, cut up, sliced; (b) to cut down (an enemy) in battle, cut to pieces, slaughter; also, slash and kill [last quot.]; (c) to set (persons) in order for battle; put (sth.) in order, arrange; shape (sth.); wel tailled, well formed or shaped.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)3154 : Thenne by-gan this clerkes to tayle Parchemyn and lettres dite, And many another affter to write.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)27 : Take Datys y-taylid a-long & do þer-to.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)55 : Take Roysonys of coraunce & ley in þe cofynne & taylid Datys y-kyt a-long.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5072 : Our were gode bodis alle, Þe Sarrazins þai gun to talle.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)6948 : Vnarmed were þe paiens alle; Our folk hem gun to talle; Wiþ swerd & ax, spere and kniif Þai binome þe paiens her liif.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1883 : Alisaunder and alle his kniȝttes Hem to pieces þai gonne talle, So bocher þat hog vpon his stalle.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)2123 : Knutte ȝoure fomen taile [Ld: coile], Alle to slauȝt and nouȝt to spoile!
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)14136 : Arþur dide manion deye Of Moddredes folk..Arthur sey þe day gan faille, He bod & stynte his folk to taille.
c
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)69/1951 : He þat þe treuþe makeþ Farþ ase he þat great work by-gunþ And þanne conseil takeþ And teyleþ; Ac mani man þat so by-gunþ Wyþ grete harme fayleþ.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)157/817 : Was þat conseyl so ytayled Þat hyt ne myȝte habbe faylled To bote of manne.
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)38/14 : Whon þe bale was most, þen was þe bote next; þe grace of þe holigost hit taylede so.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.115 : Dauid of Scotland hasted to þe bataile; Walter Spek ros on hand, þe folk to forme & taile.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)12081 : When alle were ynne & were o flote, Mariners dighte þem to note, Þer takel for to righte & taille.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)223/4 : The fourthe [token of good complexion] Is that the rybbis Bene wel departid or Seueret and wel taillet.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)227/21 : Thay that haue the shuldres hangynge downe-ward and welle taillet bene fre and lyberall.
2.
(a) To record (a debt, a quantity of goods, etc.) by scoring a tally stick; tally (sth.); (b) to impose a tax on (a territory).
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.429 : Ȝif I bigge and borwe it, but ȝif it be ytailled, I forȝete it as ȝerne, and ȝif men me it axe Sixe sithes or seuene, I forsake it with othes.
- (1448) Doc.Faversham in Archaeol.Cant.20220 : They shall..come to the Brewers house and ther offre them duly to tayll or score with them every Barrell, Binne, & kylderkyn.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.24a : Yf the seid Viscountesse..cause or suffer any recovere to be had or tayled ayenst her..that any suche recovere be as ayenst the seid William Lord Berkley.
- (1474) RParl.6.165a : Henry the Sexte..grauntid..that..every other charge and parcell of the same xc..be assessed, taxed, and tailed, and the same xx li..be that cause to him shuld be bounden to paye.
b
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)2382 : When þe Duk of Cornewaille Al þe souþ tyl hym gan taylle, Manglanus, þe kyng of Scotlond, Þe north he tok hit til his hond.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16550 : Fro Scotland vntil Cornewaille Al þe lond gan þey taille.
3.
To restrict inheritance of (land, an estate) to a specific class of heirs, entail; ~ to, entail (property, a hereditary title) upon (sb.); ppl. tailled, entailed; fe tailled, tenure limited to a specific class of heirs [cp. AL feodum talliatum].
Associated quotations
- a1325 *Rwl.Statutes [OD col.] (Rwl B.520)lf.28 : Pasture þat is in tenauntes hond..to terme of liue, oþer of ȝeres, oþer in feo i tailled.
- (1416) MSS Penshurst in HMC1.205 : As touchyng any feoffement that sal be made be me of the manoir of Hederset..and the manoir of Wodethorp..I will that if anything of them be tailled, passe after the tenur of the taille to the next heir, and if ther be noght taillede, I will that myn heir Syr Rauf have them frely.
- (1425) EEWills64/2 : My lande þat is tayled to him in Leicestre, Whytewell, and Litel Hamildon shulde descende to þe said Iames.
- (1425) RParl.4.274b : Ye name of Duc of Norffolk is tailled to me and to my heirs males of my body commyng, and ye name of Erel of Norffolk is tailled to me and to my heirs of my body commyng generaly.
- (1430-31) RParl.4.378a : Consideryng also..that this present ordinance be not prejudiciel to eny of the heirs or of the blode of the saide Owen, as toward eny tailled land.
- (1435-6) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA.63.5a : He knewe verraily that the seid manere with þe appurtenantz and the aduoweson was tayled to the seid William Rous and to the heires of hys bodye lawfully begoten.
- (?a1443) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xxx : Y..tolde hym the lond was tailled; I myght nat sylle hit.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)11408 : He sayd, 'for nabod feld I craue'..Scho says, 'þat hette I þe to haue, all be yt neuer so trewly tayled [vr. tayld].'
- (1457) Lease Ebrington in Campbell Chancellors 1373 : The said Manour..was neuer tayled to me, nor none of myne Auncestres, but alway in vs hathe he possessed in fee symple.
- (1459) Paston (Gairdner)3.153 : If ony persone make ony compleynt to myn executores that I have purchasyd ony taylid londes be this my will ordeynid to be sold..thanne I will that the right heyris purchase as be suche taylid londes.
- (c1463-5) Paston (EETS)1.119 : Walcotte..was of late tyme purchased be þe fadre of þe seyd Ser Robert in fee sympple and ys not tayled.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) Ctn.(Hrl 2261)502 : I, Iohn..iugge þe a traytoure, and..alle thy londes taylede and not taylede to be applyede to the use of the kynge for ever.
- ?a1475 In a tabernacle (Dc 322)94 : Thy syster ys a quene, þy broþer a kynge; Thys heritage ys tayled.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Rhyme WA (Hrl 2251)73 : Trew tayled land ayenst the right to bye, A blynde borne man to pley wele at chesse..It may wele ryme but it accordith nought.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)34 : A peas to be made atwix bothe kinges undre the condicion that the saide king Henry thrid shuld relese unto king Lowes alle his right in Normandie and in the countre of Anjou, of Mayne, and Toreyne, your verray auncient enheritaunce tailed.
4.
In surnames [some may be AF or belong to taille adj.]; ?also in place name [quot. 1443].
Associated quotations
- [ (1086) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames342 : Ralph Tailgebosc; Taillebosc; Tallbosc. ]
- (1133-60) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames342 : Yvo Taileboys.
- (1161) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames342 : Roger de Tallebois.
- (1202) Nickname in LuSE 55175 : Sibilla Taillebois.
- (1203-21) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames342 : Reginald Tallebos..Reginald Taullebois.
- (1230) Nickname in LuSE 55175 : Elisabeth Taylleboys.
- (1257) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames342 : Robert Tayleboys alias Taleboys.
- (1279) Nickname in LuSE 55175 : Rob. de Talbois.
- (1316) Nickname in LuSE 55175 : Will. Talboys.
- (1327) Nickname in SAU 63193 : Rob. Tolpain.
- (1375) Nickname in LuSE 55175 : Thom. Tailboys.
- (1379) Nickname in SAU 63193 : Joh. Tolpayn meleward.
- (1381) in Reaney Dict.Br.Surnames344 : Stephen Tayleford.
- (1431) Nickname in SAU 63193 : Thomas Talpayn.
- (1443) Proc.Privy C.5.300 : Tailboys, propertie of þe manor of Honmanby.
- (c1460) Proc.Privy C.6.336 : Where..William Tailbois..nowe late brake our peax..our Chaunceller..had taken of þe said Tailbois covenable bonde, [etc.].