Middle English Dictionary Entry
tilling(e ger.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | tilling(e ger.(1) Also tiling, teling, (early) tilung(e, (infl.) teolunga. |
| Etymology | From tillen v.(1) & OE tilung, teolung. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Sense 4. appears to be drawn directly from that of Latin colere, 'to cultivate; to worship'.
1.
(a) The act of cultivating the land; cultivation, husbandry; also, the cultivating or tending of vines, trees, etc.; also fig.; ~ craft; erthe ~; lond ~; ~ lond, land for cultivating, arable land; ~ to, tending, cultivating;—used fig.; (b) the act of plowing, the turning up of the earth; plough ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)42/10 : Þe tilunge [Tit: tilinge] of rihtwisnesse..is silence; Silence tileð hire.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)152/14 : Þe win ȝardes..beoð þe earste pro cunges þe strueð ure sawlen, þe mot muche tilunge to, to beoren win berien.
- a1350 Ich herdemen (Hrl 2253)2 : He beþ itened of here tilyynge.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 370)2 Par.26.10 : He was a man ȝeuen to erth tyllyinge.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.89 : Now wodes i-hewe adoun and newe telynge lond i-made moche more þan was þoo..þere beeþ now in Engelond meny moo hides and townes þan were in þat tyme.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.361 : Eorþe telynge ceesede, and þerafter come greet honger.
- (?1387) Wimbledon Serm.(Corp-C 357)62/27 : Ȝee seeþ þat in tilienge of þe material vine þere beeþ diuerse laboreris.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)849/28 : No feelde is y-eryed..noþer tiliyng craft vsed nor buldyng ybulded wiþouten iren.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)903/31 : Almounde trees neediþ moche tiliynge and nameliche whan þey beþ olde.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.63 : Fourty wynter folke lyuede with-outen tulyinge.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.3.9 : Ȝee been of godis tylyng [WB(1): erthe tilyinge of God].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)18b/b : Cultura: tilinge.
- (1425) Paston (EETS)3.4 (931/30) : William Joye shal do al his trewe and diligent seruice to þe seid William Paston .., in sowyng and telyng of his londes, jnnyng of his heruest...
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.528 : Donge of fowlis is ful necessary To londtiling.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)55.71 : Nise peple he fond That ne Cowden but Of Lond tylyng.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)373 : He wille þat his prestis haue possessions, & hawnte þe tylynge of þe felde & not of þe soule.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)132 : The tyllyng off the vynes is the grettest comodite off the reame.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)548 : Alasse, my corn ys lost!..I se well by tyllynge lytyll xall I wyn.
- a1484 Treat.7 Lib.Arts (Trin-C R.14.52)1051/503 : Ther bien..vij..comune craftis..exercised of comune artificers and werkmen, as tilieng, venery, phisik, theatrik, lanyfice, armery, navigacioun.
- a1500(1472) Worcester DSP (Trin-C O.5.6)28 fn. : Grete getynge of the ricches that comyth of the erth-tilynge, [etc.].
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1227 : He fond..The ferste craft of plowh tilinge.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1149/18 : We haueþ þe oxe felawe in trauaile of tylienge of lond.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.1.71 : A man dalf the erthe bycause of tylyinge of the feld and founde ther a gobet of gold.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)363 : How ȝe turne þe erth wppe and down!..saw I neuer such another tyllynge.
2.
A treatment, cure.
Associated quotations
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)17/14 : Þis [ys] þa tylung to þan manne, þe wel ȝefnesan ne mæȝe and micel nearnesse on þa heafedan habbaþ.
3.
(a) Work; labor, effort; (b) profit, gain.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)32/19 : Oxe tyleð his hlaforde, & se larðeaw sylð oxen on Godes ciricen, gyf he begæð his laferdes teolunga, þæt is, gyf he bodeð godspell his underðeoddan, for eorðlicen gestreone & na for godcundre lufe.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)32/29 : Se þe mid geheowedre halignysse him sylfen teolað on Godes ge-laðunge &..ne careð embe Cristes teolunga, se byð..mynetcepe getalod.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)84/17 : Scuppend us ȝeaf to bileofenæn..laf of eorðlice tylunge.
b
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Evang.(Bod 343)16/20 : Tweȝen breðræn..hæfden ænne fixnoð..to mycele tylunge.
4.
Worship (of God).
Associated quotations
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.122r : After his enmys where ouercome and his batailus do he tourned to the worship and tylyng of God and yaf the tenthe hyde of londe thourgh his regne to Goddes seruantes.