Middle English Dictionary Entry
brīd-āle, brīdal n.
Entry Info
| Forms | brīd-āle, brīdal n. Also brīdalle, brīdell; brūd-āle, bruid-, bruit-, brẹ̄d-āle. |
| Etymology | OE brȳd-ealo |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. āle 3.
1.
(a) Wedding feast; (b) ~ cloth, festive wedding dress; ~ hous, bridal chamber.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14003 : I þe land off Galile Wass an bridale ȝarrkedd.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14158 : All rihht alls iff he [Crist] wollde Bridale settenn, forr þatt he An brid himm wollde chesenn Off all mannkinn.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)1032 : I come fram o brudale [Ld: bridale].
- c1300 Horn (LdMisc 108)1300 : He rongen þe bellen, Þe wedding for to fullen..Þer was brydale [vrr. brid & ale; brudale] swete.
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)42 : He conseilede..his eldeste douȝter sone With fair bruydale and gret honour.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1674 : Forð geden seuene ger bi tale, And laban made him his bridale.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)286 : A kyng made to his sone a gret Brudale ywis.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1514 : Folk..Þat was samned at þat bridale.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)2763 : Anon he hir spoused þat day; Þe bridale was holden wiþ game.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)233 : Þe wyse maydines..yeden in mid þe bredgome to þe bredale.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)2.36 : Alle..Weoren bede to þe Bruyt-ale [B: bridale].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4375 : At euery bridale wolde he synge and hoppe.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7250 : Sampson was to þe bridal ledd, For he was sle on harpingleu.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)13401 : Sir architricline..costes to þe bridal fand.
- c1400(?c1375) NHom.(3) Cec.(Tbr E.7)92/39 : When þe bridal was broght till ende.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)2.43 : To-morwe worth ymade þe maydenes bruydale.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)142 : Þou, burne, for no brydale art busked in wedez.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)3242 : In kaane..A gret brydell was dyght þat tyde.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.14.15 : Whether therfor ȝe han clepid vs to the brydale [WB(2): weddyngis; L nuptias] for to robben?
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)4842 : Men..wedded wyfes, and bridalles made Until þe day..þat Noe Went in-to þe shippe.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)2209 : Þe joie of þat bredale Nis nouȝt teld..in no gest.
- c1440(?a1400) Perceval (Thrn)42 : To þe kirke þe knyghte ȝode For to wedde þat frely fode..Sythen..A grete brydale þay made.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)10/23 : Alexander..fand hym sittand at the mete at a bridale, For he had..taken hym an-oþer [wife].
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)172/8 : A husbandman was biddyn vnto a kyngis brydall.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1227/16 : To go to London to byghe all maner thynges than longed to the brydale.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)49 : Brydale: in plurali numero, nupcie.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)18b : A Brydall: Nupcie.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)1331 : Brydale..lastyd a fourtenyght.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)53 : No man ne may telle yn tale What folk þer was at þat bredale.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)4/37 : In the tyme of Aduent, bridalles and mariages makyngis shuld not be vsid.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)199 : Ther was cride a generall bridale, and alle men..hadde grete medes..or they yede.
- a1500 Amis (Dc 326)2472 : [Glad..were þey..Who so myȝt..] fle fro that bredale.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15230 : Tatt bridaless hus wass all Wiþþ þrinne bennkess bennkedd.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)73/17 : Frende, hou entridist þou hidir, not hauyng þe bridal clooþ [L vestem nupcialem]?
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)50 : Brydale howse: Nuptorium.
2.
Theol. Festive mystical union (of man with God, of Christ as God and man, of Christ and the Church).
Associated quotations
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)95/33 : He mai cumen..in to ðe bredale to-fore ðe bredgume, and mid him wuniȝen on michele merhðe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)118 : Þe ilke blisuolle bredale þet wes ymad ine þe wombe of þe blisfolle mayde marie, huanne godes zone nom and spousede..oure manhode.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))SSol. p.73 : The booc that is clepid Songus of Songis, of the bridalis of Crist and of the Chirche.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1382) WBible(1) Pref.Jer.(Bod 959)33/124 : Salomon..mendiþ maners, techiþ kynde, ioyniþ crist & þe chirch: & þe swete bryde song singiþ of þe holy brydales.
Note: Supplementary material for sense 2.
Note: Modify gloss: "Theol. Festive mystical union (of man with God, of Christ as God and man, of Christ and the Church);--also pl. [cp. L nuptiae, -ārum.]".
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11059 : He turrnde waterr inntill win..Att an bridaless sæte.
Note: New collocation for sense 1.(b).
Note: Gloss: bridales sete, a wedding feast.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Wisd.14.26 : Alle thingis ben mengd togidere..þe myschaunging of birþe, þe vnstablenesse of bridalis [L nuptiarum], þe vnordeynyng of leccherie & of vnclennesse.
Note: Modify gloss for sense 1.(a). ("bridalis" pl. in this quot. means "marriage".)
Note: Gloss: "A wedding feast, marriage ceremony, nuptials;--also, pl.; also, marriage;--also, pl.".
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Esth.2.18 : He comaundide a ful glorious feste to be maad redy..for þe coupling & þe bridalis [L nuptiis] of ester, & he ȝaf rest to alle prouyncis.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a).--notes per MLL