Middle English Dictionary Entry
unguis n.
Entry Info
| Forms | unguis n. also (Lat. infl.) ungue |
| Etymology | CL. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) 'Fingernail or toenail' [Norri; = ungle n.(1), sense (a)]; (b) 'Growth in eye resembling a finger-nail; cf. e.g. pterygium (triangular patch of hypertrophied tissue extending from conjunctiva to cornea)' [Norri; = ungle n.(1), sense (c)].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1500 *Mondeville in Norri Dict.Med.(Peterh 118)3rb (pg. 1158) : Sum clepen hem members & sum superfluites of members..and ben þes foure: medulla, vnguis, pilus, capillus.
b
- c1425 *Bernard Lilium in Norri Dict.Med.(Ashm 1505)97r (pg. 1158) : Vnguis [L: vnguis] is þe secunde pascioun þat comyþ in coniunctiua. Vnguis is a wexynge [L: excrescentia] in þe mydel bytwixe þe disposicicioun þat is neruous & þat oþer þat is fleschy þat wexiþ vppon coniunctiuam. And somtyme it bygynneþ on þat oon syde of þe yȝe & somtyme in þat oþer & somtyme in boþe. And somtyme hyt helyþ coniunctiuam & somtyme it tilleþ anone to corneam.'
- c1425 *Bernard Lilium in Norri Dict.Med.(Ashm 1505)98r (pg. 1141) : Lete hym arere vp þe webbe wiþ a croke [L: vncino], as it is forseyde in vngue [L: vngue].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: = OED2 unguis n.