Middle English Dictionary Entry
camē̆l n.
Entry Info
| Forms | camē̆l n. Also camail(l)e, cameil(l)e; chamaile, -oil, -el(le, schamelle. |
| Etymology | L camēlus & AF cameil, CF chamoil. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A camel (Camelus dromedarius or C. bactrianus); (b) ~ her, a cloth or garment of camel's hair; ~ flesh, ~ hide, ~ skin; (c) cameles chaf, a medicinal plant; prob., camel grass (Cymbopogon schœnanthus).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)370/109 : He liet fette forth riche cloþus..And liet chargi Camailes þare-with.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1365 : Ten kameles..forð he nam.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)90 : Hit is as eþe forto bring A camel in to þe neld is ei.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3289 : Melk of þe camele me fette hur son.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 370)1 Par.12.40 : Thilk that weren besidis hem..brouȝten looues..in assis and chamoilis [WB(2): camelis].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.23.24 : Blynde leders, clensynge a gnatte but swolowynge a camel [L camelum].
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)312/187 : Also strait hit is..As to a Chamayle, sikerlye, To passe þorwh an Neldeeiȝe.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.1196 : Ye be strong as is a greet camaille [vrr. Camaile, Chamayle].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)275a/a : Of cameles is tweye manere of kynde, ffor some beþ of bactria and some beþ of arabia; þe camele of arabia haþ tweye bonches on þe bak, and þe Camele of bactria haþ but oon.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3248 : Al þat ten camels [Göt: chamelis] moght ber.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3304 : Þine camels [Göt: chameyles; Trin-C: camailes] sal drinc.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)22b/a : Dromodus: maner of camayle.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)23/29 : It behoueth þat euery of hem holde iij hors & a cameylle [Eg: camell; F camail].
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)201/5 : The folk..taken Camayles [Eg: camelles], dromedaries, & hors.
- ?c1430(c1400) Wycl.Prelates (Corp-C 296)100 : Prelatis also ben..blynde lederis, swolwynge þe grete cameile.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)59 : Camelle, or chamelle [Win: Camel or chamel]: Camelus.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2283 : Thay kaire to þe karyage..Kamells and sekadrisses.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)136 : This Riche man hadde moche..of kamailles.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2337 : Ne camayle [vrr. camelle, cammele] That ran so swyfte.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)6404 : Þey are þre þousand chamayle [vrr. camayle, camayles].
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)510 : As yt was to a kamel To passe throgh a nedlys Eye.
- a1500 When nettuls (BodPoet e.1)269 : Whan..cammels in the eyer tak swalows and larkes.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)760/5 : Hic camelus: a schamelle.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)263a/a : But Camel fleissh is acordynge in wynter.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) John Bapt.(Phys-E)p.41 : He hauid camel har him apon.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2250 : Þai þam hide Bath wit hors and camel hide [Göt: camayles hide].
- a1425 Blissed be thow Baptist (Wht)88 : But of camel skyn þow toke þi clothyng.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)145/283 : He þat in camell-hare es cled.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)378 : Ion the baptist was clad al in her..swech as chameles her.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)38/30 : Þei with þongis of chamel skynnys..go girt in her lendes.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)268/17 : He..was clothyd yn camell skynnes.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)230/4 : Tho that haue eyen of the colure of a camel Heere bene coragious.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)521 : Camelys flesche was here foode.
c
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)176a/a : Hote medecynes..ben..notes of þe cipresse tre, of cameles chaffe.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)188b/a : Squynantum is camelys chaffe [*Ch.(1): chaf of camelez; L palea camelorum], hote & dreye & streynynge with temperaunce.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.53va (2.7) : I haue lerede of hem þat haue seyn þousandes of kamayles in þe contrees of Rome & beȝonde, þat alle kamailes, or þai be gray or dunne or elles white-gray.
Note: Additional quot. New spelling (pl.) = kamailes.