Middle English Dictionary Entry
chā̆vel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chā̆vel n. Also chevel, chaul(e; (early) chefle, chafle; & jawvel, jawle. Pl. chaveles, chaules, choules. |
| Etymology | OE ceafl, pl. ceaflas; ME jawle is influ. by the synonym joue (from OF). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A jaw; nethere (over) ~, lower (upper) jaw; (b) ~ bon, jawbone, jaw; (c) the toothed jaw-like front (of a reaper).
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6507 : And þat deor to-dede his chæfles [Otho: choules]..and for-bat hine amidden a twa.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)26056 : Þen chin him of-swipte mid alle þan cheuele.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)397 : Ðis cete ðanne hise chaueles lukeð, Ðise fisses alle in sukeð.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)26 : Leuere bas et machelers: Nether-lippus and chaules.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)7510 : A bere a lyon..I mette..and shoke ham bi þe berde squa atte þair chauelis [vr. chaulis] cleue in twa.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)268 : As mote in at a munster dor, so mukel wern his chawlez.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)28 : They [boares] han iiii tusshes, to in þe jawle boue [vr. jawle aboue] and ii in the nethir jawle.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)62 : A greihounde shuld haue..good sesours..so þat þe neþer jawes passe not hem aboue.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)1 Kings 17.35 : I cauȝte the chaul [L mentum] of hem, and straunglide and slowȝ hem.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.169 : Mannis soul mut have two chauelis..Þe neþer chawle stondiþ in witt..þe over chawl..is groundid in mannis love.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)5b/a : Of dislocacioun of þe mandible i. chawlez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)5b/b : Þe mandible i. chawle [*Ch.(2): Iowe].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)11a/a : Þe musculez or þe cordes openyng þe chaualle [L mandibulam].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)11b/a : Þe chawelez [L mandibule] with her teþ.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)12a/b : Bones of þe nyþer chaule [L mandibule].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)12b/a : Þai [teeth] haue rotes fastned in þe chawlez, som one, som 2, som 3, som 4.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)1080 : Iason..drow his [the dragon's] tethe out of his chavele.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)123 : Draweþ his chaueles to gedre, þat he shal nouȝt open his mowþe.
- c1465 As I fared in (Hrl 1704)73 : Whanne thy chaule hangeth a-downe, Thy gresly gost goth his gate, Where is then thy rich renown?
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.3155 : He..Þe proude porter hent[e] be þe berde, And with his fyste brast his chawle boon.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)70 : Chavylbone or chawlbone: Mandibula.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)56/12 : Take þe chawylbon of a pyk.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)33/149 : With þis chavyl bon I xal sle þe.
c
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)7.34 : A squared carre on whelis too they make..His chaule aforn, that shal ete vp the whete, Is not right high..That iowe is toothed thicke as the mesure Of eres wol not passe hem vpward bende.
2.
(a) The oral cavity, pharynx, or throat; (b) the throat (of a bird).
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)24/30 : Todo þu hys muþ, and hawa, hwæþer hym ceaflas sin toswollene..eaþelic nan þing forswoliȝon ne mæȝ.
- (c1390) Chart.Abbey HG (LdMisc 210)346 : I haue..so runne & cried aftir hem, þat my chaules aken & ben woxen al hose.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1991 : He strake þe dragon in at þe chavyl, Þat it come out at þe navyl.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)prol.97 : My movth is smal..Thei [boards of a book] wil breke my chaueles and my throte.
b
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)11/19 : Þese bene emunctoriez: Þe armeholes, þe þeholes, þe chawellez [L fauces].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3696 : Fewlis en-blanchid..all of brent gold þe billis & þe chauyls.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4984 : A brid on a boghe..With bathe þe chekis & þe chauyls as a chykin brid.
3.
Jabber, gossip.
Associated quotations
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)18a : Sein Gregoire seið, 'Silence is wordes fostrilt & bringeð forð chaffle.'
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)19a : Of þe worldes meaðelunge & of hire chafle.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)23a : Me seið i bisahe: 'From mulne & from chepinge, from smiððe & from ancre hus me tidinge bringeð'..Þis is a sari sahe þet ancre hus..schal beon ifeiet to þe ilke þreo studen, þet meast is in of chaffle.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)144/428 : Þat he schal to mys wende hys cheuel Þorȝ hys malyce.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)378/337 : Ther syt thai so All nyght, With hawvell and Iawvell.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)72 : I chese to the chawylls chefe to be-gynn, And ritte doun at a rase reghte to the tayle.
Note: New form: Also..chawil.
Note: Quot. probably belongs to sense 1.(a). (Context: field dressing or gutting a deer.)
Note: Note the various MED entries similar to this one, some of whose forms (and meanings) may overlap with this entry and with each other: cholle n., jol(le n., jou(e n., jou-pẹ̄ce n.
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.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.32va (2.3) : Fro þe hynder partie of þe heuede come 2 synowes and gon to þe ouer chauel, & þan forth to þe neþer chauelle.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1.(a). New spelling: chauelle.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. chavel.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. nether chavel.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. over chavel.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. chavel bone.