Middle English Dictionary Entry
cul n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | cul n.(1) Also coil. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Rump; thristen in ~, to thrust with a weapon or similar instrument into (one's) anus.
Associated quotations
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)604 : Of ðe ðe he wile he nimeð ðe cul & fet him wel.
- c1330(?a1300) Rich.(Auch)116/80 : For ȝour bost & ȝour orgoyl Man schal þrest in ȝour coyl [vrr. cule, cull, koyl].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)62b/b : Som men forsoþ applieþ þe coilez i. tewellez, of gallinez [*Ch.(2): henne erses] & of oþer briddez.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1294-6) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 1117 : In grosso Meremio empto, videlicet vno Cule.
Note: "For a large piece of timber bought, namely, for one ?keel (or ?keel rudder or ?stern rudder).
Note: New sense: ?keel; ?keel rudder; ?stern rudder.
- (1294-6) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 1119 : Et in J. Catena ferri empta ad ligandum la Culrother, xviij d.
Note: "And for one chain of iron bought for fastening the ?keel rudder (or ?stern rudder)."
Note: ~ rother, ?a keel rudder; ?a stern rudder.
- (1295) *Acc.Exch.(PRO) 5/20-5/21 [OD col.] : Gaddi ad ligand le cule et ad pendend gubernacula.
Note: "Iron rods for for fastening the ?keel rudder (or ?stern rudder) and for hanging the rudder."
- (1295) *Acc.Exch.(PRO) 5/4 [OD col.] : Grossum merem pro le cule.
Note: "A large piece of timber for the keel? (or keel rudder? or ?stern rudder or ?bottom of the boat)."
- (1295) *Acc.Exch.(PRO) 5/21 [OD col.] : Bord pro le cule; Catena ferrea ad ligandum le cule.
Note: "A board for the ?keel rudder (or ?stern rudder); an iron chain for fastening the ?keel rudder (or ?stern rudder)."
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.233 : Þe schippe was…þritty cubite high from þe cule [Add: kele; Higd.(2): bothom; L fundo] to þe hacches.
Note: "From the keel? (bottom of the boat?) to the deck."
Note: MED has the Add variant under kē̆le n.(1), but does not include cule in the Also forms there. It is possible to interpret cule as "bottom (of the boat)". (kē̆le n.(1) does have kul as a variant spelling, but it is more correctly rendered -kul and occurs in a place-name. In this sense, it must refer to a landscape feature, something like a ridge.)
Note: All of the preceding quots. may belong to kē̆l(e n.(1). (For consideration: in the [OD col.] quots., should cule even be considered an English word since it is preceded by the definite article "le"?)--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. kule.