Middle English Dictionary Entry
aisel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | aisel n. Also aisil, aicel, eisel, asel, azel, esil, ezil. |
| Etymology | OF aisil, eisil. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Vinegar (made of the juice of fruit, esp. grapes); (b) red ~, white ~, red (white) wine vinegar; ~ squillin, vinegar spiced with squill; (c) ~ vessel, cruet.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225 Wor.Bod.Gloss.(Jun 121)25 : [OE] eced: eisil.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)109a : Þe þridde þing is eisil: þet is sur heorte of nið oðer of onde.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.10.26 : As eisel [WB(2): vynegre] to teeth and smoke to eȝen.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)187/14 : Grinde hem sutilly & tempere hem wiþ eysel.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)217 : She was lyk thyng for hungre deed, That ladde hir lyf oonly by breed Kneden with eisel strong and egre.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)46b : Oxiganus: eysel medlud.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)143 : Esylle: Acetum.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.878 : Tak Iuce of hennebane With sour aysel.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1772 : Loke þy wyn be not eysel.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)185/1 : A little aysell & garlykk.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)300/207 : Þat þe eysyl be scharp and soure.
b
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.134 : In this mone is maad aysel squyllyne. Of squyllis whyte..taak [etc.].
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)223 : Poudre of whyte aisill, in english arguyll.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)227 : Seþ hem [herbs] wel in red eysel.
c
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ex.25.29 : Thow shalt greithe eysel vesselis [WB(2): vessels of vynegre; L acetabula] and phiols..in the whyche sacrifices of lycours ben to be offred.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)1b : Acetabulum: a vessel of eysel.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)2a : Aȝell [Monson: Aisselle] vessell: Acetabulum, Acetarium.
2.
Vinegar made of fruit other than grapes.
Associated quotations
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)56 : Take peper and safron, wyne, vynegur, aysell, oþer alegur & do þerto.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)39/40 : Colde þingis in power, but hote in dede..as bene aysel, vinegre.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)185 : Off every tunne..of wyn, vynegre, syther, eysel.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.818 : Of peres sowre & wild..Aycel to brynge.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)28 : Temper it vppe with Venegre or eysel or with Alegere.
3.
aisel and galle (atter), the 'bitter' drink offered to Christ on the cross; also fig.
Associated quotations
- a1200(OE) Hat.Gosp.(Hat 38)Mark 15.36 : & fylde ane spunge mid eisile [vr. eccede].
- a1250 Wooing Lord (Tit D.18)283 : Nu beden ha mi leof..aisille, surest alre drinch, menged wið galle.
- c1330 Iesu þat for vs (Auch)232 : A bitter drinkke him was iȝoue Vpon þe rode..Aisil and galle menged wiȝ-alle.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.27.48 : Oon of hem..fillide a spounge taken with aycel or vynegre.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.62 : Sche [Fortune]..can ȝeuen hem a tast..Of bitter eysel and of egre wyn.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)203 : Attir and aysell þay bedde hym for skorne.
- a1450 The Fader of Heuene (Sln 2593)23 : Lullay, lullay! lytyl child, fayre happis þe be-falle, how xal þu sufferin to drynke ezyl & galle?
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.660 : To scorne Ihesu they make it but a Iape..They payne hym more bittirly than aysell or galle.
- ?c1475 *Trev.Nicod.(Sal 39)134b : Knyȝtus..toke aysel and galle and profrede hym to drynke.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)343/154 : Ihesu..ffor vs hanged apon a tre, drank asell and gall.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Clarke Crafte Lymmyng (Sln 73) 204/4 : Take a barel þat is clene and swete, and set þerinne a galon of vinegre or of eysel.
- a1500 Sln.122 Artist.Recipes (Sln 122) 116/22 : Take an heryng barel, and put þerinne a galone of vynegre oþer of aysil, and hange þe plates thereouer so þat noon towche oþer.
Note: Postdates sense 2.