Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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mǽl

  • noun [ neuter ]
Dictionary links
Grammar
mǽl, mál, mél, es; n. m. (?)
Wright's OE grammar
§119;
a measure
Show examples

  • Dó wines þrié mél on

    pour three measures of wine on,

      L.M. 1, 45; Lchdm, ii. 110, 26.
Similar entries
v. cucler-mǽl, dæg-mǽl, fot-mǽl, mǽl-tange; and
cf.
Icel. mál a measure
:
Dan. maal.
a mark, sign, cross, crucifix
Show examples

  • Hér ðþiéwde reád Cristes mǽl on hefenum

    in this year a red cross appeared in the sky.

    • Chr. 773
      • ;
    • Erl. 52, 23.

  • Mid ðám wæs sum mycel gylden Cristes mǽl

    in quibus crucem magnam auream,

    • Bd. 2, 20
      • ;
    • S. 522, 9.

  • Hé ðæt Cristes mǽl hræde weorce geworhte . . and ðæt Cristes mǽl genam and on ðone seáþ sette,

    • 3, 2
      • ;
    • S. 524, 16-18.

  • Bǽron Cristes róde tácen sylfrene Cristes mǽl

    crucem pro vexillo ferentes argenteam,

    • 1, 25
      • ;
    • S. 487, 3.

  • Ǽnne sylfrene mále on V. pundon

    a silver crucifix of five pounds,

    • Chart. Th. 558, 33.

  • Ðon on ealdan Cristes mǽle; of ðam Cristes mǽle,

    • Cod. Dip. Kmbl. vi. 66, 34.

  • Ealle hit writen mid Cristes mǽl

    all signed it with a cross,

    • Chr. 963
      • ;
    • Erl. 123, 25.
Similar entries
v. fýr-mǽl, ge-mǽl, grǽg-mǽl:
O. Sax. hobid-mǽl head on a coin and cf.
Icel. mál applied to the inlaid ornamenting of weapons
: and
English hring-, wunden-mǽl. The word is also used for the sword itself brogden mǽl,
  • Beo. Th. 3236
    • ;
  • B. 1616: 3338
    • ;
  • 8. 1667: Elen. Kmbl. 1574
    • ;
  • El. 759.
Similar entries
v. mal-sweord.
fixed, suitable, appointed time, season, occasion
Show examples

  • Mǽl is mé tó féran

    it is time for me to go,

    • Beo. Th. 637
      • ;
    • 316
      • .

  • Ðá wæs sǽl and mǽl ðæt tó healle gang Healfdenes sunu,

    • 2021
      • ;
    • B. 1008.

  • Ðá ðæs mǽles wæs mearc agongen

    then was the appointed time past,

    • Cd. 83
      • ;
    • Th. 103, 16
      • ;
    • Gen. 1719: 224
      • ;
    • Th. 296, 12
      • ;
    • Sat. 501.

  • Ic ðæt mǽl geman ðonne we gehéton ússum hláforde

    I remember the time when we promised our lord,

    • Beo. Th. 5259
      • ;
    • B. 2633.

  • Ælce mǽle

    on each occasion,

    • Exon. 119a
      • ;
    • Th. 457, 30
      • ;
    • Hy. 4, 92.

  • Se geweald hafaþ sǽla and mǽla

    he hath power over times and seasons.

    • Beo. Th. 3226
      • ;
    • 1611
      • .

  • Efne swylce mǽla swylce ...

    just at such times as ...,

    • 2502
      • ;
    • B. 1249.

  • Mǽla gehwylce

    on every occasion,

    • 4121
      • ;
    • B. 2057: Ps. Th. 118, 62.

  • Ðú him mete sylest mǽla gehwylce and ðæs tídlíce tíd gemearcast

    tu das escam illis in tempore opportuno,

    • 144, 16: 21.

  • Ðæt ǽr feala mǽla behýded wæs

    which long before was hidden,

    • Elen. Kmbl. 1971
      • ;
    • El. 987.

  • Ǽrran mǽlum

    on former occasions,

    • Beo. Th. 1819
      • ;
    • B. 907: 4466
      • ;
    • B. 2237: 6062
      • ;
    • B. 3035.
the time for eating, a meal
Show examples

  • Ðás hálgan lenctenlíce tide gehealdan mid clǽnum fæstene ælce dæge tó ánes mǽles

    (having only one meal a-day, cf.Icel.

    fasta einmælt).
    • Wulfst. 285, 2.

  • Hé gereordade æt ánum mǽle fif þúsend manna

    he fed at one (meal) time five thousand men,

    • 293, 27.

  • Yfel biþ ðæt man rihtfæstentíde ǽr mǽle ete,

    • L. C. S. 47
      • ;
    • Th. i. 402, 24: Homl. Th. ii. 590, 25.

  • Gífernys biþ ðæt se man ǽr tíman hine gereordige oððe æt his mǽle tó micel þicge

    it is greediness when a man eats before the time or takes too much at his meal,

    • 218, 30.

  • Ne fæsþ se no Gode ac him selfum se ðe ðæt nyle þearfum sellan ðæt hé ðonne on mǽle lǽfþ ac wile hit healdan eft tó óðrum mǽle

    non Deo, sed sibi quisque jejunat, si ea quæ ventri ad tempus subtrahit, non egenis tribuit sed . . custodit,

    • Past. 43, 8
      • ;
    • Swt. 317, 4.

  • Múþa gehwylc mete þearf mǽl sceolon tídum gongan

    every mouth needs meat; meals must there be at times,

    • Exon. 91 a
      • ;
    • Th. 341, 13
      • ;
    • Gn. Ex. 125.
Etymology
[
Laym. Orm. mæl
:
O. E. Homl. A. R. mel
:
Chauc. mel, meel a meal
:
Prompt. Parv. meel pastus
:
Goth. mél a time
:
Icel. mál time, meal-time, season
:
O. H. Ger. mál time, occasion
:
M. H. Ger. mál
:
Ger. ein-mal, etc.:
:
M. H. Ger. mál time for eating, meal
:
Ger. mahl
.]
Similar entries
v. -mǽlum.
Linked entries
v.  mál grǽg-mǽl fót-mǽlum.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “mǽl.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/22137.

Checked: 1
Full form

Word-wheel

  • mǽl, n.

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