Mǽl

According to the Old English Dictionary:

mál, mél, es;

mǽl

n. m. (?) I. a measure :-- Dó wines þrié mél on pour three measures of wine on, L.M. 1, 45; Lchdm, ii. 110, 26. and cf. Icel. mál a measure: Dan. maal. II. a mark, sign, cross, crucifix :-- 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. 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. v. mal-sweord. III. fixed, suitable, appointed time, season, occasion :-- 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. IV. the time for eating, a meal :-- 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. [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.] v. -mǽlum. -mæl,mæl

Related words: cucler-mǽl, dæg-mǽl, fot-mǽl, mǽl-tange;