| 释义 |
▪ I. † pistle, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 pistol, 2–6 pistel, 4 pistol, pystol, 4–5 pystil(l, 4–6 pistell(e, pistil, -ill(e, pystyl, -yll(e, 4–7 pistle, 5 pistul, -yl(l, 5–6 (8 Sc.) pystle, pystel(l.
[OE. pistol, aphetic form of epistol, ad. L. epistola epistle.]
1. A communication in writing, a letter; a literary work, or a dedication, in the form of a letter: = epistle n. 1, 1 b, 1 c.
c1000ælfric Saints' Lives iii. 382 Ða awrat se earming mid hise aᵹenra hande..þone pistol. 1382Wyclif Dan. iii. 97 In to eche lond he [the king] sente a pistle. 1395Purvey Remonstrance (1851) 4 This article is taught bi seynt Jerom in hise pistlis. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 202/1 Saynt Leo wrote a pistle to fabyane bisshop of constantynople ayenst euticium and nestorium. 1529More Dyaloge ii. Wks. 178/2 A pistle of Plinye wrytten to the Emperoure Trayane. 1595Eng. Tripe-wife (1881) 145 Your Pamphlet lackes both a Pistle and a Patrone. 1787Burns Let. to W. Nichol 1 June, I was gaun to write you a lang pystle.
2. spec. An apostolic letter, forming part of the New Testament: = epistle n. 2.
c1000ælfric De Vet. et de Nov. Test. (Grein) 14 Iacob se rihtwisa awrat anne pistol. c1200Vices & Virtues 31 San(c)tus Paulus us takð on his pisteles. 1303R. Brunne Handl. Synne 7122 Se now what seynt Poule seys Yn a pystyl. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 101 As gospillis & pistles witnessen. 1551Crowley Pleas. & Payne 215 And in Iohns Pistle these wordis be.
3. Eccl. An extract from an apostolic letter (or, as in quot. a 1450, from some other Scriptural book) read in the Eucharistic office: = epistle n. 3.
c1175Lamb. Hom. 89 Hit is ireht on þes pistles redinge [cf. c 1000 ælfric Hom. (Th.) I. 314 Hit is ᵹereht on ðyssere pistol-rædinge]. c1400Wyclif's Bible IV. 683 (heading) Here bigynneth a rule, that tellith in whiche chapitris of the bible ȝe mai fynde the lessouns, pistlis, and gospels, that ben rad in the chirche al the ȝeer. Ibid. 686 note a, Pistil Jerem. [so passim]. a1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 106 The princes of xij lynages, wherof the pistelle upon the feest of Alhalwynne makithe mencion. 1450–1530Myrr. our Ladye 126 The pystel that is redde in the masse. 1590H. Barrow in Conferences i. 8 The Papists..haue the same Creedes,..Pistles, Gospels.
b. Hence, the title ‘Pistle of (Sweet) Susane’: Daniel xiii in the Vulgate, containing the story of Susanna, being the Lesson or Epistle of the Mass for the Saturday of the third week in Lent.
But it is probable that here ‘pistle’ was subsequently taken as = legend or story.
1380–1400B.M. Addit. MS. 22283 (heading) Here by⁓gynneþ a pistil of Susan. Ibid. l. 363 Þis ferlys bi-fel In þe days of Danyel, Þe pistel witnesseþ wel Of þat profete. c1425Wyntoun Cron. (MS. Cott.) 4312 (Laing 4326), He [Hucheoun] made a gret Gest of Arthure, And þe Awntyr of Gawane, Þe Pistil als of Suet Susane.
4. A (spoken) story or discourse.
Most of the examples appear to be after Chaucer.
c1386Chaucer Wife's T. 165 Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere. c1422Hoccleve Min. Poems (1892) 221 He a pistle rowned in hire ere. 1479J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 257 When I was with myn oncle, I had a longe pystyll of hym, that [etc.]. a1550Freiris of Berwik 184 in Dunbar's Poems (S.T.S.) 291 Scho rownis than ane pistill in his eir.
5. attrib. and Comb., as pistle-book, pistle-making, pistle-penner, pistle-reader, pistle-reading; pistle-cloth, a cloth covering or wrapper for the books of the epistles.
c1000Canons of ælfric §21 in Thorpe Laws II. 350 Saltere & pistol-boc & godspell-boc & mæsse-boc. c1000ælfric Hom. (Th.) I. 294 Lucas se Godspellere us manode on ðisre pistol-readinge, þus cweðende [etc.]. ― De Consuet. Monach. in Anglia XIII. 406 Sacerd diacon & pistel rædere. 1434Inv. St. Mary's, Scarborough in Archæologia LI. 66 Cum uno alio libro vocato le pistelboke. 1559Will of Thome (Somerset Ho.), To y⊇ cherche to-whordes a pystyll book. 1589Hay any Work A iij b, I haue as good a gift in pistle making, as you haue at priemeero. 1589Pappe w. Hatchet D ij, I am worth twentie Pistle-penners.
Hence † ˈpistle v. trans. (nonce-wd.), to write an epistle upon, assail with an epistle, satirize.
1589Pappe w. Hatchet 28 Take heed, he will pistle thee.
▪ II. pistle, pistlett
obs. ff. pistol, pistolet. |