释义 |
▪ I. † baleys, n. Obs. Forms: 3–5 baleis, 4–5 baleys, 5 ballys, baleese, 6 balys. [a. OF. baleis, nom. sing. (or acc. pl.) of balei (mod. balai) besom, broom. As early OF. had sing. nom. baleis, while later OF. had sing. balei, pl. baleis, it is difficult to say from which of these the final -s in Eng. was derived. The quasi-collective sense of ‘birch’ points to the pl.] A rod; also a bundle of twigs used in flogging, a ‘birch,’ a scourge.
a1259Matt. Paris Chron. (1880) v. 324 Ferens in manu virgam quam vulgariter baleis appellamus. c1315Shoreham 47 Ine the temple, sweete Ihesus..makede a baleys, And bet out..Tho that bouȝte and sealde. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xii. 12 With þise bitter baleyses God beteth his dere childeren. c1440Promp. Parv. 537 Ȝerde, baleys, virga. 1475Bk. Noblesse (1860) 54 To be betyn nakid withe baleese and sharpe roddis. c1485Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 735 Thys hard balys on þi bottokkys xall byte! 1517R. Torkington Pilgr. (1884) 3 He had a balys in hys hond. ▪ II. baleys, v. Obs. exc. dial. [f. the n.] To birch, to flog.
1377Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 175 Baleised on þe bar ers · and no breche bitwene. 1879Shropsh. Gloss., Baleise, to beat, to flog, to whip; also Bellise. ▪ III. baleys obs. form of balas (ruby). |