somedealn.adv.adj.

/ˈsʌmdiːl/

Forms: Old English sum dæl, Middle English summ del, Middle English sum del(l, 1500s Scottish sum deill, deyll; Old English (adv.) sume daeli, dæle, Middle English sume dale, Middle English some dele (Middle English som dele, somme del), 1500s–1600s some deale, 1500s– some deal; Old English, Middle English sumdel (Middle English summedel, Middle English, 1800s dialect sumdell), Middle English somdel (Middle English zom-), Middle English so(u)mdell, Middle English, 1800s dialect somdell, Middle English somedel (1500s somedell); Middle English–1500s sumdele (1500s sumdeale), Scottish sumdeil(l; Middle English somdiel, Middle English Scottish somdeill, Middle English somdeele, Middle English–1500s somdele, somdeale; Middle English–1500s somedele, Middle English–1600s somedeale, 1500s– somedeal (1500s somedeall).

Etymology: < Old English sum some pron. 4b + dǽl deal n.¹ In adverbial use partly representing the Old English instrumental forms sume dǽle.

Now archaic or dialect.

A. n.

1. Some part or portion of some thing or things; some, somewhat.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > wholeness > incompleteness > part of whole > [noun] > a or some part of something

somedeala900

somethingc1200

somewhat1297

portionc1390

sharea1450

sort1575

something1654

a900 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Parker MS.) ann. 785 Iaenbryht ærcebisc. forlet sumne dæl his bisc'domes.

922 in Birch Cartul. Sax. II. 313 Ic sylle sumne dæl londes.

a1122 Anglo-Saxon Chron. (Laud) Pref. Scotta sum dæl gewat of Ybernian on Brittene.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 1106 Nu habbe icc shæwedd ȝuw summ del Off þa iudisskenn lakess.

c1320 Cast. Love 1371 Sumdel ȝe habbeþ i-herd nou riht Of his strengþe and of his miht.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 358 Thai..thaim defendit weill, Till of thair men war slane sumdeill [1489 Adv. sumdell].

?1504 W. Atkinson tr. Thomas à Kempis Ful Treat. Imytacyon Cryste (Pynson) ii. x. 188 All worldly & bodely plesurs be..mixte with somdele of vnclenes.

1556 N. Grimald tr. Cicero Thre Bks. Duties i. f. 9^v Somdeal of our birth our countrey, somedeal our parentes..do claime.

1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 38 Some deale of Selfe-liking.

1896 S. R. Crockett Grey Man x You have had some deal of that too.

2. dialect. A considerable number of people.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > plurality > great number, numerousness > [noun] > a large number or multitude > of individuals, people

un-i-fohOE

felec1175

power1489

camp-royal1593

numbers1597

crowd1654

stock1668

somedeal1851

1851 T. Sternberg Dial. & Folk-lore Northants. 101 ‘Was there many people at your feast?’ ‘Ees, theer war some~deal o' folk.’

B. adv. In some degree or measure; to some extent; somewhat; partly:

1. In general use.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > smallness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adverb] > somewhat

somedealc725

halfc1175

somewhatc1175

somethingc1275

little whatc1384

somedeallyc1400

measurablec1420

somewhatlyc1450

somewisec1450

somepartc1485

parta1500

something1548

rather1573

some1575

rathera1684

sunket1686

somethingisha1726

measurably1756

rather1770

rather1772

somec1780

sumthin1786

wee1816

sumfin1852

sumptin1852

measuredly1860

sumpin1889

part-way1954

ish1986

c725 Corpus Gloss. P 4 Partim, sumedaeli.

1154 Anglo-Saxon Chron. ann. 1137 Nu we willen sægen sumdel wat belamp on Stephnes kinges time.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 593 Milc wes i þere scale & win sume dale [c1300 Otho somdel].

c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 118 A taillage it is, and sumdel with vnriȝte i-take.

c1340 Ayenb. 268 Þaȝ ich zomdel þis onderstonde.

c1380 Sir Ferumbras (1879) l. 4238 Hym semede þan it was a knyȝt,..And sumdel was agaste.

c1440 Pallad. on Husb. xiii. 84 Lord,..do me sumdel rise Thy self in hym to se.

1533 J. Frith Bk. answeringe Mores Let. sig. Oviii^v I doubte not..but that it doth some deale vexe you.

1579 E. Spenser Shepheardes Cal. May 56 Thou lackest somedele their delight.

1650 T. Bayly Worcesters Apophthegmes Ep. Ded. sig. A2 Some-deale a pretender unto gratitude.

1849 D. Rock Church our Fathers II. 143 (note) It would seem, that ornament..varied some deal in shape.

1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words II. 265 Som-dell, in some measure, somewhat.

1896 J. J. H. Burgess Lowra Biglan 45 They had got into a way of sitting by themselves some deal of late.

2. Qualifying a following adjective, adverb, or past participle.

ΚΠ

a1225 Leg. Kath. 669 Ha wes sumdel offruht & offearet.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 19 Ȝef hit is halidai buȝeð sumdel donewart.

c1300 Beket 95 This Gilbert him huld Somdel stille.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 448 A good wyf was ther..But she was somdel deef.

c1440 Partonope 3120 Hit was nyght and somdele derk.

c1450 Knt. de la Tour cix. 148 By as moche as she was sumdel abaisshed.

1524 State P. Hen. VIII (1836) IV. 210 Her Grace was somedeall busyed to make us a good aunsuer.

1592 R. Dallington tr. F. Colonna Hypnerotomachia f. 14 The vpper part of a womans head some deale bare.

1616 B. Jonson Volpone (rev. ed.) v. x, in Wks. I. 518 I'le not iustifie The other, but he may be some-deale [1607 somewhere] faulty.

1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 69 Though somedeal auld, In spreit yet juvenil and bauld.

1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth v, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. II. 144 Though we know he was somedeal hurt in that matter.

3. With comparatives.

ΚΠ

c1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 144 Seo [wyrt] hæfð sume dæle læssan leaf ðonne docce.

c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Hit lasteð þre wuke fulle and sum del more.

c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) 2950 The feste of his coruning Laste..Fourti dawes, and sumdel mo.

?a1366 Romaunt Rose 118 From an hille..Cam doun the streme.., And somedele lasse it was than Seyn.

c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (1868) i. pr. v. 25 For whiche we wile vsen somedel lyȝter medicines.

a1475 Bk. Curtasye (Sloane 1986) l. 808 in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 326 I let hit here ouer passe, To make oure talkyng summedelasse.

1565 J. Jewel Replie Hardinges Answeare Pref. sig. *2^v Yet am I nowe some deale the more satisfied by these your traueiles.

1583 P. Stubbes Anat. Abuses sig. Dviii^v It were somedeal more tollerable.

1830 M. R. Mitford Our Village IV. 308 The old red coat, some-deal the worse for wear.

†C. adj.

With a: a little; some. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > smallness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adjective] > small in quantity, amount, or degree

littleeOE

litec1175

smallc1325

somedealc1340

slight1530

diminutive1602

minor1612

c1340 R. Rolle Prose Treat. (1866) 17 [He] perauenture hase getyn by grace a som-dele ryste and a clerete in concyence.

Derivatives

† somedeally adv. Obsolete

ΘΚΠ