† stoundmealadv.
Obsolete.
1.
a. At intervals, from time to time.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adverb] > sometimes or occasionally
whiloma900
whilea1000
stoundmealc1000
stundumOE
otherwhileOE
umquhile1154
with and withc1175
by stoundsa1225
otherwhilesc1225
umbestound?c1225
umbewhilec1230
then and thenc1275
sometime…sometime1297
umstounda1300
by while13..
over while13..
sometime1340
umbe throwea1350
at timesa1382
now and again (also anon, eft, now)a1393
umbwhile1393
eftsoona1398
sometimea1400
by sithesc1400
umbestoundsc1400
from time to (formerly unto) time1423
now and (also or) then1445
ever now and nowa1470
when and whenc1470
occasionallya1475
in timesa1500
whiles?a1500
whilomsa1500
sometimes1526
somewhiles1528
at whiles1540
ever now and then1542
a-whiles1546
somewhiles…, somewhiles1547
at sometimes1548
now and thenc1550
ever and anon1558
by occasions1562
on (also upon) occasion1562
as soon…as soon1581
every now and then (also again)1642
by a time1721
once and a while1765
ever and again1788
periodically1825
in spots1851
c1000 Ælfric Gram. (Z.) xxxviii. 238 Vicissim stundmælum.
c1000 Ags. Gloss. in Haupt's Zeitschr. (1853) IX. 438/2 Alternatim (gl. singulatim, marg. separatim) tvæmendlice vel stundmælum.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 113 And wunede mid his disciples noht alegate ac stundmele.
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 736 A-wai wold it neuer. But gan to studie stoundemele so stifly þer-onne, þat lelly be a litel while his langure gan wex.
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Num. x. 7 Whanne forsothe the puple is to gederynge togidre, shal be symple criynge of trompes, and not stowndmeel thei shulen ȝolle.
c1400 Rom. Rose 2304 The lyf of loue is ful contrarie, Which stounde mele can ofte varie.
1426 J. Lydgate tr. G. de Guileville Pilgrimage Life Man 19179 Thus stoundemel ȝe may hym se Some tyme swymme, som tyme fflee.
c1430 J. Lydgate Minor Poems (Percy Soc.) 159 Som folk pesible, som contrarious, Stonedemel now hevy and now lihte.
1481 W. Caxton tr. Hist. Reynard Fox (1970) 39 The foxe loked on the kyng stoundmele and was glad in his herte.
b. quasi-adj. That exists at times.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > frequency > infrequency > [adjective] > occasional
stoundmealc1400
otherwhile1589
occasional1611
sometimesa1945
c1400 Rom. Rose 3784 Who serueth loue can telle of woo; The stoundemele ioie mote overgoo.
2. Gradually.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > slowness of action or operation > [adverb] > gradually or in stages
litlumc1000
stoundmealc1000
littlemeala1382
soakinglyc1386
inchmeal1548
gradately1599
gradually1646
gradatively1818
gradationally1864
c1000 Ælfric Gram. (Z.) xxxviii. 228 Sensim, stundmælum.
c1374 G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde v. 674 Þis wynde þat moore and moore Þus stoundemele encresseth in my face.
c1400 Ragman Roll 62 in W. C. Hazlitt Remains Early Pop. Poetry Eng. (1864) I. 72 And now cometh age, foo to your beaute, And stelyngly it wastyth stownde~mele.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1917; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
<
adv.c1000