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escerveler (1155)
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escerveler (1155)

Cite this entry
escerveiller  
  FEW:  cerebellum 2/i,602b Gdf:  escerveler 3,359b GdfC: ∅ TL: escerveler 3,823 DEAF:  cervel (escerveler)  DMF:  écerveler  TLF: ∅ OED: ∅ MED: ∅ DMLBS:  excerebrare 830c

v.trans.

to dash out the brains of: 
( 1155; MS: s.xiii4/4 )  li Breton les esboelent E esmanquent e escervelent, E as plusurs trenchent les testes  Brut WACE 3018
( 1171-74; MS: c.1200 ) Idunc le referi Willaumes de Traci, Que tut l’escervelad, e sainz Thomas chai  Becket1 5595
( s.xiii1/3; MS: s.xivin )  De maimes l’arc tel li donat Ke trestut l’escervelat  Brut Royal 714
( c.1240; MS: c.1300 )  Grosement donent de lur deners Pur aver le cop les bachelers, Ke il puissent lur force esprover Ke peust le Gyu escerveler  Mir N-D 157.272

p.p. as a.

brainless, foolish, empty-headed: 
( c.1185; MS: s.xiiim )  uns fous neis, escerveillez, Par sa fole melencolie Fet mut suvent chevalerie  Ipom BFR 8358

See also:

acerveler  cervel  cervelé  encerveler 
This is an AND2 Phase 1 (A-E) entry © 2000-2006 The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. On-line entry partially revised after the print version of AND2 went to press (2007-03-22) The printed edition of AND2 A-E is published by Taylor & Francis for the MHRA, sole owners of the print-media publication rights. All other rights reserved. Digitisation funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom.
escerveler