pucelle
Forms: 5–9 puˈcelle; 5–7 pucell, 5–6 pusell, 5 pusshell; 6–7 ˈpucel, 6 pusel, -elle, puzel, -ell, ˈpussel, pussle, 7 pusil, pusle, puzzel, puzzle.
[a. F. pucelle (pysɛl), OF. pucele, earlier pulcele (11th c.):—pulcela, pulcella (c 881 Eulalia):—late L. pūlicella (a 511 Capitul. Chlodwig, in Pertz IV. 5) a young girl; so Pr. piucella, pieucela, OCat. punceyla, OSp. pun-, poncella, OPg. pucella (from F.), Rhæt. purscella, It. pulzella, pulsella. With sense 2, cf. LG., EFris. pussel (? from F.) a dirty slovenly person, esp. woman, a slattern (Doornk.–Koolman).
For the origin, Diez suggested a late L. *pullicella, dim. of med.L. pulla chicken, pullet, fem. of pullus young animal, chicken; the difficulty of which is that the Romanic form of pulla is polla, which ought to have given OF. *polcele, F. *poucelle. Gröber Archiv Lat. Lex. IV. 451 assumes a popular L. *pūellicella (cf. dominicella), dim. of pūella, pop. L. for puella (u being lengthened as in fuit, fuisset, F. fut, † fust, fut). From *pūellicella, the forms pūlicella, pūlcel(l)a, pulcele, pucele, pucelle, form a regular phonetic and graphic series for F. The late L. pūlicella might also be a dim. of L. pūlex, pūlic-em flea: but such a derivation is inconsistent with the sense.]
1. A girl, a maid. Obs. (exc. as Fr.).
| c 1430 Lydg. Commend. Our Lady 54 Medecyne to mischeves, pucelle withouten pere. 1439 in Archæologia XXI. 36 In that other partie ys a pusell knelyng w{supt} a lambe. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon vi. 144 Whan the pucell vnderstode this worde she was right glad. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 494 A! gentil pusel! make good chere. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. xiv. (1573) 77 b, This Girle is a metely good pussel in a house, neuer idle, but euer occupied and busy. 1575 Churchyard Chippes (1817) 147 Lyke pucell pure, a pearle in peace and warres. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 23 Three prety puzels az bright az a breast of bacon. [1814 Byron in Moore Life (1830) I. 553 My passion can wait, till the pucelle is more harmonious.] |
b. spec. The Maid of Orleans, Joan of Arc. Obs. exc. Hist.
(Usually mentioned as her French appellation: in 16th c. sometimes taken as her surname.)
| [c 1431 Hen. VI in Monstrelet Chron. ii. IV. cv. 442 Celle femme, qui se faisoit nommer Jehenne la Pucelle.] c 1450 Brut 439 The wicche of Fraunce that was callid th[e] ‘Pusshell’. [a 1490 Will. Worcester in Wars Eng. in Fr. (Rolls) II. ii. 760 Quædam mulier, vocata Pucelle de Dieu, capta est ab Anglis. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 641 To shewe vnto you somewhat of y⊇ mayden or pucell, which y⊇ Frenshmen named La pucele de Dieu.] a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI 109 Hauyng in his company Ione the Puzel, whom he vsed as an oracle. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. ii. 110 Excellent Puzel, if thy name be so. Ibid. i. iv. 107 Puzel or Pussel, Dolphin or Dog-fish, Your hearts Ile stampe out with my Horses heeles. Ibid. iii. ii. 38 Pucell that Witch, that damned Sorceresse. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. Lady's Answ. 285 Or Joan de Pucel's braver name. 1874 Gairdner Lancaster & York vii. (1875) 133 The Pucelle..threw herself into the town [of Compiègne]. |
† 2. A drab, a slut, a courtesan. Obs.
| [c 1520 Marr. of London Stone in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 161 Here begynneth the maryage of London Stone and the fayre pusell the bosse of Byllyngesgate.] 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. i. (1879) 78 Yee shall not haue any Gentlewoman almost, no, nor yet any droye or pussle in the Cuntrey, but they will carye in their hands nosegayes. 1607 tr. Stephens' Apol. Herodot. 98 (N.), Some filthy queans, especially our puzzles of Paris. 1617 Minsheu Ductor, A Pusle, trull, or stinking wench. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, A dirty Quean, a very Puzzel or Slut. |