▪ I. viol, n.1
(ˈvaɪəl)
Forms: α. 5 vyell, 6–7 viall, vyall (6 wyall), 7 vial. β. 6 veol, 6–7 viole (7 vyolle), violl (7 wioll), 7– viol (7 vyol).
[Orig. ad. AF. and OF. viele, vielle (see vielle), but subsequently assimilated to, or replaced by, OF. and F. viole (= It., Sp., Pg. viola, Prov. viula).
That OF. viole and vielle represent earlier *vidule and *videlle (with variant forms of the diminutive suffix) is indicated by the med.L. vidula, vitula. On the relation of these to Germanic forms, see the note to fiddle n.]
1. a. A musical instrument (in common use from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century) having five, six, or seven strings and played by means of a bow. Now Hist. or arch.
| α 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour k vj, Syre Geffroy called hym before hym and demaunded hym where his vyell and clauy⁓cordes were. a 1500–34 Cov. Corpus Chr. Pl. i. 538 The whyle thatt I do resst, Trompettis, viallis and othur armone Schall bles the wakyng of my maieste. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon li. 170 He spyed lyeng beside hym an harp and a vyall wheron he coude well play. 1540 Rutland MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) IV. 304 To a man to helpe to bryng the wyalls betwixt Croxton and Belwer, ij d. 1578 E. Cliffe in Hakluyt Voy. (1600) III. 751 They were exceedingly delighted with the sound of the trumpet, and vialles. 1626 Bacon Sylva §102 If any Man think that the String of the Bow, and the String of the Viall, are neither of them Equall Bodies,..he is in an Errour. 1664 Pepys Diary 28 Sept., So home, and find Mercer playing on her Vyall, which is a pretty instrument. 1684 Bunyan Pilgr. ii. (1847) 336 Christiana..could play upon the Vial. |
| β 1542 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. VIII. 149 To be..x pair of hois to the four playerris on the veolis, four trumpettis of ware, and twa taburnerris. 1560 Bible (Genev.) Amos v. 23 For I wil not heare the melodie of thy violes. 1581 Marbeck Bk. of Notes 545 Sing vnto him with Viole, and instrument of ten strings. 1604 Dekker King's Entertainm. Wks. (1873) I. 307 Nine Boyes..sang the dittie following to their viols and other instruments. a 1629 Hinde J. Bruen iii. (1641) 10 By occasion of Musitians and a chest of Viols kept in the house, he was drawn by desire and delight into the Dancing-schoole. 1676 T. Mace Music's Mon. 247 The Viol is an Instrument..very much in use. 1742 Young Nt. Th. viii. 745 Dost call the bowl, the viol, and the dance, Loud mirth, mad laughter? 1776 Hawkins Hist. Music IV. iii. vii. 339 Compositions of many parts adapted to viols, of which there are many. 1801 Busby Dict. Mus. s.v., The viol was for a long while in such high esteem as to dispute the pre-eminence with the harp. 1839 Longfellow Black Knight v, Pipe and viol call the dances, Torch-light through the high halls glances. 1875 Fortnum Maiolica x. 88 On another [cup] are the figures of a gentleman and a lady who plays the viol, in the costume of the 15th or early 16th century. |
† b. One who plays a viol. Obs. rare.
| 1540 in Vicary's Anat. (1888) App. xii. 241 Item, or Hans Highorne, Viall, wagis, xxxiij s. iiij d. 1647 L. Haward Crown Rev. 25 Musicians and Players,..Six Sackbuts: Eight Vials: Three Drumsteds. |
2. a. With distinguishing terms, denoting esp. the form or tone of the instrument.
See also bass-viol, gamba viol gamba2 1 (quots. 1598, 1710), lyra viol lyra 5, and viol da gamba.
| 1611 Coryat Crudities 250, I heard much good musicke,..especially that of a treble violl. 1662 [see viol da gamba 1]. 1664 Pepys Diary 5 Oct., The new instrument was brought called the Arched Viall,..being tuned with lutestrings, and played on with kees like an organ. 1724 Short Explic. For. Wds. in Mus. Bks., Viola Bastardo, a Bastard Viol, which is a Bass Violin, strung and fretted like a Bass Viol. 1730 Bailey (fol.), Viola Tenoro, a Tenor-Viol. Ital. 1836 Dubourg Violin i. (1878) 9 The viol class—consisting of the viol d'amore, or treble viol; the viol da braccia, or tenor viol; and the viol da gamba, or great viol. 1889 Grove's Dict. Mus. IV. 267 Viola di Fagotto (Bassoon Viol), a name sometimes given to the Viola Bastarda. |
b. viol d'amore or d'amour (see quot. 1801).
Cf. viola d'amore s.v. viola2. The F. form viole d'amour is also occasionally employed.
| a 1700 Evelyn Diary 20 Nov. 1679, The viol d'amore of 5 wyre-strings plaied on with a bow. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 145 The psaltery, the viol d'amor, and other instruments. 1801 Busby Dict. Mus., Viol d'Amour, or Love Viol, a viol, or violin, furnished with six brass or steel wires, instead of sheep's-gut, and usually played with a bow. [1856 Mrs. C. Clarke tr. Berlioz' Instrumentation 29 The viole-d'amour is peculiarly appropriate to chords of three, four, or more notes.] 1880 Shorthouse J. Inglesant xxiii, If you could accompany me for some months, with your viol d'amore, across the mountains. 1889 Daily News 25 Jan. 2/2 Two performers upon that once obsolete but recently revived instrument, the viol d'amore. |
† 3. A variety of organ-stop. Obs.—1
| 1688 Ber. Smith in Hopkins Organ (1870) 453 Choir Organ... A Violl and Violin, of mettle,..61 pipes,..12 foote. |
4. attrib. and Comb., as viol bow, viol-case, viol class, viol-lesson, viol-play, viol species, viol-string; viol-maker, viol-tuning.
| a 1668 Davenant Play-house to Let Wks. (1673) 76 A man may bring a Pageant through the streets As privatly upon my Lord Mayor's day, As a burden of Viol-cases hither. 1674 Playford Music 101 In the choice of your Viol Bow, let it be proportioned to the Viol you use. 1676 T. Mace Music's Mon. 258 This..may suffice for the Best Directions in Viol-Play. Ibid. 264 Viol-Lessons of all sorts of Forms, and Shapes; Suited to the Five Best of the Viol-Tunings. 1687 Miége Gt. Fr. Dict. ii, A Viol-Maker, un Faiseur de Violes. 1776 Hawkins Hist. Music IV. iii. vii. 342 That sweet and delicate tone, which distinguishes the viol species. 1836 [see 2]. 1849 D. G. Rossetti Let. 8 Oct. (1965) I. 71 The hand trails weak upon the viol-string That sobs. 1897 H. N. Howard Footsteps Proserpine 7 Life is the viol-string, Love is the melody. |
Hence viol v. intr., to play the viol. rare—1.
| 1865 J. M. Ludlow Epics Mid. Ages II. 212 A thousand dancing, and a thousand violling. |
▪ II. † ˈviol, n.2 Naut. Obs.
Also 7 vial, violl, vyoll; 8–9 voyol, 9 voyal.
[Of obscure origin.]
(See later quots.)
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. ii. 8 The violl is fastened together at both ends with an eye or two, with a wall knot, and seased together. c 1635 N. Boteler Dial. Sea Services (1685) 236. 1667 Davenant & Dryden Tempest i. i, Must within. Our vial's broke. Vent. within. Tis but our vial-block has given way. 1711 W. Sutherland Shipbuild. Assist. 153 Viol cabl'd, as big as the Fore Stay. Ibid. 165 Viol, a large Hawser used to heave in the Cable. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Voyol, a large rope used to unmoor, or heave up the anchors of a ship, by transmitting the effort of the capstern to the cables. 1841 R. H. Dana Seaman's Man. 133 Viol, or Voyal, a larger messenger sometimes used in weighing an anchor by a capstan. [Cf. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 713 Viol, or Voyal, a large messenger formerly used to assist in weighing an anchor by the capstan.] 1869 W. M. Thomas tr. Hugo's Toilers of Sea 191 Its chain was there, and..might still be of service, unless the strain of the voyal should break away the planking. |
b. attrib., esp. in viol-block.
| 1667 [see above]. 1694 in Navy Board Lett. xxix. 833 Blocks. Vyoll, of 54 inch. 1751 Smollett Per. Pic. lxxii, He may man his capstans and viol block, if he wool; but he'll as soon heave up the Pike of Teneriff, as bring his anchor aweigh! 1794 Rigging & Seamanship I. 157 Voyol or Viol Block is a large single-sheaved block... It is used in heaving up the anchor. [1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Viol or Voyol Block, a large single-sheaved block through which the messenger passed when the anchor was weighed by the fore or jeer capstan. Ibid., This voyal-purchase.] |
▪ III. viol
obs. form of vial.