† horseheal, -heel Obs. or dial.
(ˈhɔːshiːl)
Forms: 1 horselene, horshelene, 3–5 horselne, 5 horshelne, horshelyn, horselle, horshalle, (5–7 horshelm(e), 6 horshele, horseheele, 6–7 horseheale, 7– horseheal, 9 horseheel.
[OE. horselene, horshelene, f. hors horse + elene, helene, the latter of which appears by itself as a name of the same plant, also in form eolone, representing med.L. elena, helena, given, along with ynula, enula, enela, elna, elenia, ellenium, as names of this plant in Alphita and other med.L. lists. Some of these go back immediately to ancient L. inula, whence others are formed by metathesis, and by influence of another L. name helenium = Gr. ἑλένιον. The prefix hors- prob. meant ‘wild’ or ‘coarse’, as in other plant-names in horse-. The later phonetic history of the word is somewhat parallel to that of ell; but there was prob. association with hele, heal n.]
A tall strong composite plant, with very large yellow flowers; Elecampane (Inula Helenium).
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 136/23 Helena, horshelene. a 1100 Ags. Voc. ibid. 323/8 Helena, horselene. c 1265 Voc. Names Pl. ibid. 557/5 Enula, [Fr.] alne, [Eng.] horselne. c 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.) 53/1 Elena campana uel enula [v.r. enela],..horshelne [v.r. horselle]. Ibid. 163/2 Horselne. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wü lcker 580/12 Enula campana, horshelyn. 14.. Nom. ibid. 712/19 Hec elena campana, horshalle. 1483 Cath. Angl. 189/2 Horselle, herba, enula campana. c 1516 Grete Herball cl. I v b/2 De Enula campana,..Scabwoort or horshele. 1578 Lyte Dodoens iii. xiv 336 This herbe is called..in Englishe Ele⁓campane..and Horseheele. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. v. lxxxiii. 655 This herb we [call] Elecampane generally, yet in some countries of this kingdome Scabwort and Horseheale. |