† porail, poveraille Obs.
Forms: α. 3 pouerayl, 3–4 -ail(e, 4–5 -al(e, 4 pouraille, Sc. 5 poueralȝe, 5–6 -all, 6 puuerale. β. 4–5 poral, (purraile), 4–6 porail(e, -aill(e, -ayle, 5 -ayll(e, -eil, 6 -all, poorall, Sc. purale, -all, (7 Sc. -aill).
[ME. poveraile, a. OF. povraille, -alle (a 1236 in Godef.), collective n. f. povre poor + -aille:— L. -ālia, neut. pl. of -ālis, adjectival suffix.
The 16th c. Eng. and the Sc. point alike to an early ME. pōrail, syncopated from poverail, like o'er from over, lōrd from hloverd: cf. poor a.]
1. Poor people as a class; the poor.
| α 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 5082 Þe pouerail [v.rr. poueral, poraylle] ouer Seuerne fley þat þer was þo & bileuede vorþ in walis in sorwe & in wo. a 1300 Cursor M. 12259 Þat the poueral get sum bote. 1375 Barbour Bruce viii. 368 The king, in set battalȝe, With a quheyn lik poueralȝe. 1514 Aberdeen Regr. (1844) I. 90 All vther personis puuerale cumand within this burgh. |
| β c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 6664 How þat þe poraille [v.r. poueraile] Gracian slow. c 1350 Will. Palerne 5123 Neuer þe pore porayle be piled for þi sake. c 1475 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 285 A ordynaunce wolde be maad for the poore porayle, That in thyse dayes have but lytyll avayle. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 32 The poraill of his Comens of this his land. 1549 Aberdeen Regr. (1844) I. 270 To eschait and daill the same to the purale for thair contentioun. a 1550 Schole-ho. Women 797 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 136 He gaue..so liberall Parte of his goods to the porall. 1561 Godly Q. Hester (1873) 18 Almes to the poorall. |
b. pl. Poor persons.
rare.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 14 Bodily almes bi whiche þes poralis schulden be cloþid and kept fro deþ. 1388 ― Prov. xxx. 14 Nedi men of erthe, and the porails of men [1382 pore men]. |
2. The condition of the poor; poverty.
rare—1.
| c 1450 Lydg. Secrees 810 A kyng that..them Relevith that be falle in poraylle. |