"fol" meaning in Middle English

See fol in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /foːl/ Forms: ffoole [alternative], fole [alternative], fool [alternative], foole [alternative], foul [alternative], fule [alternative, Northern], ffuyll [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French fol, from Latin follis. First attested in c. 1225. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|fro|fol}} Borrowed from Old French fol, {{der|enm|la|follis}} Latin follis, {{etydate|c|1225}} First attested in c. 1225 Head templates: {{head|enm|adjective||{{{1}}}||{{{2}}}||{{{comp2}}}||{{{3}}}||{{{sup2}}}|f3l=|f5l=|head=}} fol, {{enm-adj}} fol
  1. Foolish, idiotic, ridiculous.
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-adj-enm:foolish
  2. Evil, iniquitous, malign.
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-adj-I3kf5e7x
  3. Sinful or immoral (especially sexually)
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-adj-s82vcSy2

Noun

IPA: /foːl/ Forms: foles [plural], ffoole [alternative], fole [alternative], fool [alternative], foole [alternative], foul [alternative], fule [alternative, Northern], ffuyll [alternative]
Etymology: Borrowed from Old French fol, from Latin follis. First attested in c. 1225. Etymology templates: {{bor+|enm|fro|fol}} Borrowed from Old French fol, {{der|enm|la|follis}} Latin follis, {{etydate|c|1225}} First attested in c. 1225 Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} fol, {{enm-noun|pl=foles}} fol (plural foles)
  1. A fool or idiot; someone stupid or thoughtless.
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-noun-enm:fool
  2. An entertainer or joker; somebody who is employed to provide amusement.
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-noun-VmtD6nZr Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 9 7 7 8 23 26 21
  3. (rare) Someone (temporarily) incapacitated or shocked. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-noun-B8vpHuod Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 9 7 7 8 23 26 21
  4. (rare) A mark (victim of a con or scam) Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-fol-enm-noun-8M0Vl9X~ Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 9 7 7 8 23 26 21
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: folen, folie, folisch, folly

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "folen"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "folie"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "folisch"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "folly"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "fuil"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "feul"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "fool"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fule"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fuil"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "ffôl"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fol"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French fol",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "follis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin follis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "c",
        "2": "1225"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in c. 1225",
      "name": "etydate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French fol, from Latin follis. First attested in c. 1225.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "foles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ffoole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fool",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foul",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fule",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ffuyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fol",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "pl": "foles"
      },
      "expansion": "fol (plural foles)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A fool or idiot; someone stupid or thoughtless."
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-noun-enm:fool",
      "links": [
        [
          "fool",
          "fool"
        ],
        [
          "idiot",
          "idiot"
        ],
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ],
        [
          "thoughtless",
          "thoughtless"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "enm:fool"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "9 7 7 8 23 26 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An entertainer or joker; somebody who is employed to provide amusement."
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-noun-VmtD6nZr",
      "links": [
        [
          "entertainer",
          "entertainer"
        ],
        [
          "joker",
          "joker"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "9 7 7 8 23 26 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Someone (temporarily) incapacitated or shocked."
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-noun-B8vpHuod",
      "links": [
        [
          "temporarily",
          "temporarily#English"
        ],
        [
          "incapacitated",
          "incapacitated"
        ],
        [
          "shocked",
          "shocked"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Someone (temporarily) incapacitated or shocked."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "9 7 7 8 23 26 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mark (victim of a con or scam)"
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-noun-8M0Vl9X~",
      "links": [
        [
          "mark",
          "mark"
        ],
        [
          "victim",
          "victim#English"
        ],
        [
          "con",
          "con#English"
        ],
        [
          "scam",
          "scam#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A mark (victim of a con or scam)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/foːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fol"
}

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fule"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fuil"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fol"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French fol",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "follis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin follis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "c",
        "2": "1225"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in c. 1225",
      "name": "etydate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French fol, from Latin follis. First attested in c. 1225.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ffoole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fool",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foul",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fule",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ffuyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "10": "{{{3}}}",
        "11": "",
        "12": "{{{sup2}}}",
        "2": "adjective",
        "3": "",
        "4": "{{{1}}}",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "7": "",
        "8": "{{{comp2}}}",
        "9": "",
        "f3l": "",
        "f5l": "",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fol",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fol",
      "name": "enm-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Foolish, idiotic, ridiculous."
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-adj-enm:foolish",
      "links": [
        [
          "idiotic",
          "idiotic"
        ],
        [
          "ridiculous",
          "ridiculous"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "enm:foolish"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Evil, iniquitous, malign."
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-adj-I3kf5e7x",
      "links": [
        [
          "iniquitous",
          "iniquitous"
        ],
        [
          "malign",
          "malign"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Sinful or immoral (especially sexually)"
      ],
      "id": "en-fol-enm-adj-s82vcSy2",
      "links": [
        [
          "Sinful",
          "sinful"
        ],
        [
          "immoral",
          "immoral"
        ],
        [
          "sexually",
          "sexually#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/foːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fol"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Pages with 18 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Frisian adjectives",
    "West Frisian entries with incorrect language header",
    "West Frisian lemmas"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "folen"
    },
    {
      "word": "folie"
    },
    {
      "word": "folisch"
    },
    {
      "word": "folly"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "descendants": [
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "fuil"
        },
        {
          "lang": "Geordie",
          "lang_code": "en",
          "word": "feul"
        }
      ],
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "fool"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fule"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fuil"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "ffôl"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fol"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French fol",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "follis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin follis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "c",
        "2": "1225"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in c. 1225",
      "name": "etydate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French fol, from Latin follis. First attested in c. 1225.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "foles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ffoole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fool",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foul",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fule",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ffuyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fol",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "pl": "foles"
      },
      "expansion": "fol (plural foles)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A fool or idiot; someone stupid or thoughtless."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "fool",
          "fool"
        ],
        [
          "idiot",
          "idiot"
        ],
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ],
        [
          "thoughtless",
          "thoughtless"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "enm:fool"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "An entertainer or joker; somebody who is employed to provide amusement."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "entertainer",
          "entertainer"
        ],
        [
          "joker",
          "joker"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Someone (temporarily) incapacitated or shocked."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "temporarily",
          "temporarily#English"
        ],
        [
          "incapacitated",
          "incapacitated"
        ],
        [
          "shocked",
          "shocked"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) Someone (temporarily) incapacitated or shocked."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A mark (victim of a con or scam)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mark",
          "mark"
        ],
        [
          "victim",
          "victim#English"
        ],
        [
          "con",
          "con#English"
        ],
        [
          "scam",
          "scam#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A mark (victim of a con or scam)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/foːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fol"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English adjectives",
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old French",
    "Middle English terms derived from Latin",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old French",
    "Pages with 18 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "West Frisian adjectives",
    "West Frisian entries with incorrect language header",
    "West Frisian lemmas"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fule"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "fuil"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "fol"
      },
      "expansion": "Borrowed from Old French fol",
      "name": "bor+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "follis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin follis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "c",
        "2": "1225"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in c. 1225",
      "name": "etydate"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Old French fol, from Latin follis. First attested in c. 1225.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ffoole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fool",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foole",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "foul",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fule",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Northern"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ffuyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "10": "{{{3}}}",
        "11": "",
        "12": "{{{sup2}}}",
        "2": "adjective",
        "3": "",
        "4": "{{{1}}}",
        "5": "",
        "6": "{{{2}}}",
        "7": "",
        "8": "{{{comp2}}}",
        "9": "",
        "f3l": "",
        "f5l": "",
        "head": ""
      },
      "expansion": "fol",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "fol",
      "name": "enm-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Foolish, idiotic, ridiculous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "idiotic",
          "idiotic"
        ],
        [
          "ridiculous",
          "ridiculous"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "enm:foolish"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Evil, iniquitous, malign."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "iniquitous",
          "iniquitous"
        ],
        [
          "malign",
          "malign"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Sinful or immoral (especially sexually)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Sinful",
          "sinful"
        ],
        [
          "immoral",
          "immoral"
        ],
        [
          "sexually",
          "sexually#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/foːl/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fol"
}

Download raw JSONL data for fol meaning in Middle English (5.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-05-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-05-01 using wiktextract (e973cf0 and ae80fde). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.