"snayl" meaning in Middle English

See snayl in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /snæi̯l/, /sneːl/ [Yorkshire], /sniːl/ Forms: snayles [plural], snail [alternative], snawile [alternative], snayle [alternative, Late-Middle-English], sneile [alternative, Late-Middle-English], sneyle [alternative, Late-Middle-English], snyle [alternative], snyll [alternative], snele [alternative]
Rhymes: -æi̯l Etymology: Inherited from Old English sneġel, from Proto-West Germanic *snagil, from Proto-Germanic *snagilaz, *snigilaz. The form snele represents either Old English snēl or, more likely, a borrowing from Old Norse snigill, with a development /sniɣəl/ (perhaps seen in Early Middle English Snigleswath, Snygheleswath "Snilesworth") > /sneːɣəl/ (open-syllable lengthening) > /snei̯l/ > /sneːl/. Such a borrowing would also explain the form /sniːl/, where open-syllable lengthening would be blocked due to either a development of /iɣ/ into /iː/ or trisyllabic shortening in inflected forms. Etymology templates: {{yesno||i|I}} I, {{glossary|Inherited}} Inherited, {{inh|enm|ang|sneġel|||g=|g2=|g3=|id=|lit=|nocat=|pos=|sc=|sort=|tr=|ts=}} Old English sneġel, {{inh+|enm|ang|sneġel}} Inherited from Old English sneġel, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*snagil}} Proto-West Germanic *snagil, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*snagilaz}} Proto-Germanic *snagilaz, {{m+|ang|snēl}} Old English snēl, {{glossary|borrowing}} borrowing, {{bor|enm|non|snigill}} Old Norse snigill, {{m+|enm|Snigleswath}} Middle English Snigleswath Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} snayl, {{enm-noun|snayles}} snayl (plural snayles)
  1. A snail or slug; a gastropod.
    Sense id: en-snayl-enm-noun-l3DS11mQ Categories (other): Mollusks Disambiguation of Mollusks: 42 40 4 14
  2. Any shelled reptile.
    Sense id: en-snayl-enm-noun-t9BrV~dZ Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Mollusks, Weapons Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 21 53 23 3 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 27 55 13 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 24 70 4 2 Disambiguation of Mollusks: 42 40 4 14 Disambiguation of Weapons: 14 70 4 12
  3. (rare, Late Middle English) A kind of siege engine (with protective cabin and ram) Tags: Late-Middle-English, rare
    Sense id: en-snayl-enm-noun-d1P5nTmz Categories (other): Late Middle English
  4. (rare) A tumor resembling a snail. Tags: rare
    Sense id: en-snayl-enm-noun-nv3wT-EI Categories (other): Mollusks Disambiguation of Mollusks: 42 40 4 14
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Categories (other): Pathology Disambiguation of Pathology: 0 0 0 0

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "categories": [
    {
      "_dis": "0 0 0 0",
      "kind": "other",
      "langcode": "enm",
      "name": "Pathology",
      "orig": "enm:Pathology",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w+disamb"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "snail"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "snail"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "",
        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
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      "expansion": "I",
      "name": "yesno"
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      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
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      "expansion": "Inherited",
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "sneġel",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sneġel",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "sneġel"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Old English sneġel",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*snagil"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *snagil",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*snagilaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *snagilaz",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "snēl"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English snēl",
      "name": "m+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "borrowing"
      },
      "expansion": "borrowing",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "snigill"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse snigill",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "Snigleswath"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English Snigleswath",
      "name": "m+"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Old English sneġel, from Proto-West Germanic *snagil, from Proto-Germanic *snagilaz, *snigilaz.\nThe form snele represents either Old English snēl or, more likely, a borrowing from Old Norse snigill, with a development /sniɣəl/ (perhaps seen in Early Middle English Snigleswath, Snygheleswath \"Snilesworth\") > /sneːɣəl/ (open-syllable lengthening) > /snei̯l/ > /sneːl/. Such a borrowing would also explain the form /sniːl/, where open-syllable lengthening would be blocked due to either a development of /iɣ/ into /iː/ or trisyllabic shortening in inflected forms.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "snayles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snail",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snawile",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snayle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sneile",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sneyle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snyle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "snayl",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "snayles"
      },
      "expansion": "snayl (plural snayles)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "42 40 4 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Mollusks",
          "orig": "enm:Mollusks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A snail or slug; a gastropod."
      ],
      "id": "en-snayl-enm-noun-l3DS11mQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "snail",
          "snail"
        ],
        [
          "slug",
          "slug"
        ],
        [
          "gastropod",
          "gastropod"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "21 53 23 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "27 55 13 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 70 4 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 40 4 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Mollusks",
          "orig": "enm:Mollusks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 70 4 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Weapons",
          "orig": "enm:Weapons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any shelled reptile."
      ],
      "id": "en-snayl-enm-noun-t9BrV~dZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "shell",
          "shell"
        ],
        [
          "reptile",
          "reptile"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Late Middle English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of siege engine (with protective cabin and ram)"
      ],
      "id": "en-snayl-enm-noun-d1P5nTmz",
      "links": [
        [
          "siege engine",
          "siege engine"
        ],
        [
          "cabin",
          "cabin#English"
        ],
        [
          "ram",
          "ram#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare, Late Middle English) A kind of siege engine (with protective cabin and ram)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Late-Middle-English",
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "42 40 4 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Mollusks",
          "orig": "enm:Mollusks",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A tumor resembling a snail."
      ],
      "id": "en-snayl-enm-noun-nv3wT-EI",
      "links": [
        [
          "tumor",
          "tumor"
        ],
        [
          "snail",
          "snail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A tumor resembling a snail."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/snæi̯l/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sneːl/",
      "tags": [
        "Yorkshire"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sniːl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æi̯l"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "open-syllable lengthening",
    "trisyllabic shortening"
  ],
  "word": "snayl"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms borrowed from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:Middle English/æi̯l",
    "Rhymes:Middle English/æi̯l/1 syllable",
    "enm:Mollusks",
    "enm:Pathology",
    "enm:Weapons"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "snail"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "snail"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
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      "expansion": "I",
      "name": "yesno"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited",
      "name": "glossary"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "sneġel",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "id": "",
        "lit": "",
        "nocat": "",
        "pos": "",
        "sc": "",
        "sort": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sneġel",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "sneġel"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Old English sneġel",
      "name": "inh+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*snagil"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *snagil",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*snagilaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *snagilaz",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "snēl"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English snēl",
      "name": "m+"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "borrowing"
      },
      "expansion": "borrowing",
      "name": "glossary"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "snigill"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse snigill",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "Snigleswath"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English Snigleswath",
      "name": "m+"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from Old English sneġel, from Proto-West Germanic *snagil, from Proto-Germanic *snagilaz, *snigilaz.\nThe form snele represents either Old English snēl or, more likely, a borrowing from Old Norse snigill, with a development /sniɣəl/ (perhaps seen in Early Middle English Snigleswath, Snygheleswath \"Snilesworth\") > /sneːɣəl/ (open-syllable lengthening) > /snei̯l/ > /sneːl/. Such a borrowing would also explain the form /sniːl/, where open-syllable lengthening would be blocked due to either a development of /iɣ/ into /iː/ or trisyllabic shortening in inflected forms.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "snayles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snail",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snawile",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snayle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sneile",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "sneyle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "Late-Middle-English"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snyle",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snyll",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "snele",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "snayl",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "snayles"
      },
      "expansion": "snayl (plural snayles)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A snail or slug; a gastropod."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "snail",
          "snail"
        ],
        [
          "slug",
          "slug"
        ],
        [
          "gastropod",
          "gastropod"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Any shelled reptile."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "shell",
          "shell"
        ],
        [
          "reptile",
          "reptile"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Late Middle English",
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A kind of siege engine (with protective cabin and ram)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "siege engine",
          "siege engine"
        ],
        [
          "cabin",
          "cabin#English"
        ],
        [
          "ram",
          "ram#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare, Late Middle English) A kind of siege engine (with protective cabin and ram)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Late-Middle-English",
        "rare"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A tumor resembling a snail."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tumor",
          "tumor"
        ],
        [
          "snail",
          "snail"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(rare) A tumor resembling a snail."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/snæi̯l/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sneːl/",
      "tags": [
        "Yorkshire"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sniːl/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æi̯l"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "open-syllable lengthening",
    "trisyllabic shortening"
  ],
  "word": "snayl"
}

Download raw JSONL data for snayl meaning in Middle English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-02-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). 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.