Also 6 Sc. wawill, 6–7 wawle, 6–8 waule, 9 dial. whaul, whawl. [? Echoic; cf. WRAWL v.] intr. To utter the loud harsh cry characteristic of cats or of new-born babes.
15[?]. Poems Gray MS., v. 19 (S.T.S.), 51. Quhat helpis þan to wawill or weip?
1557. Phaër, Æneid., VII. (1558), S ij b. And figures foule of wolues thei heare for wo to fret and wawle.
1601. 2nd Pt. Ret. fr. Parnass., V. iv. 2151. Where cats do waule by day, dogges barke by night.
1605. Shaks., Lear, IV. vi. 184. Thou know’st, the first time that we smell the Ayre We wawle, and cry.
1620. Melton, Astrolog., 52. Many people in these dayes cannot … heare a Dogge howle, or a Cat wawle, but instantly they will runne to the Calculator.
1681. T. Flatman, Heraclitus Ridens, No. 35 (1713), I. 228. Your Babes of Grace, which waul and cry, because their Mother won’t let them scratch her Eyes out.
1774. Colman, Man of Business, Prol. His brats … Brought up on playhouse pap, they waule and cry.
1871. Poste, Gaius, IV. §§ 21–5. 420. The plaintiff on three market-days shall stand before the defendant’s door and waul [ed. 2 1875 wawl].
Hence Wauling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
a. 1530. Heywood, Johan & Tyb, 118 (Brandl). Wylt thou neuer leue this wawlyng?
1543. Bale, Yet a Course, 43 b. Wolde Tolwyn haue bene a good Idoll mayntener with holye water and sensynge, latine Iabberynge and wawlynge,… he had not bene thus brought forth for an heretyque.
1621. Molle, Camerar. Liv. Libr., V. xv. 380. Without the shameful bawling and wawling of Lawyers and Atturneys.
1648. Mistris Parliament brought to Bed, 8. There was … heard terrible thunderings, intermix’d with wawling of Catts, howling of Doggs, and barking of Wolves.
a. 1708. T. Ward, England’s Reform., I. (1710), 121. Like snarling Dog and wawling puss.
1812. G. Colman, Lady of Wreck, II. xxi. Around his wawling presence swell A huge Seraglio, stock’d, pell-mell, With black, white, tabby, tortoise-shell.
1861. L. L. Noble, Icebergs, 296. Grimalkin answered with a terrible wauling.
