Obs. Forms: 4 aumayl, 5 amall, 5–7 amell(e, 6–7 ammel, ammell, 6–8 amel. Also, 6 esmayle, anmayle. [a. AFr. *amail, *amal (see A pref. 9), OFr. esmal, esmail, cogn. w. Pr. esmalt, esmaut, Sp. and Pg. esmalte, It. smalto, med.L. smaltum; according to Diez, f. Teut. *smaltjan, OHG. *smalzian, smelzan, OE. smęltan, to SMELT; OFr. esmail repr. Teut. smalti. (The au- in early instance is not accounted for: see it also in enamel.) Now superseded by the compound EN-AMEL. An (?) interm. ANMAILE, and a form ESMAYLE from Fr. also occur in 6.] Enamel.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 236. Grene aumayl on golde lowande bryȝter.
c. 1460. Launfal, 270. An ern ther stod, Of bournede gold … Iflorysched with ryche amall.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iii. (1641), 26/1. The Lillie’s snowe, and Pansey’s various ammell.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., X. xxxiii. Heav’ns richest diamonds, set on Ammel white.
1683. Pettus, Fleta Min., II. 5. The Lime … being well calcin’d … makes the Amel.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Enamel, popularly Amel.
1819. Pantolog., Amel, the matter with which the variegated works are overlaid.
b. attrib. and quasi-adj.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 199. They have skill also of Amell worke.
1625. W. Lisle, Du Bartas, I. 34. Gardens of delight Whose ammell beds perfume the skie.
