Somedeal

sb., adv. and a. Now arch. or dial. Forms: 1 sum dæl, 2 summ del, 4 sum del(l, 6 Sc. sum deill, deyll; 1 (adv.) sume daeli, dæle, 3 sume dale, 4–5 some dele (5 som dele, somme del), 6–7 some deale, 6– some deal; 1, 3–5 sumdel (5 summedel, 5, 9 dial. sumdell), 3–4 somdel (4 zom-), 5 so(u)mdell, 5, 9 dial. somdell, 4–5 somedel (6 -dell); 5–6 sumdele (6 -deale), Sc. -deil(l; 4 somdiel, 5 Sc. -deill, 5 -deele, 5–6 -dele, -deale; 4–6 somedele, 5–7 -deale, 6– somedeal (6 -deall). [f. OE. sum SOME a.¹ 4 b + dǽl DEAL sb.¹ In advb. use partly representing the OE. instrumental forms sume dǽle.]

  A.  sb. Some part or portion of some thing or things; some, somewhat.

a. 900.  O. E. Chron. (Parker MS.), an. 785. Iaenbryht ærcebisc. forlet sumne dæl his bisc’domes.

922.  in Birch, Cartul. Sax., II. 313. Ic sylle sumne dæl londes.

a. 1122.  O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), Pref. Scotta sum dæl ʓewat of Ybernian on Brittene.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 1106. Nu habbe icc shæwedd ȝuw summ del Off þa Judisskenn lakess.

c. 1320.  Cast. Love, 1371. Sumdel ȝe habbeþ i-herd nou riht Of his strengþe and of his miht.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, V. 358. Thai … thaim defendit weill, Till of thair men war slane sumdeill.

1502.  Atkynson, trans. De Imitatione, II. x. (1893), 188. All worldly & bodely plesurs be … mixte with somdele of vnclenes.

1553.  Grimalde, Cicero’s Offices, I. (1558), 10. Somdeale of our birth our contrey, somedeale our parentes,… do claime.

1593.  G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., Wks. (Grosart), II. 81. Some deale of Selfe-liking.

1896.  Crockett, Grey Man, x. You have had some deal of that too.

  b.  dial. A considerable number of people.

1851.  Sternberg, Dial. & Folk-Lore Northants, 101. ‘Was there many people at your feast?’ ‘Ees, theer war somedeal o’ folk.’

  B.  adv. In some degree or measure; to some extent; somewhat; partly: a. In general use.

c. 725.  Corpus Gloss., P 4. Partim, sumedaeli.

1154.  O. E. Chron., an. 1137. Nu we willen sæʓen sumdel wat belamp on Stephnes kinges time.

c. 1205.  Lay., 1183. Milc wes i þere scale, & win sume dale [c. 1275 somdel].

c. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 118. A taillage it is, and sumdel with vnriȝte i-take.

c. 1340.  Ayenb., 268. Þaȝ ich zomdel þis onderstonde.

c. 1380.  Sir Ferumb., 4238. Hym semede þan it was a knyȝt,… And sumdel was agaste.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., XIII. 84. Lord,… do me sumdel rise Thy self in hym to se.

a. 1533.  Frith, Answ. More (1548), O viij b. I doubte not … but that it doth some deal vexe you.

1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., May, 56. Thou lackest somedele their delight.

1650.  T. B[ayley], Worcester’s Apoph., Ep. Ded. 1. Some-deale a pretender unto gratitude.

1849.  Rock, Ch. of Fathers, II. 143, note. It would seem, that ornament … varied some deal in shape.

1854.  Miss Baker, Northampt. Gloss., Som-dell. In some measure, somewhat.

1896.  Burgess, Laura Biglan, 45. They had got into a way of sitting by themselves some deal of late.

  b.  Qualifying a following adj., adv., or pa. pple.

a. 1225.  Leg. Kath., 669. Ha wes sumdel offruht & offearet.

c. 1225.  Ancr. R., 20. ʓif hit is halidei, buweð sumdel duneward.

c. 1300.  Beket, 95. This Gilbert him huld Somdel stille.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Prol., 446. A good Wif was ther…, But sche was somdel deef.

c. 1440.  Partonope, 3120. Hit was nyght and somdele derk.

a. 1450.  Knt. de la Tour, cix. 148. By as moche as she was sumdel abaisshed.

1524.  St. Papers Hen. VIII. (1836), IV. 210. Her Grace was somedeall busyed to make us a good aunsuer.

1592.  R. D., Hypnerotomachia, 14. The vpper part of a womans head some deale bare.

1605.  B. Jonson, Volpone, V. vi. [x.] I’le not iustifie The other, but he may be some-deale faulty.

1819.  W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 69. Though somedeal auld, In spreit yet juvenil and bauld.

1828.  Scott, F. M. Perth, xvii. Though we know he was somedeal hurt in that matter.

  c.  With comparatives.

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., I. 144. Sco [wyrt] hæfð sume dæle læssan leaf ðonne docce.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 3. Hit lasteð þre wuke fulle and sum del more.

c. 1300.  Havelok, 2950. The feste of his coruning Laste … Fourti dawes, and sumdel mo.

a. 1366[?].  Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 118. From an hille … Cam doun the streme…, And somedele lasse it was than Seyn. Ibid. (c. 1374), Boeth., I. pr. v. (1868), 25. For whiche we wile vsen somedel lyȝter medicines.

c. 1450.  Bk. Curtasye, 808, in Babees Bk. I let hit here ouer passe, To make oure talkyng summedelasse.

1565.  Jewel, Reply Harding, Pref. (1611), 7. Yet am I now some deale the more satisfied by these your trauels.

1583.  Stubbes, Anat. Abuses, I. (1879), 53. It were some deal more tollerable.

1830.  Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. IV. (1863), 298. The old red coat, some-deal the worse for wear.

  † C.  adj. With a: A little; some. Obs.^–1

c. 1340.  Hampole, Prose Tr. (1866), 17. [He] perauenture hase getyn by grace a som-dele ryste and a clerete in concyence.

  Hence † Somedeally adv. Obs.

c. 1400.  Hylton, Scala Perf., I. xlii. (W. de W., 1494). This traueylle is sondelyche streyte & narrow.