Now arch. or Hist. Forms: α. 1 þrǽl, 2–4 þrēl (pl. þrēles, þrelles), 4 þrell, þrelle, threll. B. 2–3 þral (pl. 3–5 þrāles, þralles), (4 þrale), 4–5 þrall, 4–8 thral, 4– thrall (6 thrawl, thraule, Sc. thraill). γ. 4–5 tharl, 5 tharlle. See also THRILL sb.2 [OE. þrǽl, a. ON. þrǽll (Da. træl, Sw. träll), perh.:—prehist. ON. *þrāhilaR:—OTeut. *þrăhiloz, f. OTeut. root þreh- to run. Cf. OHG. dregil, drigil ‘servant,’ prop. ‘runner.’ Branch II is from THRALL v.: cf. M.Da. and Norw. træl drudgery, f. trælle to drudge.]

1

  I.  1. One who is in bondage to a lord or master; a villein, serf, bondman, slave; also, in vaguer use, a servant, subject; transf. one whose liberty is forfeit; a captive, prisoner of war.

2

  α.  c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Mark x. 44. And sua huæ seðe wælle in iuh forðmest wosa bie allra ðræl.

3

991.  Laws of Æthelred, II. c. 5 § 1. ʓyf Englisc man Deniscne ðræl ofslea, ʓylde hine mid punde.

4

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 47. Heo [i.e., Sunday] on eorðe ȝeueð reste to alle eorðe þrelles, wepmen and wifmen of heore þrel weorkes. Ibid., 123. Herien we ure drihten þe … makede us freo of þeowan and of þrelan his ahȝene bern.

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a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 130. ‘Hwon ȝe habbeð al wel idon’ he seið,… ‘sizzeð þæt ȝe beoð unnute þrelles.’

6

1340.  Ayenb., 19. He deþ manhode to þe dyeule and becomþ his þrel.

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1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 274. Nane can tell The halle condicioun off A threll. Ibid., III. 220. Serwandis and threllis mad he fre.

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  β.  c. 1200.  Vices & Virt., 17. Ðe ðe hlauerd betahte his þralle.

9

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 121. To lesen þe þrales of þralshipe.

10

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 3010. Þe king … Nom of him sikernesse to be is þral euere mo.

11

1415.  Hoccleve, To Sir J. Oldcastle, 98. Where is thy knyghtly herte, art thow his thral?

12

1566.  Drant, Wail. Hierim., v. Our yonge men, lyke to vylaine thrawles, in drudgerie did grinde.

13

1612.  T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 4. (1619), 68. A Redeemer, purchasing us being captiues, and thralls to Sathan.

14

1748.  Thomson, Cast. Indol., I. xi. Outcast of Nature, Man! the wretched thrall Of bitter-dropping sweat.

15

1867.  Burton, Hist. Scot. (1873), I. xi. 362. The thralls or personal slaves.

16

  γ.  a. 1500.  Spir. Remedies, in Halliwell, Nugæ Poet., 65. Lorde, sende it unto the syke tharlle.

17

  b.  fig. One who is in bondage to some power or influence; a slave (to something).

18

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., John viii. 34. Seðe wyrcas synne ðræl is synnes.

19

c. 1230.  Hali Meid., 5. Þeos as flesches þralles beoð in worldes þeowdom.

20

1340.  Ayenb., 86. Þet hi ne byeþ þrelles ne to gold ne to zeluer ne to hare caroyne.

21

1571.  Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxxvi. 5. They willingly yeelde themselves thralls to wickednes.

22

1605.  Shaks., Macb., III. vi. 13. Slaues of drinke, and thralles of sleepe.

23

1821.  Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Imperfect Sympathies. The veriest thrall to sympathies, apathies, antipathies.

24

  II.  2. The condition of a thrall; thraldom, bondage, servitude; captivity.

25

13[?].  Cursor M., 6304 (Fairf.). Quen moises þe folk had lad … out of þe þralle of pharaon.

26

14[?].  Chester Pl., I. 129. If that yow in thrall yow bringe.

27

a. 1578.  Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 44. The nyght in prosperatie, the morne in thraill.

28

1592.  Timme, Ten Eng. Lepers, A ij b. To bring this noble Realme of England to thraule.

29

1607.  Dekker & Webster, Sir T. Wyatt, Wks. 1873, III. 111. You free your Countrie from base spanish thrall.

30

1791.  Burns, Lament Mary Q. Scots, ii. In love and freedom they rejoice, Wi’ care nor thrall opprest.

31

1842.  Tennyson, Sir Galahad, ii. For them I battle till the end, To save from shame and thrall.

32

  fig.  1576.  Thanksgiving, in Liturg. Serv. Q. Eliz. (1847), 559. Thou didst set us free from thrall.

33

1633.  G. Herbert, Temple, Church-porch, xx. When wanton pleasures becken us to thrall.

34

1800–24.  Campbell, Jilted Nymph, iv. A suitor, Whose heart I have gotten in thrall.

35

1856.  Miss Mulock, J. Halifax, xii. The Anonymous Friend: who held him in such fascinated thrall.

36

  † 3.  Oppression, trouble, misery, distress. Obs.

37

1560.  Rolland, Seven Sages, 25. It is better … we all seuin suld die … Or this ȝoung man suld suffer ony thrall.

38

1609.  Daniel, Civ. Wars, VIII. xciv. Sit downe, And rest you, after all this passed thrall.

39

c. 1796.  Miss J. Graham, in Chambers, Scott. Songs (1829), 15. As yet you’ve met with little thrall.

40

a. 1829.  in Roby, Trad. Lanc. (1867), II. 26. In my trouble and thrall.

41

  III.  4. attrib. and Comb., as thrall-folk, -man [ON. þræl-monni], -woman, -work [ON. þrǽl-verk); thrall-like adj.

42

c. 1175.  Þrel weorkes [see 1 α].

43

c. 1205.  Lay., 455. Þat Dardanisc kun … woneð … inne þeowe-dome Þrel-werkes [c. 1275 þralle-workes] doð.

44

1641.  Milton, Reform., I. 2. Instead of … cheerful boldness … came servile and thrallike fear.

45

1886.  Corbett, Fall of Asgard, I. 35. She was a wild-looking thrall-girl. Ibid., 86. The thrall-woman came to answer for herself.

46

1887.  Morris, Odyss., XI. 190. A-winter he sleeps in the feast-hall whereto the thrall-folk seek.

47

  B.  adjective. [attrib. use of the sb.]

48

  1.  That is a thrall; subject, captive, enslaved, in bondage. a. in the predicate, or following the sb. (a) lit.

49

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4074. To bringe hom vnder þe þat þe wolde makie þral.

50

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 51. Hardknoute of Danmark … he was born thralle.

51

c. 1430.  Lydg., Chichev. & Byc., in Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 132. For we ben thralle and they be free.

52

c. 1510.  Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570), D iij. Sparing the Citizens to him subiect and thrall.

53

1633.  Heywood & Rowley, Fortune by Land & Sea, IV. Wks. 1874, VI. 418. We now are captives that made others thrall.

54

1862.  Baring-Gould, Iceland (1863), 252. Male or female—free or thrall.

55

  (b)  fig.

56

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 370. Hweðer is betere, ine secnesse uorte beon Godes freo child, þen i flesches heale uorte beon þrel under sunne?

57

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 16940 (Cott.). Thoru a tre was al mankind mad thrall.

58

1477.  Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 1. To be subgette and thral vnto the stormes of fortune.

59

1548.  Udall, Erasm. Par. Luke vi. 75. To be thrall to no vice.

60

a. 1600.  Scot. Poems 16th C. (1801), II. 216. Sen word is thrall, and thoght is only free.

61

a. 1628.  F. Grevil, Mustapha, III. i. Those silly natures, apt to louingnesse, Which euer must in others power liue, With doubt become more fond, with wrong more thral.

62

1845.  E. Holmes, Mozart, 167. It would seem that he was soon thrall to the court taste.

63

  † b.  preceding the sb. Obs.

64

1450–1530.  Myrr. our Ladye, 213. For the delyuerance of hys thrall seruante.

65

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 208. As thrall synners bounde in captiuite.

66

1554–9.  in Songs & Ball. (1860), 3. Beyng slaves to Sathan, and thrall captyves vyle.

67

  † 2.  Belonging to or characteristic of thraldom; slave-like, slavish, servile. Obs.

68

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. xii. (1495), b vj b/2. To put of thrall drede & torne to god.

69

1528.  Roy, Rede me (Arb.), 69. Rid vs from antichristis bondes so thrall.

70

1535.  in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), I. App. lxiii. 155. To perceive the thral captivity under the usurped power of the Bishop of Rome.

71