fordolked

adv. (pp.)

(1) 'grievously wounded'; (2) 'made dull, stupified'; (3) 'despoiled, robbed'

(Modern English )

Etymology

The etymon of this word has been interpreted in several different ways, depending on whether and how the MS reading <fordolked> at Pe 11 ('I dewyne, fordolked of luf-daungere') is emended. (1) If the MS reading is maintained (as EVG, followed by subsequent editors), this is an unparalleled instance of  for- + dolk, formed on either the OE n. dolg 'wound, scar' (OED, MED, Osgood) or its MDu cognate dolch, dolk (EVG), which derive from a common PGmc n. *dulʒ- (cp. ON dolg 'enmity', OFris dolg 'wound, scar', OHG tolg). Morris cites also OE dilgian 'to destroy', but Goll's objection (1891 11n.) that it cannot be connected to the n. and there 'is no recorded verb dolcian' remains, however. (2) OED emends to *fordolled and identifies it with its v. fordull 'to make dull, stupefy', formed on the ME v. dullen from the native adj. dull. (3) Goll (see further discussion by text) instead emends to *fordokked, from for- + ME dokken 'to cut, curtail', which is related to the n. dok in Gaw and derived from ON, cp. Icel dokkur ‘short tail’ (see dok).

 

PGmc Ancestor

(1) *dulʒ-; (2) *dul-; (3) *dukk-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

(3) cp. dokk, dokka 'windlass'
(ONP )

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

(3) Icel dokkur, Norw dokke; Icel dokk, Norw dokka, Sw docka

OE Cognate

(1) dolg 'wound, scar'; (2) cp. OE dol 'foolish'

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

DD2

Attestation

(1) The manuscript reading is an apparent hapax legomenon. (2) Relatively rare as a pp.; MED attests it first in c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn) and then only Lydgate and c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682). The v. dullen is common and widespread in ME, incl. in the relevant sense (MED's sense (3)). (3) This would be the only instance of the ME v. dokken with the prefix for-. ME dokken is attested in a variety of texts from the 14c. onwards.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Pe 11

Goll (11n and 1891 11n.) argues for emending the MS reading <fordolked> to *fordokked 'despoiled, robbed' primarily on the grounds of syntax and notes that parallels can be adduced for scribal <lk> for <kk> and <l> for <k> (Luttrell 1978: 275-7 supports the reading, but argues for a slightly different sense). OED emends to *fordolled 'made dull, stupified'. Osgood and EVG, whose gloss 'grievously wounded' (similarly Morris 'severely wounded') is largely followed by subsequent editions, maintain the MS reading (see EVG 11n arguing that 'the wounding power of love was a familiar idea').  See further Etymological Discussion and McGee 365.

Bibliography

(1) MED fordolked (ppl.) , OED dolk (n.) , Orel *đulʒan, Kroonen *dulga-; (2) MED dullen (v.) , OED fordull (v.) , HTOED , Orel *đwulaz, Kroonen *dula-; (3) MED dokken (v.) , OED dock (v.1)