v.
'quiver' or 'turn, spin'
(Modern English trill)A v. trillen occurs in ME with a variety of senses, incl. (1) 'to turn, spin' (OED v.1), (2) to rock (a cradle)' (OED v.4), (3) 'quiver, tremble' and (4) 'to roll, flow, stream down' (etc.) (OED v. 2). MED considers both senses (2) and (3) to belong to its v. trillen (v.2) and (1) and (4) to its trillen (v.1). Authorities variously connect a number of plausible Scandinavian and WGmc comparanda (which may very well come from the same PGmc *trill- < *trizl-, cp. MDu triseln (trīseln), and see further Falk-Torp, Nielsen etc.) to ME trillen in its various instances, incl. MDu trillen 'move to and fro' (EVG), Du, EFris trillen 'shiver, shake', Dan trille 'roll' (Osgood), Sw trilla 'twist' (Goll). MED concludes that its trillen (v.1) is 'prob. MDu.' and trillen (v.2) is 'prob' ON, yet allows, very plausibly, that they might actually represent a single lexeme. The instance at Pe 78 can be explained by glosses deriving from any of these connections; MED lists it under v.2, but as Vant (78n) notes, senses under its v. 1 also fit the context (Vant 78n).
PGmc Ancestor
*trill-
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
(ONP )
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
Norw trille, Norw dial trilla, ODan trijlæ, Dan trille, Sw trilla
OE Cognate
Phonological and morphological markers
Summary category
BB2a
ME trillen is attested from a variety of literary sources from c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct. (Vrn) onwards (incl. Chaucer and Lydgate) as well as an earlier personal name (see MED v.1). This would be the only instance of MED's v. 2 sense (1a) 'quiver, tremble'. Trill is attested in MnE Ken., Som. dial with the sense 'twirl' (see EDD, OED); other senses are obscure or archaic.
Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus
Pe 78; Erk 322
This would be the only instance of MED's v. 2 sense (1a) 'quiver, tremble'. On the gloss at Pe 78, see Etymological Discussion.