Etymology
The
hapax legnomenon describes
wedres 'storms' in
WA 4796, and so were it not for the vocalism, which at this date and in this dial should give <ou> or <au>, it could be straightforwardly identified with ME
goulen, PDE
gowl < ON, cp. OIcel
gaula ‘to low, bellow, howl’ (perhaps cognate with LG
gaulen ‘talk with a whimpering voice’). ON /au/ > ME /o:/ may be possible, but there are no uncontroversial examples (thus, e.g.
ronez). Ideophonic variation too is by no means out of the question, given the sense of the word. Certainly, the OIcel v. is otherwise the closest match for both form and sense. If the ME v. does ultimately derive from a PGmc root
*gaul-, the absence of palatalization would also be an indication of loan.
PGmc Ancestor
Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)
cp. gaula ‘to low, bellow, howl’
(ONP cp. gaula (vb.))
Other Scandinavian Reflexes
cp. Far geyla, Icel gaula, Norw gaula, Sw gjöla
OE Cognate
Phonological and morphological markers
[absence of palatalization of */ɡ/]
(may not be applicable)
Summary category
D1c