persely

Middle English

Alternative forms

• persil, persel, persile, persily, persilye, parsel, persley, persell, persolye, parcill, parcelly, percille, persoley, percel, percelle, percell, persly

Etymology

From Old French peresil, from Latin petroselīnum, from Ancient Greek πετροσέλῑνον (petrosélīnon).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɛrsiliː/, /ˈpɛrs(ə)liː/, /ˈpɛrsɛl/

Noun

persely (uncountable)

1. parsley (Petroselinum crispum) or a similar plant.
   • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Cook's Prologue, The Canterbury Tales, line 4349-4352:

     Of many a pilgrim hastow Cristes curs,
     For of thy persly yet they fare the wors,
     That they han eten with thy stubbel-goos;
     For in thy shoppe is many a flye loos.

     Of many a pilgrim hast thou Christ's curse,
     For of thy parsley yet they fare the worse,
     Which they have eaten with thy stubble-fed goose;
     For in thy shop is many a fly loose.

Descendants

• English: parsley
• Scots: persel
• → Welsh: persli

References

• “perselī, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.