assoil

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English

WOTD – 13 May 2022

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /əˈsɔɪl/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɔɪl
  • Hyphenation: as‧soil

Etymology 1

PIE word
*h₂epó
PIE word
*swé

From Middle English assoilen (“to absolve (someone) of sin; to release (someone) from bonds of sin, hell, or purgatory; to absolve (a sin); to free (a country or someone) from an ecclesiastical offence or excommunication; to free (someone) from a criminal charge or sentence; to release (someone) from an obligation; to discharge (someone) from office; to exempt (someone) from service; to release (someone) from medical treatment; to answer (a question); to explain or solve (a problem, riddle, etc.); to fulfil (a promise); to disprove or refute (an argument)”) [and other forms],[1] from Anglo-Norman as(s)oiler, as(s)oilier, and Old French as(s)oille [and other forms], the present subjunctive, and as(s)oil, the present indicative, of as(s)oldre, as(s)oudre (“to absolve from blame”) (modern French absoudre), from Latin absoluere, the present active infinitive of absoluō, a variant of absolvō (“to detach, loosen, untie; to liberate; (figuratively) to complete, finish; to pay off; (law) to declare innocent, absolve, acquit”), from ab- (prefix meaning ‘away, away from, from’) + solvō (“to loosen, undo, untie; to free up; to acquit; to exempt; to release”) (from sē- (“prefix meaning ‘apart; aside; away’”) + luō (“to wash; to cleanse; to purge”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”))).[2] Doublet of absolve and assoilzie.

Verb

assoil (third-person singular simple present assoils, present participle assoiling, simple past and past participle assoiled) (transitive)

  1. (archaic)
    1. To absolve or release (someone) from blame or sin; to forgive, to pardon.
      Synonym: (Scotland) assoilze
      • [1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Pardoners Prologue”, in The Canterbury Tales (in Middle English), [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC, folio lxx, recto, column 2:
        And who ſo fyndeth hym out of ſuche blame / Commeth up and offre in goddes name / And I assoyle hym by the auctorite / Such as by bulle was graunted to me.
        And who so findeth him out of such blame / Cometh up and offer in God's name / And I assoil him by the authority / Such as by bull was granted to me.]
      • 1607, Michael Drayton, “The Legend of Great Cromwell”, in Poems: […], London: […] Willi[am] Stansby for Iohn Smethwicke, published 1630, →OCLC, page 461:
        But ſecretly aſſoyling of his ſin, / No other med'cine vvill he to him lay, / Saying that Heauen his ſiluer him ſhould vvin, / And to giue Friers, vvas better then to pray, / So he vvere ſhrieu'd, vvhat need he care a pin?
      • 1610, William Camden, “Warwick-shire”, in Philémon Holland, transl., Britain, or A Chorographicall Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press for] Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, →OCLC, page 564:
        Pray deuoutly for the ſoule whom God aſſoile of one of the moſt worſhipfull Knights in his daies of manhood and cunning, Richard Beauchampe late Earle of Warwicke, […] [Inscription on the deceased's tomb.]
      • 1610 October, John Foxe, “An Old Ancient Writing Intituled, The Praier and Complaint of the Ploughman”, in Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book V, page 373, column 2:
        Lord thou ne taughteſt not thy diſciples to aſſoilen men of their ſinne, and ſetten them a penance for their ſinne, in faſting ne in praying, ne other almous deed: […] For Lord, thou forgeue men her ſinnes, and bede him ſinne no more. […] And Lord, thou ne aſſoildeſt no man both of his ſinne and of his peine, that vvas due for his ſinne, ne thou grantedſt no man ſuch povver heere on earth.
      • 1653, Jeremy Taylor, “Twenty-five Sermons Preached at Golden Grove; Being for the Winter Half-year, […]: Sermon XII. Of Lukewarmness and Zeal; or, Spiritual Fervour. Part I.”, in Reginald Heber, editor, The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D. […], volume V, London: Ogle, Duncan, and Co. […]; and Richard Priestley, […], published 1822, →OCLC, page 182:
        [M]any persons think themselves fairly assoiled, because they are no adulterers, no rebels, no drunkards, not of scandalous lives; […]
      • 1664, H[enry] More, chapter V, in A Modest Enquiry into the Mystery of Iniquity, […], London: […] J[ames] Flesher for W[illiam] Morden […], →OCLC, book II, page 112:
        [B]eing juſtified by Faith, in a Forenſal ſenſe, that is, acquitted and aſſoiled from the guilt of all our ſins, as vvell as in ſeveral meaſures, according to our ſeveral ages and grovvths in Chriſtianity; […]
    2. To atone or expiate for (something).
    3. (law) Followed by from or of: to acquit (someone) from a criminal charge; to find (someone) not guilty; to clear.
      Synonym: (Scotland, law) assoilze
      • 1528, Thomas More, “A Dialogue Concernynge Heresyes & Matters of Religion […]. Chapter IIII.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book III, page 211, column 2:
        For if the mater appere vpon his ſyde therby, either clere or doubtefull, than may the iudges acquite and aſſoyle the defendaũt [defendaunt]. And better were it the faute to be quytte, than the fautles to be punyſhed.
      • 1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Gospell of Saincte Matthew. The .xviii. Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio xciii, recto:
        Whom Ceſar doth condemne, god ſumtime doeth aſſoyle: and whom the prince doth aſſoyle, he leaueth in the cumpany of mẽ [men], to make other like himſelf: […]
      • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book VI.] The Iland Taprobane.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 131:
        Then are there 70 judges deputed to ſit upon his cauſe; and if it happen that they aſſoile and quit this partie condemned: then thoſe 30 vvho condemned him, are diſplaced from their ſtate and dignitie, vvith a moſt bitter and greevous rebuke, and for ever after, as diſgraced perſons live in ſhame and infamie.
  2. (archaic or obsolete) Followed by from or of: to release or set free (someone) from a liability, an obligation, etc.; to discharge.
  3. (obsolete)
    1. To clear up or resolve (a difficulty, doubt, problem, etc.); to absolve, to solve.
      Synonyms: (obsolete) soil, (obsolete) soyle
      • 1565, Thomas Stapleton, chapter 14, in A Fortresse of the Faith […], Antwerp: […] Ihon Laet, […], →OCLC, folio 65, verso:
        I ſaie, aſſoyleth this doubt and queſtion, by the only argument and aſſuraunce of the knovven Catholik church of Chriſt.
      • 1567 November 6 (Gregorian calendar), Iohn Iewel [i.e. John Jewel], “The Apologie, Cap. 13, Diuision. 1.”, in A Defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande, Conteininge an Answeare to a Certaine Booke Lately Set Foorthe by M. Hardinge, and Entituled, A Confutation of &c., London: […] Henry Wykes, →OCLC, 2nd part, page 235:
        Here M. [Thomas] Harding once againe moueth a very néedeleſſe queſtion. VVe demaunde, ſaithe he, vvhether vvee receiue the ſame Body of Chriſte by Faithe onely, vvithout our Body, or vvith the office of our Body. Any childe might ſoone be hable to aſſoile this reddle.
      • 1647, Theodore de la Guard [pseudonym; Nathaniel Ward], The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America. […], London: […] J[ohn] D[ever] & R[obert] I[bbitson] for Stephen Bowtell, […], →OCLC, page 16:
        [O]thers, held very good men, are at a dead stand, not knowing what to do or say; and are therefore called Seekers, looking for new Nuntio's from Christ, to assoil these benighted questions, and to give new Orders for new Churches.
    2. To refute (an argument, an objection, etc.).
    3. (rare) To discharge (a liability, an obligation, etc.).
      • 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], Daphnaïda. An Elegy upon the Death of the Noble and Vertuous Douglas Howard,Daughter and Heire of Henry Lord Howard, Viscount Byndon, and Wife of Arthure Gorges Esquier. […], London: […] [Thomas Orwin] for William Ponsonby, […], →OCLC, signature [C4], recto:
        And ye poore Pilgrimes, that vvith reſtleſſe toyle / VVearie your ſelues in vvandring deſert vvayes, / Till that you come, vvhere ye your vovves aſſoyle, / VVhen paſsing by ye read theſe vvofull layes / On my graue vvritten, […]
    4. (rare) To get rid of, put off, or remove (something).
    5. (Christianity) To absolve or release (someone) from excommunication or some other religious offence.
      • 1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Iohn, Dvke of Normandie, Gvyen, and Avqitaine, &c. […]”, in The History of Great Britaine under the Conquests of yͤ Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. […], London: […] William Hall and John Beale, for John Sudbury and George Humble, […], →OCLC, book IX ([Englands Monarchs] […]), paragraph 51, page 578, column 1:
        [H]is Barons […] flatly oppoſe themſelues both to his commaund and their Countries good, denying him (vntill he were aſſoyled of his excommunication,) their attendance in ſo behouefull a ſeruice.
Conjugation
Conjugation of assoil
infinitive (to) assoil
present tense past tense
1st-person singular assoil assoiled
2nd-person singular
3rd-person singular assoils
plural assoil
subjunctive assoil assoiled
imperative assoil —
participles assoiling assoiled
Alternative forms
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Possibly from a- (intensifying prefix) or ad- (prefix meaning ‘to, toward’, or indicating an addition or tendency) +‎ soil (“to make dirty”), perhaps influenced by assoil (etymology 1).

Verb

assoil (third-person singular simple present assoils, present participle assoiling, simple past and past participle assoiled)

  1. (transitive, archaic or obsolete) To make (something) dirty or soiled; to soil; to stain; to sully.
Translations

References

  1. ^ “assoilen, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ Compare “assoil, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2021.

Anagrams

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