Dwale
/dweɪl/noun
An archaic word for deadly nightshade or a sleep-inducing potion, and formerly for a state of stupor or sleep.
Did you know?Medieval and early modern writers used dwale for deadly nightshade, a plant associated with poisoning, delirium, and the intoxicating boundary between sleep and death.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*dwal-
“To be dull, confused, delayed, or held in a stupor; the reconstructed root behind related Germanic forms.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
dvali
“Sleep, trance, torpor, or an intoxicating stupor.”
Middle English
Middle English
dwale
“A state of sleep or insensibility; also a narcotic or sleeping potion.”
14th Century
Middle English
dwale
“Deadly nightshade, especially the poisonous plant later known botanically as Atropa belladonna.”
16th–17th Century
English
dwale
“A sleep-producing drug or potion, and figuratively a condition of deep sleep or stupefaction.”
Modern English
English
dwale
“An archaic or dialectal term for deadly nightshade, a sleeping potion, or profound sleep.”