Obs. exc. dial. In 4–5 wort(e)wale, 6 warte-, wertwale, wartwayle, water whele; for mod. dial. forms see Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v. Warty-well. [App. repr. OE. wyrtwala wk. masc., -walu str. fem., root, corresp. to OHG. wurzala (:—*wurzwala) mod.G. wurzel fem., MDu. wortele, mod.Du. wortel.
In the sense of ‘root’ the word did not survive into ME., being superseded by the shorter Scandinavian synonym (see ROOT sb.). The sense ‘agnail’ is not recorded in OE., but is paralleled by the Ger. dial. neidwurzel, a synonym of neidnagel agnail.]
A growth or loose piece of skin at the base of the finger-nail; an agnail.
In the 3rd quot. app. used for: The root of a cock’s spur.
c. 1325. Gloss. W. de Bibbesw., in Wright, Voc. (1857), 172. Coupet des cisours des ungles les eles [glossed the wortewale (nailes)].
a. 1400. Nominale (Skeat). Deiez cicles et galeyns Fyngres wortwales and ȝespons.
14[?]. Songs & Carols (Warton Club), 31. I have a gentil cook crowyt me day,… His spores arn of sylver qwyt into the wortewale.
1510. Stanbridge, Vocabula (W. de W.), A v b. Pterigium, wartewale [1525 ed., a water whele].
1556. Withals, Dict. (1562), 77. A wertwale, pterigium.
1570. Levins, Manip., 199/21. A wartwayle, pterigium.
