Now dial. Forms: 4–5 ȝaule, 4, 7–8 yall, 6 yalle, 6–7 yaule, yawle, 7–8 yaul, 8–9 yole, 7– yawl. [Parallel to YOWL, with alternation of vowel designed to express a variety of the sound echoed. Cf. LG. jaueln (of cats).]
1. intr. a. To cry out loudly from pain, grief, or distress: also said of the howling of dogs, the ‘wauling’ of cats, the screaming of peacocks.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1453. He hurtez of þe houndez, & þay Ful ȝomerly ȝaule & ȝelle.
c. 1395. Plowman’s Tale, 386. To catche catell as covytous As hound, that for hunger woll yall [rhyme fall].
c. 1400. Anturs Arth., ix. Hit ȝaulut, hit ȝamurt, lyke a woman. Ibid., vii. (Douce MS.). There come a lede of þe lawe … Ȝauland and ȝomerand, with many loude ȝelles.
1615. Brathwait, Strappado (1878), 178. In hels abisse: Where they may yaule and yarme til that they burst.
1621. J. Taylor (Water P.), Begger, B iv. I (like many other froward boyes) Would yaule, and baule, and make a wawling noyse.
1681. Hickeringill, Sin Man-Catching, I. 16. The little Peacocks shreame out and yawle amain, pluming themselves.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, s.v. The cry of a peacock is an excellent instance of yawling.
1833. Tennyson, Goose, ix. Then yelp’d the cur, and yawl’d the cat.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., II. 193. Give a look to that bairn, it yawls sorely.
b. To call aloud, shout, bawl, scream, vociferate.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 288. Cato right eagrely yallyng at Pompeius.
1620. Quarles, Feast for Wormes, iii. D ij b. The haplesse Pylot … mainly calls; Calls Ionah, Ionah; and yet lowder yawles.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 405. They all ran skreaming and yawling away.
1808. Jamieson, To Yaul, to yell.
transf. 1575. Gammer Gurton, II. i. My gutts they yawle crawle and all my belly rumbleth.
2. trans. a. (with simple obj. or obj. cl.) To shout out, utter with shouting.
1543. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 172 b. Thei … whiche yalle and rore, that learnyng … is ytterly nothyng auailable to the gouernaunce … of a commenweale.
1613. Wither, Abuses Stript, II. iii. Q vj b. Such as haue yauld Ergo in the schooles. Ibid., Scourge, V ij b. The nimble Tapster … Still yalling, here, anon sir, by and by.
1679. Pol. Ball. (1860), I. 220. They baul and they yaul aloud thro’ the whole town The rights to succession and claims to the Crown.
1859. Habits of Gd. Society, v. (new ed.), 217. A man … should never yawl out the namby-pamby ballads beloved of young ladies.
b. (with compl.) To bring into a specified state by ‘yawling.’
a. 1627. Middleton, Widow, II. i. Ile make ’em yaul one an other deaf, but ile have thee.
Hence Yawling vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1568. Hist. Jacob & Esau, I. i. A ij. The deuill stoppe that same yallyng throte … Somwhiles.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. ii. II. Babylon, 228. Nigh breathlesse all, with their confuséd yawling.
1619. Pasquil’s Palin. (1877), 146. Young Beagles … Whose yawling throats will never let him sleepe.
1715. C’tess D’Aunoy’s Wks., 454. The hideous Outcries that he made, and his continual Yauling.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, III. 31. A Wife, That makes him weary of his Life With Scolding, yoleing in the House.
