dial. Also 7–9 songal, -all, 9 songow, -o, -a, etc. [Current only in the counties on the Welsh border, but app. corresponding to obs. or dial. G. sangel, sängel, dim. of OHG. sanga (MHG., MLG. and G. sange), MFlem. sange, sanghe, WFlem. zange (De Bo), in the same sense. The simpler form appears also in Devonshire and Cornwall sang, zang.] A handful of gleaned corn. Cf. SINGLE sb. 2.
1674. Blount, Glossogr. (ed. 4), Songal, or Songle, so the poor people in Herefordshire call a handful of corn gleaned or leazed.
1700. T. Hyde, Hist. Relig. Persarum, 391. Spicas … in parvum Fasciculum seu Manipulum (Angl. a Songall) colligatas.
1820. Wilbraham, Chesh. Gloss., 61. Songow, Songal,… gleaned corn.
1850. Collins, Gower Dial., in Trans. Phil. Soc., IV. 223. Songalls, gleanings: ‘to gather songall’ is to glean.
transf. 1889. N. & Q., 7th Ser. VIII. 363/2. I have just this last week obtained a goodly ‘songle’ of S. Staffordshire words.
