singler

singler

See also: Singler

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English singler, from Old French sangler, seingler, sengler (“single, individual”) and a shortened form of Middle English singuler.[1]

Adjective

singler (not comparable)

1. (obsolete) Singular.
   • [1531], George Ioye, The Letters Which Iohan Ashwel Priour of Newnham Abbey Besids Bedforde / Sente Secretely to the Bishope of Lyncolne in the Yeare of our Lorde M.D.xxvij. Where in the Sayde Priour Accuseth George Ioye That Tyme Beinge Felawe of Peter College in Cambridge / of Fower Opiniõs: with the Answer of the Sayed George vn to the Same Opinions, [Antwerp: M. de Keyser]:

     Nomore then it lyeth in the libertye of the liuelye tre wel planted to ceaſſe frome bringing forth hir frutes in hir time / except God altereth this his natural ordinaunce bi ſome ſingler gifte.

   • 1553, Quintus Curcius, Iohn Brende, transl., The Historie of Quintus Curcius, Conteyning the Actes of the Greate Alexander, London: Rycharde Tottell:

     In doing whereof there neither wanted polycie in him ſelf, nor yet ſingler manhode in his men.

   • 1579, [Francesco] Guicciardin, Geffray Fenton, transl., The Historie of Guicciardin, Conteining the VVarres of Italie and Other Partes, Continued for Many Yeares vnder Sundry Kings and Princes, together with the Variations and Accidents of the Same: And Also the Argumentes, vvith a Table at Large Expressing the Principall Matters Through the VVhole Historie, London: Thomas Vautroullier, pages 386–387:

     But Maximilian reteyning ſtill a ſingler ambition in this iorney, would admit no companion or communitie of name or authoritie […].

Etymology 2

From single +‎ -er.

Noun

singler (plural singlers)

1. One who singles (thins out) plants.
   • 1843, Barugh Almack, “On the Drill Husbandry of Turnips.—Prize Essay.”, in The Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, volume the fourth, London: John Murray, section V (The Manner of performing the Hoeing), page 69:

     Where the young turnip plants are very thin in the rows they may easily and readily be singled by the hoe alone; but, where turnips are very thick in the rows, it is desirable, if not actually necessary, that singlers should be employed.

   • 1877, Saxon [pseudonym; Robert de Bruce Trotter], “The Lower Orders”, in Galloway Gossip Sixty Years Ago; Being a Series of Articles Illustrative of the Manners, Customs, and Peculiarities of the Aboriginal Picts of Galloway, Choppington, Northumberland: Robert Trotter; Bedlington: George Richardson, pages 332–333:

     Their backs were to him, and their heads close to the ground, and of course out of sight, so that they looked like a lot of immense bee-skeps, covered with coarse bags, […] ‘Goodness! gracious! father! what sort of creatures are those!’ ‘Singlers, my boy, Singlers,’ was the reply. […] ‘They are the working people, you know,’ says the father, ‘and they’re always grumbling; they want more money, better houses, shorter hours, and all sorts of things that poor people have no right to think of.’ ‘What shocking creatures!’ replied the son, […].

   • 1886, R[obert] E[den] G[eorge] Cole, “SINGLER, s.”, in A Glossary of Words used in South-West Lincolnshire. (Wapentake of Graffoe)., London: Published for the English Dialect Society by Trübner & Co., page 131:

     She’s gone singling, they can’t get singlers enew.

   • 1968, Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, page 5:

     The singler could be provided with means for compensating for an irregular braird.

References

1. “singlē̆r(e, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

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Middle French

Verb

singler

1. to sail (to navigate in a watercraft)

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.

Conjugation of singler

infinitive	simple	singler
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle1 or gerund2	simple	singlant
	compound	present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
past participle		singlé
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ie (i’)	tu	il, elle	nous	vous	ilz, elles
(simple tenses)	present	single	singles	single	singlons	singlez	singlent
	imperfect	singlois, singloys	singlois, singloys	singloit, singloyt	singlions, singlyons	singliez, singlyez	singloient, singloyent
	past historic	singla	singlas	singla	singlasmes	singlastes	singlerent
	future	singlerai, singleray	singleras	singlera	singlerons	singlerez	singleront
	conditional	singlerois, singleroys	singlerois, singleroys	singleroit, singleroyt	singlerions, singleryons	singleriez, singleryez	singleroient, singleroyent
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que ie (i’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ilz, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	single	singles	single	singlons	singlez	singlent
	imperfect	singlasse	singlasses	singlast	singlassions	singlassiez	singlassent
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	single	—	singlons	singlez	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

Descendants

• French: cingler

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Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

singler m

1. indefinite plural of single