hummel
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈhʌm(ə)l/
rhymes: -ʌməl
Forms: form: hummels
form: hummeling
form: hummelling
form: hummeled
form: hummeled
form: hummelled
form: hummelled
form: humble
Etymology: Probably from Middle English hamelen (“to maim, mutilate; to cut short”), from Old English hamelian (“to hamstring, mutilate”), from Proto-Germanic *hamalōną, *hamlōną (“to mutilate”), from Proto-Indo-European *kem- (“hornless; mutilated”). Cognate with Dutch hamel (“wether”), English hamble, Low German hommel, hummel (“an animal lacking horns”), humlich, dialectal hommlich (“lacking horns”), Bavarian humlet (“lacking horns”), German hammeln, hämmeln (“to geld”), Icelandic hamla (“to maim, mutilate”).
OxfordDictionaries.com suggests that the “ear of grain with its awns removed” sense preceded the “animal without antlers or horns” sense.
Senses: glosses: Of an animal: to remove the horns; to poll.
examples: text: From the minute description of the machinery, I am apt to think it is made at a considerable expense; [...] I am therefore induced to mention the manner of hummelling (or fattering, as it is called in this county) with me. [...] My thrashing mill is of the old construction, being the first erected in this county (excepting one on Cotterel's plan), and is very powerful; but I apprehend any machine has power enough for the hummelling work.
ref: 1812 August 5, “S.” [pseudonym], “A Cheap Method of Hummelling Barley”, in The Farmer’s Magazine: A Periodical Work Exclusively Devoted to Agriculture and Rural Affairs, volume XIII, number LII, Edinburgh: Printed by David Willison, for Archibald Constable and Company, Edinburgh; and Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, London, published 16 November 1812, →OCLC, pages 443–444:
text: [M]ost threshing-machines are defective in regard to separating the awns of barley from the grains, especially when it has been led home in a raw or soft state. Various devices are often had recourse to for obviating this defect. [...] In other cases, where either of these devices are wanting, it has to be hummelled on the barn-floor, either by means of threshing with the old flails or swiples, or by stamping it with an implement resembling a paviour's ram, the under end of which is armed with plate iron made like a honeycomb. On some occasions, barley has known to be too much hummelled, at least for the use of maltsters; as, when the awn breaks off so close as to leave a small portion of the kernel naked, such grains do not malt kindly.
ref: 1814, Robert Kerr, “On the Management of Arable Land in Scotland”, in General Report of the Agricultural State, and Political Circumstances, of Scotland. Drawn Up for the Consideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement, under the Directions of the Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, Bart. the President, volume I, Edinburgh: Printed by Abernethy & Walker, and sold by Arch[ibald] Constable & Co. Edinburgh; and Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, London, →OCLC, part IV (Of the Articles Principally Cultivated for Their Seed), section III (Of Barley), page 498:
text: Machines are in use for hummelling barley, – that is, breaking off all the awns close to the grain, – and likewise for hulling it, so as to form what is called pot or pearl barley, a very nutritious and agreeable ingredient in broths and in drinks for invalids.
ref: 1848, Henry Colman, “European Agriculture. Eighth Report. CVI.—Crops. (Continued.)”, in European Agriculture and Rural Economy. From Personal Observation, volume II, Boston, Mass.: Arthur D. Phelps, 116 Washington Street; London: John Petheram, 94 High Holborn, →OCLC, page 248:
text: If threshed by the flail, the awns and sharp points [of oats] will be less broken and hummelled than if threshed by machinery. Whatever hummels the grain most will produce the heaviest bushel, while, of course, extremely little variation will have taken place in the dynamical relation of the kernel and hull.
ref: 1867, A. S. Wilson, “The Weight of Corn”, in Journal of the Bath and West of England Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture, Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, volume XV, London: Published by W. Ridgway, 169, Piccadilly, sold by R. E. Peach, Bath; F. May, Taunton; W. Roberts, Exeter; James and James, Plymouth, →OCLC, page 244:
text: The Japanese hummel their rice in a mortar made of a section of a large tree hollowed out.
ref: 1875, Edward H. Knight, “Hummeling-machine”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary: Being a Description of Tools, Instruments, Machines, Processes, and Engineering; History of Inventions; General Technological Vocabulary; and Digest of Mechanical Appliances in Science and the Arts, volumes II (Ena–Pan), New York, N.Y.: J. B. Ford and Company, →OCLC, page 1142, column 1:
glosses: To separate (barley, oats, etc.) from the awns.
Synonyms: sense: of an animal: to remove the horns
word: poll
Derived terms: hummeler