zowl

plural zowls

1. Berkshire dialectSoul.

   The waggoner scratched his head, and quoth he, “ Eh, missus, what'll the measter say'l I be despert feared she've ' fainted, poor zowl ! ”

   1865, S. Lucas, Once a Week

   3 more examples

   Nothin like patience, as owld Rachael Cark used to zay ; — a body med do anything wi' patience, but 'a never could persuade her owld man zo, 'specially when 'a baked his breeches, poor owld zowl an bin!

   1850, John Yonge Akerman, Spring-tide: Or, The Angler and His Friends, page 108

   Her interest in him, he being a young Londoner and stranger, who had a real goold watch, and a real goold pin in his tie, was merely of that kind which would have led Fred, in his turn, to gaze upon a giraffe, or a phoenix, or anything of that kind; but it was, nevertheless, somewhat embarrassing at first; especially as this attendant jerked the baby up and down, on any symptoms of restlessness displaying themselves, and told the " pratty zowl" to look at the London gentleman.

   1859, Ebb and flow, page 48

   There be backsword play, and climming the powl, And a race for a peg and a cheese, And us thenks as hisn 's a dummell zowl As dwont care for zich spwoorts as theze." — Berkshire ballad, sung at the scouring of the White Horse, and possibly very ancient.

   1901, Dugald Macfadyen, Alfred the West Saxon: King of English, page 17