Middle English Dictionary Entry
yellen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | yellen v. Also yel(le, yolle(n, ȝel(le(n, ȝolle(n, (N) yhelle & (early SW or SWM) ȝeolle(n, ȝulle, gullen; sg.2 (early) yollest, etc. & ȝolst; p. ȝal, (early) yal & yelled, etc. & ȝeld; pl. (chiefly early) ȝolle(n, (early) gollen, gullen & yelled(en, etc. |
| Etymology | OE gellan, giellan, gyllan, ?*geollan; p. -geal (as in bigeal, p. of bigellan); pl. gullon; ppl. *gollen. Present and weak past forms in -o- could possibly be construed as ME youlen v., but almost certainly belong here. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. galen v., goulen v.
1.
(a) Of a person, devil, etc.: to make a loud cry because of grief, joy, etc., cry out; also in metonymy [quot. a1382];
(b) to exclaim loudly, shout; chant or sing loudly;
(c) to utter (sth., certain specified words) loudly, shout;
(d) of an animal, a bird, etc.: to cry out with a natural sound or when provoked, in pain, etc.; yelling foules, owls;
(e) of an object, water: to make a strident, grating, or crashing sound; also, of a noise: reverberate discordantly;
(f) of a trumpet: to sound;
(g) ?error for ihelen v.(2).
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)52/20 : Þa bigunnen þe gastes of helle to þeoten & to ȝellen.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)503 : On of þe monekes þo bi-gan to weope and ȝeollen [Corp-C: ȝolle; Hrl:Wright: ȝulle] sore.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.King (Hrl 2277)87 : He ȝal & furde pitousliche as þeȝ he witles were; He suede hem euere while he miȝte, ȝullinge wel sore.
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)238 : Þo gan þe Aumperur for wrathþe loude ȝeolle and rore.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)168,177 : Heo [devils] ȝollen [Corp-C: ȝonede] and grenneden on him foule…Wel grisliche heo ȝollen [Corp-C: ȝolle], þe schrewes, þo heom faillede heore miȝt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)71/11 : Þe kyng, þe erl, þe prince, þe emperour…nou ine helle wepeþ and gredeþ, yelleþ and zorȝeþ.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judith 16.13 : Þanne ȝelleden þe tentis of assirijs whan apereden my meeke drie waxinge in thrist.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4892 : Þan began þe chylde to ȝelle And cursed onys Goddys name.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)173/5 : Do ȝe now, riche men, wepe ȝe, ȝollinge in ȝoure wrecchednes þat schullen comen to ȝou.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.5.28 : Bi the wyndow biholdynge ȝollide [WB(2): ȝellide] the moder of hym.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7341 : Þe devels obout þam þan in helle On þam salle ever-mare rare and yhelle.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)4273 : The Gregeys ȝolled and cried loude.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)71 : Yn thilk water were mony fendes yellyng and makyng gresly noyse.
- c1450(1438) GLeg.St.Barth.(GiL116) (Eg 876)79/16 : The fende went his waye with a gret thunder and lighteninge, yollinge and crienge.
b
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2672 : The trompours with the loude mynstralcye, The heraudes that ful loude yelle and crye Been in hir wele for ioye of daun Arcite.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.395 : Nero…gan to ȝelle [vr. ȝolle] and songe [L decantabat] þe gestes of Troye.
- (1395) Wycl.37 Concl.(Tit D.1)18 : What wisdom is this to hiren hem so dere to yellen in chirchis and abbeies, whanne thei blasfemen God and terren him to wraththe?
- c1450 Page SRouen (Glb E.8)422/3 : Thei cryed alle ‘nowelle’ as high as thei myght yelle.
c
- c1390 11 Pains(3) (Vrn)258/275 : Þei ȝelleden wiþ lodly cry, ‘Poul, Michael, on vs ha merci!’
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ezek.30.2 : The Lord God seith these thingis, ‘Ȝelle [WB(1): Gowle] ȝe ‘‘Wo! Wo!’’ to the dai, for the dai is niȝ.’
- a1425 Nicod.(1) (Add 32578)1796 : Þai lay in droupand drede And non so ȝhepe a worde to ȝelle.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)172/37 : Þe moder cryd out and ȝeld, ‘Alas! my child he is spillid.’
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)5/34 : Þay styntyn neuer to cry and ȝelle, ‘Woo ys hym þat þedyr schall goo.’
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)217/18 : The deuelles began to ȝelle and to crye, ‘Quid nobis et vobis apostoli Dei viui?’
d
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)112 : Þe faucun was wroþ wit his bridde & lude ȝal [Jes-O: yal], & sterne chidde, ‘Segget me wo hauet þis ido.’
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)223 : Þu schirchest [Jes-O: scrichest] & ȝollest to þine fere, Þat hit is grislich to ihere.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)972 : Þu ȝelpst of þine songe, Þat þu canst ȝolle [Jes-O: yolle] wroþe & stronge.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)977 : Solde hi ȝollen [Jes-O: yollen] al so þu dest, Hi miȝte o feren here brost.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)985 : Þu ȝolst [Jes-O: yollest] & wones & ich singe; Þi steuene is wop.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)273 : Cengler relie [glossed:] yelleth [vr. gruntys].
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)7266 : Gij wiþ strengþe smot him þo…Þo þat best hirt him feled, Swiþe loude he grad & ȝeled, Þat alle þat cuntre dined þere.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)7285 : Ded he fel to grounde þo; He grad & ȝelled [vr. yelled] swiþe loude Þat it schilled into þe cloude.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.13.22 : Ther shul dwelle there ostriches…And ther shul answern there ȝellende foules in the houses of it.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.24vb : Basilica maior domestica: dragans .. hatz a flour swart blac, red, & opnende; a tung in þe middes lyk a ȝelland dragon.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4579 : Ran cow and calf and eek the verray hogges…They yelleden as fendes doon in helle; The dokes cryden as men wolde hem quelle.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.26 : The thride dai mersuine and qualle And other gret fises alle Sal yel and mak sa reuful ber That soru sal it be to her.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)43 : Þe greihounde roos aȝenyst hym and byganne to ȝelle vpon hym.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)94/330 : In the erber downe sche lay, Tyll hyt was dawnyng of the day, That fowlys herde sche ȝelle.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)10207 : Alle þe ernes…Schul crie & ȝelle & make rere, Þat al þe contre aboute schal here.
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)801,805 : Tho the naddir was falle, The grewhonde layde hym in the halle, Evelle wondyd over alle, And for sothe he lay and ȝal…Thay fande the grewhond lye and ȝelle…And hys hed al by-bledde.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1305 : Men myght here the fend yell Halfe a myle and more.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)2.5.32b : Thei flowted and tabowred, thei yelled and thei cried, ioyng in her maner as semyd be hir sembelaunce.
- a1500(1465) Leversedge Vision (Add 34193)113/126 : Out of þe northe syd of þe seid valey com develis out of nowmbire renneng aȝenst my seyd saule, crying, roring, and ȝelling as alle the world þer shuld have fallid.
e
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3729 : Hard-liche heo heowen; hælmes þer gollen [Otho: ȝollen]; feonliche heo feohten.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4885 : To-gadere heo tuhten & laðliche fuhten…helmes þer gullen [Otho: ȝollen]—stercliche to-stopen mid steles egge.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8188 : Helmes gunnen gullen [Otho: ȝelle]; cnihtes þer feollen.
- c1330(c1250) Floris (Auch)302 : Ȝif þe[r] comeȝ ani maiden þat is forleie, & hi bowe to þe grounde For to waschen here honde, þe water wille ȝelle [vr. ȝolle] als hit ware wod And bicome on hire so red so blod.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)61/303 : Sone omang þam herd þai ȝell A ful grete dyn of deuils of hell.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)37.250 : In the Se…they herde A wondirful Noyse…as thouhe it hadde ben A Noyse of helle, So gan it to Cryen And to ȝelle.
f
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Num.10.7 : Whanne forsothe the puple is to gederynge togidre, shal be symple criynge of trompes, and not stowndmeel thei shulen ȝolle [WB(2): sowne; L ululabunt].
g
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)1807 : He wiste noȝt quidder-warde he ȝode, als heyuen and erþ þe flode con ȝelle; he wist neyuer quare his ship sulde dwel.