Middle English Dictionary Entry
drink heil phr.
Entry Info
| Forms | drink heil phr. Also drinc hæil, drinchail, drinche heil, dringhail, drinkel. |
| Etymology | Prob. ON phrase; cp. OI far heill farewell!, com heill welcome! |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. wes heil, wassail.
1.
A salutation given in response to the toast wes hail: drink to your health!, good luck to you!
Associated quotations
- (c1140) Geoffrey of Monmouth Hist.Regum Britanniae (Hammer)p.113 : Remansit consuetudo illa in Britannia inter convivantes et potantes ut per 'Washail' et 'Drinchail' se invicem salutarent.
- (1155) Wace Roman de Brut6966 : Custume est, sire, en lur pais, Quant ami beivent entre amis, Que cil dit 'Wesheil' qui deit beivre E 'Drincheheil [vr. Drinchail, drinkel]' ki deit receivre.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14332 : Hit beoð tiðende inne Sæxe-londe, whær swa æi duȝeðe gladieð of drenche, þat freond sæiðe to freonde..'Leofue freond, wæs hail!' þe oðer sæið 'drinc hail [Otho: dringhail]!'
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14355 : Þat maide [Rouwenne] dronc up þat win & lette don oðer þer in & bi-tæhten þan kinge & þrien hine custe; & þurh þa ilke leoden [Otho: game] þa laȝen comen to þissen londe, 'wæshail' & 'drinc-hæil!
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2519 : 'Drink hail!' quaþ þe king aȝen.
- ?1316 SMChron.(Roy 12.C.12)340 : Rowenne, that was so feir may, Furste saide..To kyng Fortiger 'Wassail!' Ant that onsuere wes 'Drinkhail!'
- a1400 SMChron.(Add 19677)276 : In þat tyme..Com 'wesseil' & 'drynkheil' Into þis lond..Þoru a maide..icluped maide Inge.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)52/13 : Þat oþer shulde ansuere 'drynkehaile!'
- c1425 How GWife(1) (Hnt HM 128)151 : Sitte þou nought to longe on nygthis by the cuppe, And sey 'wasseile' and 'drynkeheil'.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)7582 : He þat haldes schal sey 'wassayl!' Þat oþer schal seye ageyn 'drynk hayl!' Þat seys [wassayl] drynkes of þe coppe; Kissing his felawe, he gyueþ hit vppe.