Middle English Dictionary Entry
eilen, -ien v.
Entry Info
| Forms | eilen, -ien v. Also alen. |
| Etymology | OE eglian. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of a living agent: to trouble, afflict, or harm (someone or something).
Associated quotations
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)108.82/7 : Gif manne inne wurmes eȝlian.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)133/8 : Ða hali children..hie ne eileden nauerȝiete ne gode ne manne.
- a1250 HMaid.(Tit D.18)67/712 : Ȝif he [the Devil]..atstonde & halt on to eili þi flesch.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)113a : Ȝef eani mot nedlunge habben hit, loki þet hit namon ne eili [Nero: eilie], ne ne hearmi.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)31/27 : Schent war þo schrewes and ailed vnsele.
2.
Of an inanimate agent: to trouble, afflict, or affect (someone).
Associated quotations
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)49/1 : Him eȝleþ se blodrine.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)18/15 : Nanum me ne bið ful blis on his life þæt him ne æȝliȝe æfre sum þing her.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4767 : Bilammp himm oþerr wa Þatt mare mihhte himm eȝȝlenn.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)34/313 : Wiðuten euch þing þet mahe hearmin oðer eilin.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)148/533 : Moche hys þe pine þat hem eyleþ, And eke þe who.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)842 : Go we loke wat seknes him eyles.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.386 : Love that thee eilleth.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)438 : As sadly þe segge hym in his sadel sette As non vnhap had hym ayled, þaȝ hedleȝ h[e] we[re] in stedde.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)361/18 : Sho askid hur what þis whelpe aylid to wepe þus.
- c1450 Dc.Prov.(Dc 52)54 : Lytyl wote þe full what þe hungry aylyz.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)131/230 : What heylyght þi leggys now to be lame.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)958 : What Eyllythe yow Soo fast fore to flee?
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)5/138 : What alyd the, lucifer, to fall?
3.
Phrases: (a) what eileth the? What is the matter with you ?What is wrong with you ?What makes you (do something) ?(b) what eileth the at me? What have you against me ?(c) aileth you ought but god? Is anything wrong with you ?(d) (Someone) aileth nought but god. There is nothing wrong with (someone).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)25 : Ȝwat eilede eov, alas, Ȝwy wolde ȝe him to deþe do?
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1911 : Alas, wat eiled vs to slepe þat we ne mitht him notht kepe?
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1171 : What eyleth the man so synfully to swere?
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)226 : What eyleþ þe so aȝayn vs meue?
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)77 : What eyled ȝow to seche me?
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)6709 : Alas deth, what eyleth the? Why delyuerest thou not the worlde of me?
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)530 : I not what, deuyl, hym eylid at me!
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)1061 : Alas, foule, what alysse the, Soo farre oute of thy owne contre Heddur for to come?
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.445 : What eyleþ þe at us? we come nevere in þy lond.
- a1425 Adam & E.(3) (Wht)83/24 : What eylide þee at us; what haue we doon to þee; why doost þou sich malice to us?
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)41/7 : What ayled þe at me, for to giffe suylke a strake?
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)53/24 : What ayles ȝow at me þat ȝe will sla me?
c
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)1215 : Ayels you awoght but good? Of all this nyght he had no reste, But many a gresly grone ye vp caste.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)132/505 : Mak. Why, sir, alys you oght bot goode? Tercius Pastor. Yee, oure shepe..Ar stollyn.
d
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)1258/12 : I doubte not, syr Launcelot ayleth nothynge but good.
- a1500(?a1400) Morte Arth.(2) (Hrl 2252)1992 : Gaheriet eyles noght bot goode; he wolle sone come A-gayne.
- a1500(?c1400) Triam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)909 : Modur, let be yowre crye, Me eylyth nothyng but gode.
- a1550 7 Sages(1) (Bal 354)174/3488 : Whan the child was in the flode, He eyled no thynge but goode.
4.
To be troubled, affected, or impelled;--the orig. obj. is here construed as the subj.
Associated quotations
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.119 : What aylen fierce men and proute To leften vp þaire nekkes so in vayn?
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)1258/3 : And asked hym what he eyled.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)261 : Tell vs what thow eylest, and whi thow makest this sorow.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)586 : He asked hem what thei eiled.