Middle English Dictionary Entry
gọ̄d wil(le, gọ̄d-wil(le phr. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | gọ̄d wil(le, gọ̄d-wil(le phr. & n. Also god(e-wel, (early acc. sg.) godne willæ. |
| Etymology | From gọ̄d adj. & wil(le. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A good disposition, goodness, piety, virtue; men of ~, good men; (b) benevolence, kindness; friendliness; generosity; (c) don ~, to act virtuously.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)92/5 : Þeo sawle..mæȝ underfon æȝðer godne willæ & yfele æfter hyre aȝene cure.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 2.14 : Ther is maad with the aungel a multitude of heuenly knyȝthod..seyinge..'in erthe pees be to men of good wille.'
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)502 : Þai mai neuermar held til it, Namar þan þe wick mai to god will.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)1651 : To se þe was his caste; Alowe hym þerfore for his gud wyll.
- c1440 Treat.Prayer (Thrn)295 : Many meke hertes..walde fayne hafe sum sauour or swettnes of it, þe whilke for þaire gud wyll and þaire grete desyre hase it..and mekill thanke of godd fo[r] þair gud will.
- c1450 Mirror St.Edm.(5) (Cmb Ii.6.40)245 : Þre þingis ben in God..Þe first is miȝt; þat is þe fader of heven. Þe secund is knowyng of wisedam; þat is þe son..Þe þird is god wil; þat we clepe þe holy gost.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)21/16 : Ihesu Cryst..was as þys day borne..forto ȝyue pes to men of good wyll.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1872 : Drihhtin shollde ȝifenn uss..aȝhesihhþe..þurrh þatt werrc þatt tær toliþ, þurrh þatt gode wille.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)77a : Ondes salue ich seide wes feolahlich luue & god unnunge & god wil.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)5.15 : Lord, þou hast crouned us as wyþ þe shelde of þy gode wylle [L bonæ voluntatis].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mel.(Manly-Rickert)B.2350 : Gold ne siluer ben nat so muche worth as the good wyl of a trewe freend.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)28879 : Crist lokes noght þe mede All efter þe liuelad o þe asker Bot of þe good-will of þe giuer.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)env.878/73 : Late good wil my litel gilt [read: gift] amende.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1209 : Yet at the leeste thonketh hym, I preye, Of his good wille, and doth hym nat to deye.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ps.64.12 : Thou schalt blesse the croun of the ȝeer of thi good wille [WB(1): benyngnete].
- (1443) Doc.Trade in BRS 777 : John Veilho and his felawes..reported unto..John Chirche..þe grete trouth favour and gode will þat þe seid Henr' hade shewed and done to theym.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)39.404 : Of thy good wille I holde in Contempt.
- a1500(1444) Let.Curteys in RS 96.3 (Add 7096)263 : Ye and oþer oure trewe subgettis wol shewe us your kyndenesse and youre good-wil þerinne.
c
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)502 : Þei may neuer assente to ille, No more þen euel may do good wille.
2.
(a) Desire, wish; ben in ~, haven (a) ~, to wish (to be or do sth.), have a mind (to do sth.); don ~, to dispose (of sth.) at (one's) pleasure, do with as one pleases; (b) consent, permission; with thi ~, if you please; (c) with (mid) ~, willingly, voluntarily; readily, heartily, enthusiastically; hastily.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390 Hilton ML (Vrn)281 : We dar & haue a good wille [vr. hase gud will; L bonam voluntatem habemus] to be absent fro þe bodi & be present to god.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11153 : Godd will he had to fle hir fra.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)173 : Gamelyn was in good wil to wende þerto.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)111 : Thanne be the same distresse delivered by the prys to the axand to doon therof his good will [F a fere ent sa volunte].
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)148/16 : Preester Iohn anoonriȝt was in goode will to helpe hem.
b
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)1316 : Bot byd sir Pilate wirk his wyll Whether he will him saue or spyll..Mi gud will graunt I him for euer.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.377 : Leve of, Alwyn, wiþ þy good wille [L sodes].
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)815 : That foes passe not wythought godewyll [vr. leve] of us.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)153 : Almost no man in sume contray durste take an office off þe kyng, but he ffirst had þe good will off þe said bragers and engrossers off offices.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)14/8 : Ȝif ȝe þæt gastlice andȝit mid gode wille underfoð.
- a1275 Serm.St.Nich.(Trin-C B.14.39)63/2 : Herknet wel wid gode wille of godes wordes.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)86/2 : Þe man þat godes hestes halt, And þat myd gode wylle.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1241 : William wiþ god wille so wel þe duk hitt, þat þurth scheld & scholder þe scharpe spere grint.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2364 : Wiþ god wille take we þe grace þat god wol us sende.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.171 : He..drank venym by his good wille [L sponte; Higd.(2): voluntaryly], ffor he wolde deye.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.169 : Godfrei..and Griffin..ȝiue þe gloton with good wille [vr. glad chiere] good ale to honsel.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.715 : Oon of hem..I shal seyn with good wyl as I kan.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)2.154 : She graunteth to gon with a gode wille.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)96/31 : Kyng Adelbright was a gode man, and wiþ godewel herde seynt Austynus predicaciouns.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)78 : Þe strengest, of good wil, þey doutiden him alle.
- a1425(c1300) Assump.Virg.(1) (Add 10036)132/745 : Thei criede 'mercy' with good wille, Somme lowde and somme stille.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)96/8 : Fischez..schall with þaire awen gude will [F de lour propre volunte] com þider and profre þam self to þe deed.
- a1450 WBible(2) Prol.Ecclus (Cmb Dd.1.27)123 : Therfore I warne ȝou to come with goode wille [WB(1): with wel willingnesse; L cum beneuolentia] with the more bisili stodie the lesson to make.
- (a1470) Stonor1.111 : Y have comynet with my wyfe, and sche sayes with good wel, [etc.].
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)561 : The lyonesse after ham ran..The marynerys..yorne away with good wylle.
- a1500(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Dub 213)804* : Þat graunt I gladly..with a gode wille.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)186/5 : There come to hym wyth hare owyn good-wille, O'nelle, Captayne of Iryshemen of Vluestere, O'bren of Thomon, [etc.].
3.
As a surname or name of a ship.
Associated quotations
- (1318) Pat.R.Edw.II273 : John Godewyll.
- (1393) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.552 : In navi Henrici Thomasson, vocata Godwyle de Aremuth, exeunte xxix die Decembris anno supradicto.