Middle English Dictionary Entry
heil n.
Entry Info
| Forms | heil n. Also hail. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI heill. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. hele n.(1).
1.
(a) Health, welfare, good fortune; in quert and ~, whole and sound; (b) a person's health or good fortune drunk to with wine; drinken..~, to drink (a person's) health [cp. drink heil]; (c) ivel ~, bad fortune; as adv.: unfortunately [cp. goder hele, ille hail, wrother hele]; (d) ?salvation, ?Savior.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)14310 : Rowenne sat a cnouwe and seide to þan kinge..'Louerd king, wassayl! for þine comes me beoþ hail.'
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1044 : Whom Priamus..Honoured hath aboue þe goddys alle..For in hym was..His heile, his Ioye, and his assuraunce.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)102/15 : O swettyst Ihesu..my stronge enmy þat I ouercum, gyf me heyl.
- c1450 Yk.BPrayer(2) (Yk-M 16.M.4)69/26 : Bring þam whar þai walde be in quart & heill of body & of saule.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)87/45 : I am lord and lech of heyle.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)3272 : When on athyll was so wele in happe & in heyle [Ashm: welthe].
b
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)81/56 : He let fulle a cupe of win. 'Dame,' he sede, 'þis hail is þin, Þat win and þat gold eke.'
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2521 : 'Drink hail,' quaþ þe king aȝen, & bad hire drinke anon; Þe coupe he nom suþþe of hire..Kuste hire & sette hire adoun, & glad dronk hire heil [vr. hail].
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6583 : Ful iuel hail [Göt: ille hayl] brak yee þe dai Þat i fasted sua.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21923 : Ful iuel hail [Frf: ilhail; Phys-E: iller haile] es gifen vs wiit, Bot if vr liue be lede wit it.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)412 : And, bote þou no were a messanger, fful eouel hayl [vr. In euyl tyme] þou come heir.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5880 : Þir robbours wand vp þair sayle, To þe hey se with euel hayle.
- a1475 Leve lystynes (Brog 2.1)p.29 : To grete god euer I pray To gyve hym evyle hayle.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)1759 : Thu sekys fraward sychim þiselue with euell haille.
d
- ?c1475 *Trev.Nicod.(Sal 39)140b : Þe voys and þe prophett of þe heyȝest. Greyȝeþ hys weyes to ȝow, his people, cnoulech of his heyle and sauacoun in furȝeuenasse of synnes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 NHom.in NM 73 (Ashm 42)p.199 : Bot haylewait of þi gestning.
Note: New cpd.
Note: 'but thank you for your hospitality'
Note: 'MED s.v. heil adj. cites the form only in the name Simon Hailewait. But the cpd. is perhaps rather to be connected with heil sb. (ON heill) and with either wait 'wait upon, attend', or ON veita 'sustain': 'many good fortune wait upon/sustain (you).'