Middle English Dictionary Entry
heil adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | heil adj. Also hail, heial, (early) hæil, (late) whaile. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI heill. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. hole adj.(2).
1.
(a) Free from disease, infirmity, or injury; healthy, sound, unharmed; ~ and hol, ~ and quert, ~ and sound, etc.; (b) undamaged, unimpaired; ~ memori, sound memory; ~ wit, sound mind; (c) ~ of, relieved of (woe); (d) as noun: those in health, the healthy; (e) in surnames [cp. al-hol].
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12528 : Makieð..castles swiðe stronge..& wunieð her hal and hæil.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)59 : Ðer he wurdeð heil & sund.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)2244 : Y might aschape out of mi wo, Al hayl & hole to be.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)712 : Ȝut am y sond & heyl [orig.draft: quert & heil], & ne fele no maner sare.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.703 : He makth him siek whan he is heil.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3829,3830 : He es bath hail and fere, Ya hail and sound, wit-outen were.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7574 : He..Aryued is..With alle his knyȝtis, boþe heil & sounde.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)104/37 : Hastily aftyrwarde sche was heyl & hoyl.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)170/6 : Þe worthy clerk recuryd & went a-bowtyn heyl & hool.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)233 : Heyl fro sekenesse: Sanus, incolumis, sospes.
- (1444) Paston2.66 : My maisteris, your sonys, and my maister, your brother, arn heyle and mery.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)38.58 : Al hol he was In Sekernesse..heillere and lyhtere thanne thowhte hym thore.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)4984 : Yeff ye haue cause to be seeke or hayle [vrr. heyll, heyle].
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3102 : Sone he schal be ffresch and hayl.
- a1450 Þis word lordlinggis (Sln 2593)p.246 : This day heyl, te morwe, perchaunce, We mown be ded.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)109/6 : Þese men went and cam heyl and sound, not hurt with þat pestilens.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)344/256 : He is resyn bothe heyl and qwert.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)5199 : Lechys..helyd hym sone..When hys woundys were whayle, He wente to the dewke, sawns fayle.
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)884 : Gret wondyrs he xall schew þere..halt & crepyls..make here lymmys heyll & rythe.
b
- (1439) Doc.in Collect.Topogr.513 : The laste Wil indented of me William Mekilfeld, Esquyer, being in good and heil memori.
- (1454) Will York in Sur.Soc.30171 : I..myghty of mynd and of hayll witt..I witt my sawle to God All myghty.
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)359 : This Wylliam..hyed hym to hontt Besyd the place whare Roberd wontt, And sawe hys byggynges haile abyde.
c
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)8573 : Of all þis [woe] She shall be hayle [vr. heyall].
d
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2046 : So suld a souerayn in hir daile Tak reward to seke & haile, To ȝing or old.
e
- (1202) Assize R.Lin.in Lin.RS 22356 : Gerardus Heile.
- (1221) Justice in Eyre R.in Seld.Soc.531265 : Walterus Allehaile.
- (1230) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.4212 : Simon Hailewait.
- (1281) Let.Bk.Lond.B (Gldh LetBk B)3 : John Heylheyl.
2.
In phr.: ~ be thou, etc., may you have good health and well-being!; ille ~ be thou [see ille ~].
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3516 : Hail wurð þu, feire quene! ich eam þines fader sweine.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)22593 : Hail seo þu Ardur, aðelest kingen!
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)14936 : Hayl worþ þou, louerd king.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1132 : 'Mayster,' he sede, 'hayl þou beo!'
- a1325 Heil beo þou Marie Mylde (StJ-C S.30)1 : Heyl be þou, marie, milde quene of heuene!
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.157 : Hail be ȝe bakers wiþ ȝur louis smale!
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7866 : All hailsed him wit sli hailsing, 'Hail [vrr. Hayl, haile, heil] be þou, lauerd dauid, our king!'
- ?c1430 Wycl.Tract AMaria (Corp-C 296)204 : Þis is þe aue maria. Heil be þou, marie, ful of grace!
- c1450 Heil be þou marie þe (Lamb 853)1 : Heil [vr. haile] be þou, marie, þe modir of crist!
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)152/21 : Heyl be ȝe kyngys tweyne!
3.
Of counsel, action: sound, good for one's welfare.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2122 : His brother..yaf such conseil Toward his king that was noght heil.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7027 : Pore..on þis tiþing took conseile Þat hym nas noiþere good ne heile [vr. haile].
- a1450 Bevis (Cai 175/96)23/513 : Nouȝt good ne heyle [Auch: Naþeles, þouȝ him þouȝte eile, Toward painim a moste saile].
4.
(a) Undivided, entire, whole; al ~; (b) ?stable, powerful.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22306 : The Iuus sal scort þam þair consail, And turn þam till his trouth al hail [Göt, Phys-E, & Frf: al hale].
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)59a : Hayle:..integer.
b
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)59a : Hayle:..firmus.
- c1550(?a1475) Otterburn (Cleo C.4)92 : He durst not loke on my brede banner for all ynglonde so haylle.