Middle English Dictionary Entry
īdel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | īdel n. |
| Etymology | OE; for forms, see adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
A useless thing; something vain or false, vain things, vanity.
Associated quotations
- a1150 Rwl.G.57 Gloss.(Rwl G.57)24 : Inanis: se idele.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)153 : Eft sone smuȝeð derneliche swa deð þe douel ine þe monnes eȝen if ho boð opene to bihalden idel and unnet.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)64/34 : Glorious god hauys maad no þynge yn vayn, no ydell yn kyndes, But alle þynges er maad yn certayn enchesoun and resoun.
1b.
In phrases: (a) in (on, an) ~, for nothing, to no avail, useless(ly, in vain; of no use; without cause, without purpose; (b) in (on, an) ~, in jest, lightly, carelessly; holden in (taken on) ~, to treat (sth.) lightly; (c) in (on, with) ~, falsely; esp. profanely; taken in (with) ~, nemnen in ~, sweren in (on) ~, to take (God's name) in vain; (d) in (an) ~, ?falsely, deceptively.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)22/70 : Here he nis beo name gecyðed, ac is gesæd 'sum' cæstel, And þæt nis na on jdel gedon.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)95 : Ȝif þe halia gast ne learð þes monnes heorte and his mod wið-innan, on idel beoð þes budeles word wið-utan icleopde.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)920 : Þar springeþ bi burne þar is snel & let for drue þe dune & floh on idel [Jes-O: anydel] þar adune.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)568 : He þat wole no merci haue, On [vr. In] ydel doþ he merci craue.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)63 : Alle the pore that ther comen, on ydel sholen theih worche.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)126.2 : Bot ȝif our Lord haue kept þe cite, he þat kepeþ it wakeþ al on [vr. in] idel.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.24.28 : Be thou not a witnesse in idil [WB(2): with out resonable cause] aȝen thi neȝhebore.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.157 : Þe mene tyme Marius foundede an idel forto meove þe comounte of horsmen.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.457 : He..dede but litel profiȝt, and tornede home aȝe into his owne, as he þat hadde i-travailled an ydel [L casso].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.867 : Eterne god..In ydel, as men seyn, ye no thyng make.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)266a/a : And þough he [the ass] do þanne the werk of gendrynge, he gendreþ no brood ar he be ful þre ȝeer olde; and so plinius seiþ þere þat þe burthe of þe asse is most an ydel [L ocissimus; read: ociossimus] after þritty moneþes, and is laweful and profitable after þre ȝeer.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)170/2 : If þe wounde be aboue in a place of þe stomak þat is neruous, ne traueile þou not þere aboute..for it is an idil.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)270/16 : But if it be in children..it is al traueile in idil [L in vanum] & þe patient haþ greet penaunce þerwiþ wiþouten ony profit.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)17.38 : Bote þes þre..defenden, Elles is in ydel al oure lyuynge here.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3174 : It wer in ydel mo skeles for to make.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.955 : Or elles al oure labour is on ydel.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.1.21 : Whan sche hef hir heved heyer, sche percede the selve hevene so that the sighte of men lokynge was in ydel.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)379/108 : And but she gouerne of our lif the bridil, What-euer we do, we werke but in ydil.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)367 : Ellis al my labour were in ydel.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3975 : It comes..to na kyng ne kidd emperoure To latt his pepill þus pas & perisch in ydill.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)183 : Mi strook shal not be in jdel [F en vain]; up on the anevelte it shal falle.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)17a/a : If þe yȝe schulde be sett in þe brest, it were an ydil siþen it must be in an hiȝ place as a biholdere in a tour.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)31a/a : For to writen þe propirtees of ech of þese senewis syngulerly it were myche in ydil.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Test.(Hrl 218)627 : Lyke a yong colt that ran without brydell, Made my frendes ther good to spend in ydell.
- a1500 Rolle Mend.L.(Wor F.172)42 : He shittith his eyen and his worldly wittis outwardis..bicause he wold nat be occupied with worldly vanites in idil.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)ded.82 : Þeȝȝ shulenn takenn itt Onn unnitt & onn idell.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3070-1 : 'Sire king,' quaþ merlin, 'ne make noȝt an [vr. on] idel such lyhinge, Vor it nis an ydel noȝt þat ich telle þis tydinge.'
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)325b/a : For it is not y-seid an ydil, in haste [L frustra], 'I made alle in nombre, wighte, & mesure.'
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4579 : Oyleus Aiax was riȝt corpulent..And of his speche rude and rekkeles -- Ful many worde in ydel hym asterte.
- a1450(1401) For drede (Dgb 102)90 : Witteles wordes in ydel spoken, Þe more cost, þe lesse auayle.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)35 : Now j wole telle yow also shortliche the tokenes of my yerdes..and ye shule not holde it in ydel [F a gas].
c
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4403 : Þatt oþerr bodeword wass sett..Þatt tu ne take nohht wiþþ skarn..ne wiþþ idell Þe name off ure Laferrd Crist.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3497 : Tac ðu nogt in idel min name, Ne swer it les to fele in gamen.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.20.7 : Ne forsoþ þe lord schal haue innocent hym þat takiþ þe name of þe lord his god in ydyll [WB(2): in veyn; L frustra].
- c1390 I warne vche (Vrn)25 : In Idel Godes nome tak þou nouȝt.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.642 : Take nat my name in ydel or amys.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)6.58 : Swere nouȝt but it be for nede, A nameliche an [vrr. on, In] ydel þe name of god almiȝt.
- a1425 Alle þt thenke (LdMisc 463)p.200 : In ernest and in game In ydel nempne not his name.
- a1452 Þy lord (Sal 126)214 : Þy Lord of heuene loue wel; Tak not ys name yn ydul.
- a1450(c1409) Man haue hit (Dgb 102)12 : Þenk what þou hast don..Or goddis name in ydel sworn Or ellys fals witnesse born.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.641 : Take neuer his blessed name in Idell.
- c1475 Alle false goddis (RwlPoet 32)148 : His name nott yn idell take.
d
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.59 : He sent to Rome forto have lenger delay and [read: an] idel [L frustratorie] of his giltful doynge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)110a/a : Taurus..makeþ man schamfast and þinke honestliche and noþeles in vayne & in idil.
2.
(a) Idleness, laziness; ?unproductiveness; (b) idle or lazy person(s; (c) in (an) ~, in idleness, idly; at complete rest, inert.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)205/9 : O sond ne groweð na god & bitacneð idel; Idel akeldeð & acwencheð þis fur; Sturieð ow cwicliche aa i gode werkes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.225 : Alle ydel [vr. ydelnesse] ich hatye, for of actyf is my name.
b
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)107 : Snyb he þe idul.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)28b/b : Þe firste tweyne ben principallich I-clepid actiue, noȝt for þey worchin alone..non qualite is in þe body an ydel [L ociosa].
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6095 : Priam..may make puruyaunce Hym to diffende, while ȝe in ydel reste.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)2 Cor.8.13 : For I wil not þat to oþere be forgyfnes þat þey lyfen of ȝoures in ydelle.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Tim.5.13 : Ȝonge wydewys..lernyn to go aboute houses in ydel [L ociose], not onely in ydel, but curyously and uerbously..spekande þoo thyngys þat byhouys not.
- (1465) Paston (Gairdner)4.136 : A day lost in idyll can never be recoveryd.