Middle English Dictionary Entry
ilīch adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | ilīch adj. Also iliche, ileche, (SW) ileiche, (early) ilic(e, ȝelich, ȝelic(e, gelic(e, (acc.) ȝelicne & ilik(e, illike, (chiefly K) ilek(e & (error) lelic. |
| Etymology | OE gelīc adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Like, similar, alike; also, with dat.: similar (to sb. or sth.); ~ to (toward), like (sb. or sth.); (b) resembling (sb. or sth.) [could also be construed as prep.; cp. lik(e prep. 1.(a)]; (c) no man (knight, etc.) is (was) ~, there is (was) none to compare with (sb. or sth.); he was no man ~, he was almost unrecognizable.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.VA (Vsp D.14)11/33 : Se ealde mann þe byð buten æwfæstnysse byð þan treowwe gelic [Lamb.Hom.VA: iliche] þe leaf berð & blostmen, & nænne wæstme ne berð.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)50/2 : Gyf we mare secgeð..þe þurh Godes dyhte gesette wæron, þonne beo we þan dwolmannen gelice þe beo heora agenen dyhte..feale lease gesettnysse awriten.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)57/15 : Eornostlice nis nan wyrmcynn ne wilddeorcynn on yfelnysse gelic yfelen wife.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)30/17 : Heofene rice is ilic ane kynge.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)94/10 : Witerlice þa sunfulle beoð heoræ yfele weorce ilice.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)55/17 : Sona hit forð nimð hiȝ [scars], & ȝedeþ hiȝ þan oþrum lice ȝelice.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)89/10 : Þanne is oðer wyrt þysse ȝelic, seo haueð sume dale lassan leaf þanne docce.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)103/2 : Sume men eac secgað þæt heo stelan habbe mid twiȝum ysopan ȝelicne & leaf beanum ȝelice.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)193/6 : Þeos wyrt þæt man stecas [OE stecas..nemneþ], heo ys boþele lelic [OE gelic].
- c1200 Wor.Serm.in EGSt.7 (Wor Q.29)63 : Þus heo funden þet heo veren vrechen þa venden forto ben god iliche.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)17 : Hald hine þenne swilche mon þe beo bute laȝe and heðenne monne ȝe ilic.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)19705 : Her ute sitteð six men iliche on heouwen [Otho: of ewe].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)29482 : Iwis ȝe beod Ænglisce, englen ilicchest.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)5 : Tweien oðer tocumes ben boðe iliche.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)9/27 : Ðe selue dieuel..sade, 'Ero similis altissimo, Ic scal bien ȝelich ðan heisten.'
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)53/575 : Ȝeue him liuiende ȝast ilich to þe seoluen.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)32/291 : Þet brihte ferreden of þe eadi meidnes ilikest towart engles.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)67/24 : Ich am pellican ilich þe wuneð bi him ane.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)316 : Þu wenist þat ech song bo grislich Þat þine pipinge nis ilich.
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)216/74,74 : Wer-bi we moue hatie þo ileke þinges þet he hatedh..and luuie þo ilek þinkes þat he luued.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)481 : Elpes arn in Inde riche, on bodi borlic berges ilike.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)285 : Þe kyngdom of heuene to a man ylich is A kyng made to his sone a gret Brudale ywis.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)15/8 : Þet bodi of þe beste..wes ylich to þe lipard.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2336 : A semede þe diuel ileche.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1539 : Selde is the Friday al the wike ylike.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)273b/a : Þer is a litel beste yliche to scarabenus.
- a1400 Falseness and couetys (Mert 248)8 : Es þer no man þat þem sterys, bot heuer are vnlawis illyke.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)16.34 : Pacience as a poure þyng cam, and preide mete for charite, Ylike [vr. Iliche] to peers plouhman.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2286 : And þe gladnes þat þei inly fele..In al þis world, I trow, noon I-liche.
- c1425 Glo.Chron.A (Hrl 201)p.428 : Byuore alle oþer God hym ȝef þre þynges, as rychesse, And wysdom, & maystrye..In þys þre þynges þer ner non man ylyche [Clg: þer nere none him iliche].
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1328 : And every man Of hem..Had on him throwen a vesture..Enbrowded wonderliche ryche, Although they nere nought ylyche.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.6 : Theodoricus..hadde it [Rome] wonne by conquest and bataile. For Anastasius was noght ilyke [vr. hym lyke], Ne noght so strong of meyne.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)736 : The Cete of Room..was..worthiest in his dayis, & noon to hym I-lich Of worshipp, ne of wele, ne of governaunce.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)67a/b : Whanne þat a senewe or ony y-lijk is kutt ouerþwert, sumtyme it may parfiȝtli be knowen.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)69a/a : Anoynte him..wiþ buttir or ony yliche, as deutee or olium laurinum and oþere hoote oynementis.
- a1500 Agnus Castus (LdMisc 553)197/31 : Palma Christi..hath litel smal coddes, in þe whuch he bereþ seed y-lich to oculus Christi.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2436 : In þe firmament beþ Planetes yliche clere sterren.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)20.330 : Þer ne is syk ne sory ne non so muche wrecche Þat he ne may..wylnen Alle manere of men mercy and for-ȝeuenesse, And louye hem yliche hym-sylf.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)25a/a : The firste humour..is y-callid vitreus by cause þat he is myche y-lijk glas in color.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)149/38 : None afore the hath be y-lyke the, ne aftyre the shall come.
c
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)82/25 : Nan oðer nis mihtiȝræ þonne he, ne forðon him ilic.
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)195 : Swo dude Iob þe nes non abuuen eorðe him ilich on almesse þo þe deuel him fondede and wolde him binimen his lif.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)29/502 : Þer nas no kniȝt hym ilik.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)17183 : Hit hat þe Eatantes Ring..nis no work him iliche.
- c1300 SLeg.Pilate (Hrl 2277)111 : Þat þemperour was sek In strong vuele and wel long, þat he nas noman ilek [vr. ylyk].
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1140 : Nennyn..nom þat suerd to him..Vor þer nas in al þe world suerd him iliche.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)6055 : Hii..helde him þere in prisoun, þat he nas no mon ilich.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)5650 : A queintise þai hadden riche, Þat non nas hem yliche.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)155/26-7 : Moche hath god the endowet wyth grace..no man is the y-lyke.
2.
Equal in status, power, virtue, etc.; also, with prep. or dat.: equal in power or status (to God, Jesus, an angel); also, identical in size or duration, equivalent.
Associated quotations
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)2.1 : Lucifer..cwæð on his heorte þe he wolde & ealde mihte beon his Scyppende gelic & sitten on norðdæle heofone rices.
- a1150(?OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)67/6 : He [Antichrist] mihte rixigen ofer heofones & beon gelic Godes sune.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)177/12 : Ðeos wyrt is..tweȝra cinna..hi habbeð on ælcum þinga ȝelice mihta onȝean þa þinga ðe ȝe her beforan sæden.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)219 : Cweð hare alder [Lucifer] þat he mihte beon þam ælmihti god ȝelic.
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)223 : Þanne beoð ȝiure eagen ȝeopened.. and beoð englen ȝelice.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of ihu (Hrl 913)107 : Al we sul ben ilich, Boþe kniȝt and barun, erl and king.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)143/395 : He [Lucifer] wolde..be god ylyche, To be a-lowed.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)26/18 : Bothe the closeres of the signes ben precisly ilike of widnesse.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)27577 : Al-be-it þai be semand ilike, Þai haf in þaim sum hidd bunte Þat better mai þain ors be.
- a1400 Fasc.Mor.(Hrl 7322)Tag 34.6 : Now is riche and poure iliche.
- c1400 Chaucer Astr.(Cmb Dd.3.53)1.17.17,31 : Than ben the daies & the nyht illike of lenghthe in al the world..It departeth the furste Moeuable..in 2 ilike parties, euene distantz fro the poles of this world.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.16.13 : Truste wel that thilke two degrees ben of ilike declinacioun.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.39.21 : Yf so be that two townes have ilike meridian or oon meridian, than is the distaunce of hem both ilike fer fro the est.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)399 : Thre waxe-candels he let make þen, Euery candelle y-leyche of weyȝt.
- c1450(c1386) Chaucer LGW Prol.(1) (Benson-Robinson)389 : Yit mot he doon bothe ryght, to poore and ryche, Al be that hire estaat be nat yliche.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)151/26 : Yestyrday he hadd frendys Speciall, but today he haue ham all y-lyke.
3.
The same, unvarying, unchanging, constant; ever ~.
Associated quotations
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)7/15 : Þe inre [rule] is eauer ilich; þe uttre is mislich.
- a1250 Orison Lord (Lamb 487)189 : His hwas dohter þu art..his þet naueþ nouþer ne biginnunge, þet is euer ilic [vr. iliche] wiþ-ute truchunge, þet halt euer anon wiþ-ute sturunge.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)358,362 : Godes riche..eure is svete & eure iliche..Wunder hit is of godes riche, Þat eure spenþ & euer is iliche.
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)586 : Saye heom þat ich astye to mynes vader riche, Þer is my vader and eke heore and ioye euer ilyche.
- ?a1300(c1250) Prov.Hend.(Dgb 86)st.21 : An oþer no þing fonge, Þat haveþ served swiþe longe; Evere he is iliche.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)11.2 : Þenne hedde wit A wyf, was hoten dam Studie, Þat euer was I-liche and of louh chere.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)44 : For þer þe fest watz ilyche ful fiften dayes.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.1907 : Fortunys gifftis be nat ay iliche, In hir fals wheel ther is such variaunce.
- a1450(?a1349) ?Rolle Luf es lyf (Cmb Dd.5.64)14 : Þe flawme of lufe, wha myght it thole, if it war ay ilyke?
- a1450 7 Sages(3) (Cmb Dd.1.17)3451 : He..dyed wan Godys wylle was And went into heven-riche, Thare joye and blysse hys evere ilyche.
4.
Suitable, fitting.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15117 : Nusten heo an world-riche ræd þat heom weore ilike.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Pars.(Lnsd 851)I.423 : Somme of hem shewen þe schappe & þe boce of þe orrible swollen membres þat semeþ ylyke to þe maladye of hyrnya.
Note: ~ to