Middle English Dictionary Entry
il(le adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | il(le adv. |
| Etymology | From adj.; also cp. OI illa adv. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Evilly, wickedly, sinfully; don ~, to act sinfully; ~ gotten, gained by evil means; (b) malevolently, spitefully, harshly, unkindly.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5426 : Þe king wes stille, & þa swiken speken ille.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1706 : Lia bar last dowter dinam; Sichem, siðen, hire ille bi-nam.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)5.253 : Dampne me not on domes day for I dude so ille.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.37 : For quethir sa thai do wel or ille, Thai hald wit thaim in al thair wille.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)1324 : Ȝyf hyt be aȝens hys wylle Or hys asent, þou synnest ful ylle.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)6531 : Son he herd tiþand tell Þat his folk had ful il don.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.244 : Dampne me nouȝt at domisday for þat I dede so ille.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.114 : I..deme þat hij don ille, þere I do wel worse.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1266 : Sorow..sal to þe be wroght If þou so smertly slas þi sone And wate noght what he haues il done.
- a1450 Mandev.(3) (BodeMus 116)77/28 : So that the lawe that Crist hath youe yow, ille and falsely and wikkidly ye brekyn it.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)5792 : God wyll not take offerand of yll gottyn thyng.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)1211 : In thy life þou bare þe ille And dide agaynes goddis wille.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)32/105 : Now, Caym brother, þou dost ful ill.
b
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)5/31 : Many man thretes and spekes ful ill Þat sum tyme war better to be stane still.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)16934 : Þus was his blyse all broyȝt in bale þat to merdocheus mened full yll.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)662 : Y schall the telle my wylle, That neuer in al thy lyf schal thou speke ylle.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)96/363 : Thi good wyll So kyndly forgyfys that I sayde yll, When I can the vpbrade.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)327/64 : He seruyd neuer none yll In worde ne dede.
2.
(a) Grievously, painfully, bitterly, severely; (b) offensively, perniciously; ~ savouringe, bad-smelling; (c) unfortunately, unluckily, wretchedly, unpropitiously; ~ wivinge, unhappily married.
Associated quotations
a
- a1250(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(*Glb A.19-James)132/616 : Þe biche biteþ ille Þoh he berce stille.
- c1390 Ihesu þi swetnes (Vrn)101 : Gostly fos greuen me ille.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4538 : She accomplisshid all my will, That now me greveth wondir ill.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10976 : He gird hir to ground, and greuit hir yll.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)5694 : Þer elders war angerd yll.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)12338 : For yf þei hungur neuer so yll, god is of myȝt to multyplye to ylk man his mete at wyll.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)247/11 : Sho come agayn & was ill flayed.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)305/28 : Eyther of them wounded other full ylle.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)36/32 : Synne..a-grevyth oure lorde ffull ylle.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)29/220 : A, so, mary! thou smytis ill!
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)2267 : He ys woundyd ylle and sore.
b
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.163 : Þe dede þat I did ille, my foly it was..forgyue me þat trespas.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)955 : Al in smolderande smoke smachande ful ille.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.371 : The secunde [age] is youthe..ille sauorenge like to a goote.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)195 : Ille:..perniciose.
c
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3314 : Ille..haue we sped.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3930 : Al was is fultum and his sped Bi-luken ille in fendes red.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1500 : He asked how he ferd. 'sire,' þan seide he softly, 'certes, so ille þat i leue my lif last nouȝt til to morwe.'
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Devil Phys.(Phys-E)p.149 : This ermit asked him..'Hou haues thou sped?'..And he said, 'ic haf sped ful ille.'
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2486 : Holde thisilf biguyled ill.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)380/139 : We! spere oure ȝates, all ill mot þou spede.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2308 : Quat, & has þou ossed to Alexander þis ayndain wirdes, And me þus ill? vn-ably þine abet þou weris.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)786 : He þat ys yll wy-wande, Wo hys hym, by þe bone!
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)325/6 : Yll was thou ded, so wo is me that I it ken.
3.
With displeasure, distaste, or distress; sorrowfully; me paied ~, I was displeased; thinken ~, to be distressed.
Associated quotations
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)675 : Rymenhild weop ille, & horn let þe tires stille.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)3037 : Abraham..þinke not ille; þou most do þi wyues wille.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1141 : Þanne efte lastes hit likkes, he loses hit ille.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)136 : In þeo cite was muche folk spekand And mony a mon ille lokand.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)282/1 : Þis hermett thoght ill þer-with, bod he sayde noght.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)29/203 : But god knowes I am led, and that may I rew ffull ill.
4.
(a) Imperfectly, improperly, faultily, badly; ~ mesured, ill-proportioned; ~ taught; ~ spun; (b) not at all; ~ at ese, upset, uneasy; ~ worthi (worth), not worth-while; liken (paien) ~, to be displeasing (to sb.); also, dislike (sth.); also, be displeased.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)6245 : Ȝiff þeȝȝ wirrkenn ȝunnkerr weorrc Forrwurrþennlike & ille.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)4422 : Ill es þe quit þi god seruis!
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2161 : For a reder that poyntith ille, A good sentence may ofte spille.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)558 : Of povre mene that myghte ille goo, Thay tuke inne welle a sexty or moo.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)152 : This ius..wole helpe hem þat hauyn acumbrid her stomak, so þat it may ille defie.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)393/19 : Sho, als ill as sho myght, made hym a bed.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.71 : His owen kynde briddis..weren anoyed in his nest and norished full ille.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)231/34 : Thay whyche bene ill mesurid of body, bene dysposyd to trechury and othyr ill tecchis.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)234/10 : Who-so hath a playne visage and nothynge fleshy, he is a chydere, a barratoure, il-taght, wrongfull, and foule.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)21/435 : Ill spon weft ay comes foule out.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)30/246 : I may full ill gang the soth for to knaw.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)116/1 : Lord, what these weders ar cold! and I am yll happyd.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)18279 : He..ræfeþþ þe þin allderrdom, & tet maȝȝ ille likenn.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1165 : Sho..durste nouth þe spusing lette, But þey hire likede swiþe ille, Þouthe it was godes wille.
- a1350 God þat al þis myhtes (Hrl 2253)20 : Þat y ha don me lykeþ ylle.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1151 : Þei marke liked ille, Tristrem to schip þai bare And brouȝt.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)76 : Wan he was war of þe frenschemen, on h[ert] him likid ille.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)548 : Þe ouer fir gis man his sight, þat ouer air of hering might..wit bestes doumb man has his fele O thyng man liks, il or welle.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14209 : Yee sal here..Tiþand þat yow sal like wel il.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)23851 : Il worþi [Göt: Ill worth] hit is to tile a felde þat noȝt againe þe sede mai ȝelde.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)16119 : Þi wif..is ille [Vsp: iuel] at ese, & þat is for a siȝt, Þat she in her slepyng say.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)73 : Thenne þe ludych lorde lyked ful ille, And hade dedayn of þat dede.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1177 : Me payed ful ille to be outfleme So sodenly of þat fayre regioun.
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)618 : Gamelyn into þe woode stalkede stille, And Adam þe Spenser liked ful ylle.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3434 : Who ever like it well or ill.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)3124 : The Sowdan sat a while still; Of this message he liked yll.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)1012 : Þat sight liked Tundale ille.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)306 : My chefe herte thou haste slayn; That schalt thou lyke fulle ylle!
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)270 : Were þe forster here now right, Thy wordis shuld like þe ille.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)799 : 'Where is..your maister, I yow prae?' 'Att his loggyng, foll ill att ease.'
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)329/114 : Ye ar all heuy and lykys yll here in this way.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)3.5.52a : Ye herkeneres of evill tales..folewyng and gladly heryng euery ille speker, I mene of bakbyteres.
Note: Additional quote(s)