Middle English Dictionary Entry
īlō̆nd n.
Entry Info
| Forms | īlō̆nd n. Also iland, illond, ile-lond, -land, igland, hilin & eilond, eillond, -land, eland, neiland & (in place names only) elond, heland, -laund, yeland, eslond, ealond, aland, -laund, æland, lailond, reielond, ilaund, rihlond. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS īegland, īgland (A ēgland) & OE ēaland. Forms like ile-londe influenced by īle n.(1); forms like neiland, reielond have initial consonant from phrase atten ~, atter ~. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An island; (b) ?in Bible transl.: coastland.
Associated quotations
a
- a1121 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.656 : Her is an igland þet man cleopeð Ancar ig.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)387 : Cethegrande is a fis..ðat tu wuldest seien get, gef ðu it soge wan it flet, ðat it were a neilond.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)1133 : Hii funde in þan ilond [Clg: eit-londe] anne castel swiþe strong.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)21749-51 : Sixti eyllondes [Clg: æit-londes] beoþ in þan mere longe; in ech of þan yllond his a chlud swiþe strong.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)1024 : Þe yland was ful brade Þat þai gun in fiȝt.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.7 : I haue y-kast..to write a tretes..of þe staat of þe ylonde of Britayne.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.305 : From þe ilond Gades by þe ilondes Baleares..Þan is þe ilond Sardinia.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)183a/a : An Ilonde..is londe byclippede al aboute with see oþer with a Ryuer or with a water as it were sette in þe see.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)153b : Þat tyme com vp arrian hys heresy, þat infectede noȝt onlych þe grete londes of þe wordle, bote also þe ylondes of þe world.
- a1425 Methodius(1) (Hrl 1900)103/17 : Þe ylondes of þe see schulen be in dissolucioun.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.616 : To sette hem [peacocks] in an iland is ful good.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)572/18 : Sir Marhalte was slayne..in an ilonde.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)572/22 : Bernard of seynt walery hath y[i]f & grauntyd..the yle-lande a-fore-seyd.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)40b : An Eland: mediampnis, mediampna.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)539 : A wast ylond þey dryuen tylle, Fer yn þe est.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)137/5 : The pope of Rome..hath a Special ryght of al the Ilondys of crystyndome.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.106 : Topaces..was forst Ifonde in a yel of arabie, in þe whiche yle-londe þe trogadite wer disesed with honger & tempest.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)798 : Hec insula: a hylyn of the see.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2189 : Four suns had gena: -- antechim, Elisa, tharsis, and dotaym; Til eillandes [Trin-C: eil londes] þir þam drou; O þat nacion sprang folk inou.
2.
(a) In place names, often with the meaning of low-lying land, or raised ground amid swampy land [see Smith PNElem. 1.148]; (b) in surnames.
Associated quotations
a
- (1107) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.123 : Ealondscire.
- (c1125) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.116 : Haliæland.
- (1164-96) EPNSoc.32 (West Riding Yks.)43 : Elond.
- (1167) in Ekwall Dict.EPN321 : Eiland.
- (1203-30) EPNSoc.32 (West Riding Yks.)43 : Yeland.
- (1205) in Fägersten PNDor.12 : Iland.
- (1227) in Ekwall Dict.EPN321 : Neiland.
- (1248) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.159 : Eland.
- (1251) EPNSoc.32 (West Riding Yks.)43 : Heland.
- (1255) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.116 : Halieland.
- (1257) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.80 : Farnealond.
- (1268) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.159 : Punteylond.
- (1273) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.116 : Halilaund.
- (1275) EPNSoc.32 (West Riding Yks.)43 : Helaund.
- (1278) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.159 : Eylaund.
- (1285) in Fägersten PNDor.12 : La Eslond.
- (1303) in Fägersten PNDor.12 : Layelonde.
- (1316) in Ekwall Dict.EPN148 : Aland.
- (1346) in Fägersten PNDor.12 : Lailond.
- (1385) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)286 : Reyelondfelde.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.135 : Lyndefar chirche þat hatte Haly Eland [Higd.(2): whiche is in the Holielonde; L quæ est Halyelond] in þe ryuer of Twede.
- (1398) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)286 : Ryhlond.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.77 : Þe ferth was holy Eland, þer þe se it withdrouh; þei ȝede on þe sand to þat Ilde wele inouh.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)1241 : Saint Aydane..bischop of haly eland was.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)28/8 : Þe hooly neyloond yn þe floode of Twede.
b
- (1167) in Pipe R.Soc.1183 : Ricardus de Eiland.
- (1286) Pat.R.Edw.I232 : Thomas Attenylonde.