Middle English Dictionary Entry

ivel n.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms ivel n.
Etymology OE yfel, OK *efel. For forms, see adj.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) Moral evil, wickedness; knouen god and ~, etc.; (b) a vice, a sin; (c) a state or condition of being wicked.
Show 42 Quotations
2.
(a) A wicked person or creature; wicked persons, the evil; (b) the ~, the Devil.
Show 11 Quotations
3.
(a) A wicked action; wicked conduct, evil life or living; don (werken) ~, to commit an evil act, behave wickedly; (b) wicked speech; speken ~, to speak foul or wicked words; ~ seiere, ~ spekere, one who talks wickedly or foully; (c) wicked thoughts; thinken ~; (d) a wicked purpose or end; for (with) ~, for an evil purpose, with evil intentions; to ~, for an evil end; thinken ~, to suspect an evil intent; taken for (in, on) ~, nimen to ~, take offense at (sth.), be angered by (sth.).
Show 55 Quotations
4.
(a) Misfortune, trouble, suffering; punishment; (b) a harmful action, an injury, a wrong; don ~ (to), werken ~, to do evil to (sb.), injure (sb.); give (sb.) pain; maken ~, do harm; yelden ~ for ~, repay an injury with another, revenge a wrong; (c) damage, deterioration; (d) a harmful thing, an injurious trick or device, a danger; a dangerous or harmful alternative; two iveles; (e) unfortunate persons, wretched ones.
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5.
(a) A disease, sickness; (b) children ~, epilepsy; cold ~, an illness produced by cold humors; crepinge ~, a spreading skin disease, serpigo; deth ~, fatal illness, last illness; fallinge ~, epilepsy; also fig.; foul (wicked) ~, ?epilepsy; fretinge ~, a wasting disease; gnauinge ~, a heart ailment accompanied by pain and palpitation; also, a disease of the liver; gret ~, ?erysipelas; kinges ~, scrofula; month ~, menstruation; muche ~, leprosy; palasie ~, palsy; slepinge ~, a malady characterized by extreme drowsiness, lethargy; yelwe ~, jaundice; (c) an epidemic, a plague; lond ~, pestilence ~; (d) an attack of an intermittent fever; (e) pain; (f) lovesickness.
Show 81 Quotations
6.
(a) A poor thing, an inferior thing; (b) unfavorable words, disparagement, evil report; ~ seiere, ~ spekere, a detractor; (c) an unfavorable interpretation or signification.
Show 12 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. children evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cold evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. falling evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. foul evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. king's evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. month evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sleeping evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. yellow evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. pestilence evil.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1250 Lofsong Lefdi (Nero A.14)205 : Ich habbe..mis etholden ofte, tovel spac and slow to Godd.
    • Note: New spelling
    Note: Interesting contraction of to ivel as tovel - not mentioned in to prep. form section since contr. is on ivel not to
  • c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)p.64 : Amorwe come the Bischops and the Barouns also, To procuri him al the wele that hi miȝte do.
    • Note: New spelling
    Note: Prob. iuel - uuele - wele
  • c1400 Life Soul (LdMisc 210)5/18 : Ȝe þat ben wicked and yuul wollen ȝeuen ȝoure childeren good þinges..myche more wille ȝoure heuenliche Fadur.
  • ?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)216/21 : And take hede how a man shal lete vuele and afterward do gode.
    • Note: New spelling

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