Middle English Dictionary Entry
sẹ̄l(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | sẹ̄l(e adj. Also selle & (early) sēle, sæl(e, seale, (acc.) seolne, selen, (dat.) selere; comp. (early) selere, selre, sælre; sup. (early) selest(e, sælest, (acc.) selostne & (error) selysþe; pl. (early) sele, sela, sæle, selen, (gen.) sele, selere, (dat.) selen. |
| Etymology | Prob. back formation from OE sēlra, sēlla adj.comp. (sup. sēlest, sēlost); ?also cp. OE sēl, soel, LOE sǣl adv.comp. used as pred.adj.; & cp. ME sẹ̄l adv.comp. & OI sæll happy. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Good; also, brave; also, sup. as noun: the best men [quot.: Lay.Brut 1162]; (b) good for a purpose; skilled, efficacious, favorable; the selere, better, more favorable; (c) wealthy, prosperous; blessed; worthen ~, to prosper; (d) happy, blissful; pleased; also, pleasant; the selere, happier; (e) as epithet; -- also as noun.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)34/174 : Þæt dæl, þe Maria geceas..ure Drihten herede and cwæð þæt hit selest wære.
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Fest.Virg.(Vsp D.14)37/203 : For þan we secgeð, þæt heo synderlice fullforðede Marthen geswyncfulle wica, and synderlice heo gehealt þæt seleste Marien dæl.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)54/9 : Nan mon ne biþ swiðor biswicon þenne þe ðe hine sylfne selostne tællæð.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)549 : Wenden riht to þare sæ sela þa þeines.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1162 : Þa alre seleste [Otho: Þe men] eoden to-sumne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1973 : He ferde aw[æ]i ouer sæ; þat him þuhte selest.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2142 : Þas breðren iwurðen heom swahte þur[h] sele monne rede.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5957 : Þe wimman wes wel sæle.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9470 : Þa cnihtes scullen suggen, selen [Otho: seale] þine beornen, þat þu ært ilete blod.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10112 : Send nu uorð Cador..and mid him..fulle seoue hundred selere þeines.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10561 : Ne isæh næuere na man selere cniht nenne.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)10805 : Ah Arður com sone mid selere strengðe.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15906 : He nom..wickinge mid Alaine þan kinge þe wæs sune Salemonnes þas sele kinges.
b
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)7/6 : Þæt byd selysþe wið þa adle.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)132/13 : Ðenne nis us nan þing bætere ne sælre, buton þæt we lufien ure Drihten mid alle mode.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8822 : Þat Vther..hæfde him þider i-send seolne læche.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12795 : Wind heom stod on wille selest alre wedere.
- a1500 God made (Dgb 88)7 : The v day ys right good and selle; And on the vj day was borne Danyel.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)35 : Nu bidded [read: biddeð] Laȝamon alcne æðele mon..þet þeos boc rede..þat he þeos soðfeste word segge to-sumne..for his awene saule þat hire þe selre beo.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)477 : We mawen..fare uorð ouer sæ, sel þat we wrðen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)619 : Bi-ȝende France i þet west þu scalt finden a wunsum lond..þar-on þu scalt wrþan sæl.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2522 : Nu þu ært sel icumen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5889 : He me sla [read: scal] senden..seoue þusend burh-men þe sæle beon on æhte.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14419 : He bitahte his sune Gurmunde selen his riche.
- a1300 Weole þu art (Jes-O 29)6 : Weole, þu art a waried þing..Wyþ freomen þu art ferly feid wiþ sauhte, & make heom sele [rime: dele, mele].
d
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4 : He wonede at Ernleȝe..sel [Otho: merie] þar him þuhte.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7711 : Swa þu miht on liue libben alræ sælest.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15240 : An heorte him weore þe selere for heo weoren isibbe.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)42/717 : Helpe ham swa in him to hehin towart heouene, a þet ha beon istihe þider, as hare brudlac schal in al þet eauer sel is wið þene seli brudgume..sitten buten ende.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7424 : For ben ȝee sele, ben ȝee wroþe, Ynde and Perce ben myne boþe.
e
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)346 : Þas word saide Brutus þe sele.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)744 : Heo forð fusden toward sele Brutun þer he bi sæ wonede.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)12453 : Þus andswærede Walwain þe sele [Otho: seale].