Middle English Dictionary Entry
unisē̆lī(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | unisē̆lī(e adj. Also oniseli, (K) ? onisẹ̄li & (early) unisæliȝe, unȝesæli, ungesælig(e, (SEM) unȝesali & (early gen.) uniselies, (dat.) ungesæligen. |
| Etymology | OE ungesǣlig, (K) ungesēlig. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. unseli adj.
1.
(a) Unfortunate; wretched; also, unwise, foolish; also, as noun: a fool, wretch;
(b) unblessed, accursed, unholy, wicked; also, of hellfire: ?causing misery [last quot.]; also, as noun, with ref. to the Jews: the accursed people [quot. c1175].
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Elucid.(Vsp D.14)142/36 : Synden þa mænn gesælige þe nabbeð on þyssen wurlde nane ermðe? Ac þa syndon eremingas & ungesælige [L infelicissimi], þe on eallra ednysse libbeð heora lif & habbeð eall heora gewill.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)31 : Þe ilke þet is iseli, þis he wule don, and he his uniseli ȝif him is lað to donne þis, forðon þe he scal aȝein ȝeuen awiht; þus þe uniselie þencheð, ‘þes preost wile habben min ehte mid wohe, and ne don me nan oðer bote buten a ic scal festen.’
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)17/18 : Andswere me nu, þu un-ȝesælie saule…hwat hafst ðu swa lange idon on ðare woreld?
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)137/34 : Alswa is ðies beswikene mann niht and daiȝ þeinkinde hwu he muȝe fellen [h]is unȝesali beli mid swete metes and drenches.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)29/29 : Sum uniseli [Corp-C: unseli], hwon heo seide þet heo schrof hire, haueð i-schriuen hire al to wundre; uor þi owen þe gode euer to habben witnesse.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)76/33 : Heo brekeð salomon uoreward mit te uni-seli semei, and is to deaðe i demed.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)151/5 : Wið hope þet is wiðute dred, mid ouertrust, is þes vniselies sawe þet dauid seið i þe sauter: ‘Secundum multitudinem ire sue non requiret.’
b
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)54/34 : Þreo arlease scylden we gehyrden, ungesælige mærsunge his [Herod’s] gebyrdtide, & þa unstæððige hleapunge þæs mædenes, & þæs fæder dyrstigen aðsware.
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.VA (Vsp D.14)14/10 : Manig mann næfeð æhte, & hafeð modignysse swa þeh, & is earm for wurlde & ungesælig for Gode, þonne he arærð his mod mid modignysse ongean Gode, & nele on his ermðe eadmodnysse healden.
- a1150(?OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)67/12 : Antichristus…byð acænnod on þan ungesæligen wongstyde þe Corozaim hatte.
- c1175(OE) Bod.Hom.Nicod.(Bod 343)10/8 : Þa unisæliȝe [OE þa ungesæligan] his sæȝe ne ilyfdon.
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)109 : Vniseli bið þe ȝitsere þe þurh his iselhðe leosað…ac iselie beoð efre þa mildheortan.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)1958 : Þe king hauede tweie sunen, beiene vniselie [Otho: oni-seli]…swa wode and swa wiþer-warde þat al heo weren vn-sahte &…vn-some, & eiþer hateden oþer.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2001,2003 : Þeo uniseli moder þus hire sune murðde…þe uniselie moder mid sexe hine to-snæde, & al to-dælde lim from oþere.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)99/40 : Purgatorie and helle, Hy beþ so lyte by-leued…Hem wolde douty more A lytel pyne her Þane ham wolde al þat sore And on-ysely fer.