Middle English Dictionary Entry
wei-lā̆-wei n.
Entry Info
| Forms | wei-lā̆-wei n. Also weillowei, wailawaie, walewo, welewo, welowo, wellaiwo, (N) wailwai & (late) welliwei. |
| Etymology | From wei-lā̆-wei interj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The utterance of wei-la-wei, lamentation; maken ~;
(b) sorrow, grief; woe, distress, affliction; ?also, a curse [quot. a1450(?1419-20)];
(c) singen of ~, to lament; also, with that clause: express regret (that sth. occurred);
(d) hire (his) song was ~, min song is made of ~, etc., she (he) expressed (I express) grief, dismay, or remorse, she (he) was (I am) in such a state of misery as to make such utterance likely or frequent, etc.; also with that clause expressing the grounds for lamentation [quot. a1420].
Associated quotations
a
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)22/16 : Ne lates þet summe oþerhwules weilawei unkundeliche makieð.
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)87/1478 : Rymenhilde…makede walaway [vr. weylawey].
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)142 : To Wincherster þai flowen þo Wiþ mani siȝhing and walewo.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)4262 : Litel mete com hem among, Bot Waileway and wepeing strong.
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)59/190 : Þer was sikeing and wayleway.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)35/193 : Now wyl I go…With sore syeng and wel away.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)4910 : Þe body rooteth away; Þe soule to peine wiþ weilaway.
b
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bern.(Dgb 86)762/17 : Al þat ioye is went away, Þat wele is comen [vr. turnd] to weylaway.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2374 : Þy mede shal be welaway.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11222 : So, betwyxe fals and coueytous, ys welaweye [vr. weleawey] broȝt to hous.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24352 : Bot quen i raxsild vp in rage, I ne wist bot wail wai.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)22472 : Quar-to sulde we be borne to-day & se bot sorou & waleway?
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)23702 : Þe erþ…neuer-mare forþ fra þat day ne bes þer-in na waleway [Vsp: harms].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.227 : Wote no wighte…what is witterly wel til weyllowey hym teche.
- a1450(?1419-20) Topias (Dgb 41)101/911 : Þou shalt haue þe popis curse…þe curse…ȝouun to Caym…þe weleaway of Gelboþ hilles, Þe sorowe of Sodome.
- c1450 Kynge of grace (Trin-C B.11.24)112 : The x day ys day of welaway.
- c1450 PPl.B (RwlPoet 38)14.235 : He hath a greuous penaunce, Þat is welawo [C vr. welowo] whan he waketh and wepeth for colde…so he is neuere murie.
c
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)15366 : He mai sing of wailwai!
- a1425(c1300) NHom.(1) Alex.(Ashm 42)202 : I maie singe of wailewaie Þat euer i was of modir borne!
- a1500 Maysters that (BodAdd A.106)34 : Fowre dayes er in may, þat gres [read: gers] men syng of walaway.
d
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)220 : Al þi song is wailawai.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1852 : Oft his song was Waileway.
- c1350 St.Greg.(Cleo D.9)58/298 : Hire songe was wope and weilaway.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5682 : Hure song was welewo.
- c1390 Dial.Bern.& V.(2) (Vrn)244 : Þei stripte hym…And beoten him…þen was my song Weilaway.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3911 : Ful ofte a day hir song was weylaway, With sobbyng vois, þat sche so fer a-way Departid is from hir Menelaus.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1166 : His song ful ofte is weylaway [vrr. weloway, welleaway].
- (c1434) Ffor þu art (BodLTh d.1)12 : But þou spendyte well ere þou goo, þin song for euer is well-ay-woo.
- c1440(a1350) Isumb.(Thrn)140 : Thayre sange was waylawaye [vr. well awaye].
- a1450 Þow þu be kyng (Sln 2593)p.240 : Thow thou be bothe stef and strong…Wellawey xal be thi song.
- c1475 Brm.Abraham (Brm)234 : So welawey may be my songe.
- a1500 How suld I now (BodAdd A.106)14 : My songe is mad of walaway.
- c1500 Lament.Sinner (Ashm 61)60 : In delycate metes I sette my delyte…that make this wormys on me to byte, therfore my song is well-y-wey.