A Concise Dictionary of Middle English from A.D. 1150 to 1580

by A. L. Mayhew; Walter W. Skeat

[ Elde], sb. an age (of the world), age, time of a man’s life, maturity, full age, old age, length of time, PP, S, S2, S3, G; eelde, W; ealde, S; helde, S; ulde, MD; eld, MD, S2; held, S2; eild, S2.—AS. eldu, yldu. See [Old].

[ Elde], v. to grow old, H; elded, pp., S2; eldid, H.—AS. ealdian.

[ Elder], comp. older, S, C2; see [Old].

[ Elderne], sb. pl. ancestors, S2; see [Alder].

[ Eldryn], adj. old, H. Comb.: eldryn-man, old man, elder, H.

[ Ele], sb. oil, MD, S; eoli, S; eolie, S. Comb.: ele-sæw, oil, S.—AS. ele; Late Lat. olium (cp. It. olio); Lat. oleum; Gr. ἔλαιον, from ἐλαία, an olive-tree; cp. OHG. oli (Tatian).

[ Eleccioun], sb. election, choice, S2.—OF. election; Lat. electionem.

[ Ele-lendisch], adj. foreign; elelendis, MD.—AS. ele-lendisc, of a foreign land.

[ Elendisch], adj. foreign; helendis, MD.—From AS. ellende (Voc.).

[ Elenge], adj. protracted, tedious, wearisome, dreary, lonely; also (by confusion with AS. ellende) strange, foreign, PP, HD; elynge, PP; elyng, PP; alenge, NED, HD; alange, NED, Prompt.—AS. ǽ-lenge, lengthy, tedious; ǽ, ever + lenge, long, from lang.