▪ I. ettle, v. Since 14th c. only north. dial.
(ˈɛt(ə)l)
Forms: 3 atli-en, 3–5 atle, 3–4 north. (h)aght-, eghtel, -il, 4–5 attel(e, -y, attle, ettill(e, (4 aghli, ahtil, atyle, eitle, ettele, -elle, -ylle, 5 attel(l, atthill, ettil, 6 attile), 4–6 etle, (7 attill, 7–9 dial. eckle), 3– ettle.
[a. ON. ætla (also etla, atla) to think, conjecture, purpose, destine, apportion:—prehistoric *ahtila, *ehtla (whence some of the ME. forms), f. OTeut. *ahtâ (OE. eaht, OHG. ahta, mod.G. acht) consideration, attention, f. root of Goth. aha ‘νοῦς’, understanding, ahma soul. From the same nominal base without -l- suffix are OE. eahtian, OHG. ahtôn (mod.G. achten) to esteem, consider.]
I. To purpose (and senses derived from this).
1. trans. a. With inf. as obj. (usually preceded by to); To intend, purpose, plan; to make it one's object, to endeavour. (In most instances this may be taken as intr. with inf. of purpose; hence the vb. was occas. followed by thereto referring to an inf. in context.)
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 79 Wolde him seluen wreke gif he mihte and þerto ettleð and abit his time. a 1300 Cursor M. 16384 (Cott.) O yur king þat es in hand, quat aghtel yee do þan? 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 5784 A doghter..Þe whilk he luved specialy And eghtild to mak hir qwene of worshepe. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 27 An aunter in erde I attle to schawe. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints, Magdalena 279 Þi husband eitlise þare-to..To helpe þe puyre of his riches. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 520 Syr Arthure es thyne enmye fore ever, And ettelles to bee overlynge of þe empyre of Rome. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2965 Hit were..semly for wemen, Þaire houses to haunt &..þere onesty attell to saue. a 1400–50 Alexander 15, I forwith ȝow all ettillis to schewe Of ane Emperoure. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 16 Eckle or Ettle, to aim, intend, design. 1808 J. Mayne Siller Gun iv, To bell the cat wi' sic a scrow, Some swankies ettled. 1863 J. Nicholson Poems, The Burnie, So bent on the bauble we ettle aye to win, The best o' life's blessings we lee far behin'. |
b. With n. (or pron.) as obj.: To purpose, seek to bring about (a result).
| 1513 Douglas æneis xii. xiii. 14 Quhat purposis or etlis thou now? lat see. 1774 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' 35 They wad think it a braw scheme..Mischief to ettle. |
c. refl. To intend (= ON. ætlask).
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 554, Bee Estyre..I ettylle my selfene, To hostaye in Almayne. a 1400–50 Alexander 2829 (Dublin MS.) Þou..ettlys þe [Ashm. MS. etils to] sir Alexander efte to assayle. |
2. To destine, ordain, assign. Const. dat. of persons, for, to: also simply, and with complement or complemental inf.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 9426 (Cott.) Qua herd euer spek o mare bliss, Þan aghteld [Trin. ordeyned] was adam and his? Ibid. 21759 Godd þat haghtils ilkin stat. c 1400 Destr. Troy 394 She was eldist and heire etlit to his londes. Ibid. 6775 Pepull, Þat by ordynaunse of Ector was etlit to hym. 1513 Douglas æneis i. i. 30 This Goddes etlit..This realme to be..mastres To all landis. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxxiv, ‘He drees the doom he ettled for me’. 1832–53 A. Laing in Whistle-binkie (Sc. Songs) Ser. iii. 29 I'll bless the doom I hae to dree That ettled her, my Highland maid, To dwell in Borristoun wi' me! |
3. To direct (speech or actions) to an object; esp. to aim (a blow or missile) at a person or a mark (also fig.); absol. or intr. to take aim (at).
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 6399 He auntrid vpon Ector, atlit hym a dynt. a 1400–50 Alexander 2322 To all you of atthenys þus atthill I my sawes. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 269 Bot Wallace..Folowed on him, and a straik etlyt fast. a 1500 Eger & Grine 992 in Furniv. Percy Folio I. 385 Grine..attilde him a dint that bote full well. 1513 Douglas æneis v. ix. 37 Mynestheus..Onto the heid has halit wp on hie, Baith arrow and ene etland at the merk. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. i. i. (1849) 3 To ettle at butts. 1862 A. Hislop Prov. Scot. 7 Aft ettle, whiles hit. |
| fig. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. II. iv. xi. 90, I was persuaded he had something to ettle at me. |
b. intr. To direct one's course.
| c 1205 Lay. 25996 Hete we nu þene eotend bi-lafuen and atlien [c 1275 go we] to þan kinge. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 15 Þat Alixandre wiþ his ost atlede þidire. c 1400 Destr. Troy 7424 Ector eftirsons ettlyt on Achilles. Ibid. 8989 Eneas afterward etlit anone. 1513 Douglas æneis ix. ix. 66 Quhayr thikkest was the pres thar etlis he. 1876 Whitby Gloss., ‘Ill ettle for yam’, Ill turn my steps homeward. |
c. To aim at (a thing); to make an effort at.
| 1725 Ramsay Gentle Sheph. i. ii, When a they ettle at—their greatest wish Is to be made o' and obtain a kiss. 1820 Scott Monast. xvii, They that ettle at the top of a ladder will at least get up some rounds. 1873 F. K. Robinson in Gloss. W. Riding Yorksh. (E.D.S.) s.v. Ettle, I've been ettling after a new place. |
4. To arrange, set in order, range; to prepare.
| a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. ix. 35 Hire teht aren..Evene set ant atled al. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2376 Arowes and other geire atled I anon. |
b. refl. To prepare oneself. Cf. 1 c.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 1157 Þan etils him sir Alexander. 1515 Scot. Field 180 Our english men ful merrilye attilde them to shoote. Ibid. 318 Soe eagerly with Ire attilld them to meete. |
II. 5. trans. To guess, conjecture, divine. Also absol.
| c 1205–75 [cf. ettling vbl. n.]. c 1350 Will. Palerne 813 Alisaundrine anon atteled þat time, & knewe wel bi hire craft. Ibid. 941 Alysaundrine anon attlede alle here þouȝtes. |
Hence ˈettlement, intention. ˈettler, a schemer, an aspirant.
| 1787 Grose Provinc. Gloss., Ettlement, intention. 1825–79 Jamieson, Ettlement, intention. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. xxx, His father, through all the time of the first king Charles, an eydent ettler for preferment. |
▪ II. ettle, n.1
(ˈɛt(ə)l)
[f. ettle v.]
1. Aim, intent, purpose.
| 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 213 Nannie..flew at Tam wi' furious ettle. 1832–53 Whistle-Binkie (Sc. Songs) Ser. ii. 51 Ill tarry nane to tell..The ettle o' my eeran. |
2. Chance, opportunity.
| 1768 Ross Helenore iii. But fainness to be hame, that burnt my breast, Made me to tak the ettle when it keest. |
▪ III. ˈettle, n.2
Dial. form of nettle; cf. adder for nadder, etc.
| 1688 Churchw. Acc. Minchinghampt. in Archæol. XXXV. 451 For cutting of ettles. 1842 Akerman Wiltsh. Gloss., Ettle, a nettle. 1884 Upton-on-Severn Gloss., Ettles, nettles. |