seely, a. Obs. (exc. dial.).
(ˈsiːlɪ)
Forms: 3 seoly, 3–6 seli(e, 3–7 sely, 4 sele (celly, selli), 4–5 cely, (selly), 5 cele, 6 sealie, -y, seally(e, seilie, -ye, selle, sellie, sel(l)ye, sielie, -y, zelie, 6–7 seeley, seelye, 6–7, 9 seelie, 5– seely. See also i-seli, and the later silly a.
[Com. WGer.: OE. *sǽliᵹ (implied in the synonymous ᵹesǽliᵹ i-seli a., and in the adv. séliᵹl{iacu}ce seelily) = OFris. sêlich (mod.NFris. salig, WFris. sillich), OS. sâlig, MDu. sâlech (Du. zalig), OHG. sâlig (MHG. sælic, mod.G. selig):—OTeut. type *sǣligo- f. *sǣli-z luck, happiness (Goth. sêls, OE. sǽl: see sele). In ordinary mod. English the word is represented by silly, a form which arose in the 15th c. from a shortening of the vowel, the pronunciation of which had changed from (eː) to something approaching (iː).]
1. (Cf. sele n. 2). ? Observant of due season, punctual.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 13 Ðe ðridde [werke of brihtnesse] is þat man be waker and liht and snel and seli and erliche rise and ȝernliche sech chireche. |
2. Happy, blissful; fortunate, lucky, well-omened, auspicious.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 31 Almiȝtin louerd,..ðu giue me seli timinge To thaunen ðis werdes biginninge. Ibid. 2546 And egipte folc adden nið, for ebris adden seli sið. a 1272 Luue Ron 143 in O.E. Misc. 97 Nere he mayde ful seoly þat myhte wunye myd such a knyhte. a 1300 Cursor M. 3362 Til his behoue haue i þe soght, In seli time. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 503 For sely is that deeth,..That, ofte y-cleped, cometh and endeth peyne. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love ii. x. 108 Than, say I, thou art blisful and fortunat sely, if thou knowe thy goodes that thou hast yet beleved. c 1400 Melayne 392 The by-tide a cely chaunce, thi lyfe was savede this daye. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. 185 In gude tyme and sely to begynne Thair prentissehed. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 452/1 Sely, or happy, felix, fortunatus. 1468 Medulla in Cath. Angl. 56 Felicio, to make sely. 1483 Cath. Angl. 56/1 Cele, vbi happy. |
3. Spiritually blessed, enjoying the blessing of God. Said of persons, their condition or experiences.
| a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1421 Þurh seli martirdom. a 1225 Ancr. R. 108, & tu seli ancre, þet ert his seli spuse, leorne hit ȝeorne of him þet [etc.]. a 1240 Lofsong in O.E. Hom. 205 Bisech for me þine seli sune Milce and merci and ore. c 1340 Abbey of Holy Ghost in Hampole's Wks. (1895) I. 326 A Jhesu, blyssede [es] þat abbaye and cely es þat religione. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxiv. (Alexis) 74 In pathmos als þe angel brycht Schawyt hyme ful sely sycht. c 1400 Primer in Maskell Mon. Rit. (1846) II. 11 Resp: Cely [orig. felix] art thou, hooli virgyne marie, and worthiest al maner preisyng. |
4. Pious, holy, good.
| a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1453 Tac read, seli meiden, to þe seoluen. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1986 Ðor was in helle a sundri stede, wor ðe seli folc reste dede;..Til ihesu crist fro ðeden he nam. c 1275 On Serving Christ 53 in O.E. Misc. 92 Þureh his [John the Baptist's] sely sermun serewe him wes by⁓þouht. c 1450 Mankind 426 in Macro Plays 16 Lady, helpe! sely darlynge, vene, vene! |
| absol. a 1225 Ancr. R. 64 Þis is nu inouh of þisse witte iseid et tisse cherre, to warnie þeo selie. |
| Proverb. c 1290 Beket 216 in S. Eng. Leg. 112 Seli child is sone i-lered. c 1386 Chaucer Prioress' T. 60 For sely [v.r. cely] child wold alday soone lere. a 1450 Ratis Raving iii. 3265 For sely barnis are eith to leire. |
5. Innocent, harmless. Often as an expression of compassion for persons or animals suffering undeservedly.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. 453/138 ‘Alas’, he seide, ‘þis seli best: þat no-þing ne doth a-mis!’ 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6453 To þe king of hongri þis seli children twie He sende uor to norisi þat he wardede hom wel beye. a 1300 Havelok 499 With⁓drow þe knif, þat was lewe Of þe seli children blod. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 584 Gret was..the repentance Of hem that hadden wronge suspecioun Vpon this sely Innocent Custance. c 1475 Henryson Orpheus & Eurydice 336 Acab and quene iesabell, Quhilk sely nabot..For his wyne yarde wyth outyn pitee sleue. a 1529 Skelton Col. Cloute 578 And thus the loselles stryues, And lewdely sayes by Christ Agaynst the sely preest. 1545 Joye Exp. Dan. vi. M v, Sely innocent Daniell was caste into the lyons. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utopia ii. vi. (1895) 200 To see a seely innocent hare murdered of a dogge. a 1604 Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1633) 114 And murther the poore and seely people, which God wot, meant no harme. [1884 Symonds Shaks. Predec. iii. 135 A racy sense of what such seely shepherds may have gathered from an angel's song.] |
6. Deserving of pity or sympathy; pitiable, miserable, ‘poor’; helpless, defenceless.
Cf. silly a. 1, 1 b.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 781 Þis word dude muche wo to þis seli olde king. a 1300 Cursor M. 13972 A seli sin-ful sco was an, And first als a comun womman. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 683 To helpen sely Troilus of his wo. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. 44 Quhy lest god mak ȝou so, my derrest hert, To do a sely prisoner thus smert. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 201 Sely Scotland, that of helpe has gret neide. 1530 Palsgr. 323/2 Sely or fearfull, paoureux. Sely wretched, meschant. a 1542 Wyatt in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 86 At the threshold her sely fote did trippe. 1551 Robinson tr. More's Utopia ii. ix. (1895) 301 But thies seilie poore wretches be presently tormented with barreyne and vnfrutefull labour. 1573–80 Tusser Husb. (1878) 113 Grasse, thistle and mustard seede,..Are very ill neighbours to seely poor hop. 1590 C'tess Pembroke Antonie 1466 The seelie man [Fr. le miserable]..Me battaile gaue. 1602 Carew Cornwall ii. 112 The seely Gentlewomen, without regard of sexe or shame, were stripped from their apparrell to their verie smockes. 1609 Bible (Douay) Isa. x. 30 Attend Laisa, seelie poore [Vulg. paupercula] Anathoth. [1858 Kingsley Misc. (1859) I. 148 The famous castle of Malepartus which beheld the base murder of Lampe, the hare, and many a seely soul beside.] |
b. Often of the soul, as in danger of divine judgement.
| 1310 St. Brendan (Bälz) 584 Þe develen come blaste To lede to helle þis seli [c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. sori] gost. c 1330 Spec. Gy Warw. 576 Þu most..þenke þat god it þe sende, Þi seli soule to amende. 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 502 My sely saull salbe saif, quhen sa bot [? read Sabaot] all iugis. 1529 More Supplic. Soulys Wks. 321/2 The paynes that selye soules feele when they be departed thence. |
7. Insignificant, trifling; mean, poor; feeble.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2528 Of an holi prechors word hii nolde noȝt so ofte þenche As of þe murye word..of the seli wenche. a 1300 Expos. Cross 458 (Ashm.) in Leg. Rood (1871) 54 Vp an seli asse he rod. a 1400 Mandeville (1839) xxix. 293 And for to apparaylle with oure bodyes wee usen a sely litylle clout, for to wrappen in our careynes. 1461 Paston Lett. II. 22, I se his slouthe and sely labour, which is no labour. c 1540 tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden) 193 Egbertus..in moste ample wise hadde enlarged the seelie littell kingdom. 1563 Homilies ii. Agst. Gluttony 107 Holophernes..hadde his head strycken from his shoulders by that sely woman Iudith. 1568 Jacob & Esau ii. i. C j, And not one siely bitte we got since yesterday. 1577 Kendall Flowers of Epigr. 75 b, Lerned Luther..how far doth he both twayn Surmount, who with his seely pen to yeld doth both constraine. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 56 Whilst the mountains doe trauell, a seely mouse will be brought forth. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 1812 He with the Romians was esteemed so As seelie ieering idiots are with Kings, For sportiue words, and vttring foolish things. 1603 Florio Montaigne ii. xv. 358 There is a Nation, where the enclosures of Gardens and Fields they intend to keep several, are made with a seely twine of cotton. 1613–16 W. Browne Brit. Past. i. ii. 40 Hauing layne Her in a Boate like the Cannowes of Inde, Some seely trough of wood, or some trees rinde. 1642 D. Rogers Naaman 67 Commonly the Lord effects those things which are of greatest consequence, by poore and seely meanes. [1839 Kingsley Poems, In Illum. Missal 7 My love, my song, my skill, my high intent, Have I within this seely book y-pent.] |
b. Frail, worn-out, crazy.
| 1562 W. Bullein Bulwarke, Dial. Sorenes & Chir. 24 b, We see the like effecte in olde selie bodies whiche..bee continually eaten up of ulcers. 1587 Turberv. Trag. T., To R. Baynes 32 The Pilot..Beset with stormes,..knowes not howe to saue His sielie barke, but lets the rudder goe. [1847 Kingsley Poems, Red King 67 By Mary's grace a seely boat On Christchurch bar did lie afloat.] |
8. Foolish, simple, silly.
| a 1529 Skelton Col. Cloute 1246 Nor of theyr noddy polles, Nor of theyr sely soules. 1573–80 Tusser Husb. (1878) 107 With such seelie huswiues no penie is found. 1583 Babington Commandm. (1590) 265 In pride wee speake it, or at least inwardlie thinke it, wee are not as those seely Idiotes are. 1605 Camden Rem., Wise Sp. 224 The fellow seemed but a seely soule, and sate still, and sayde nothing. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. 127 Holding those that deale more honestly..to be..poore seely fooles, that want wit. |