▪ I. † ˈwell-ˈwilling, vbl. n. Obs.
1. The act of wishing well (to another); good will, favour, kindly regard.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxlvi. 12 Wellwillynge is til lord on dredand him [Beneplacitum est domino super timentes eum]. c 1450 Merlin xxvii. 505 Better he cowde enforme hem of youre volunte, for he is with hem a-queynted and theire welwellinge. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xviii. 67 By thy well wyllynge, and by the yeftes & alle other thynges that I haue doon vnto the. 1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus C c j, In those daies I wearied thee with my welwilling and yet I am not tired to procure thy wellfare. 1640 tr. Verdere's Rom. of Rom. ii. xx. 75 It begot a well willing in her towards him. a 1708 Beveridge Thes. Theol. (1710) I. 30 Benevolence, or Well-willing, to the Object beloved. |
2. (One's) good pleasure; what it seems good to a person to do, intend, or allow.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxl. 7 My prayere in þaire welewillyngis [oracio mea in beneplacitis eorum]. c 1449 Pecock Repr. iv. iv. 439 This was doon..bi Goddis welwilling that it schulde be doon. c 1450 tr. De Imitatione ii. ix. 50 He chose þe welwillyng of god [divinum beneplacitum] before mannys solace. Ibid. iii. lv. 132 Do wiþ me þi desired welwilling [desideratum beneplacitum tuum]. |
3. Right or virtuous intention; willing what is good.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xvii. 27 Eftere my rightwisnes..That is eftere my welwillynge þat is in my saule. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 355 Pes to the men of welwillinge In erthe be among ous here [Lk. ii. 14]. 1597 Hooker Ecc. Pol. v. lxxxi. §12 Simplie to will proceedeth from nature, but our welwilling is from grace. |
▪ II. ˈwell-ˈwilling, a. (and n.) Now rare or dial.
[Cf. Du. welwillend.]
A. adj. a. Wishing well to another; disposed to be kind or friendly; benevolent, propitious; loyal, well-affected.
| c 1000 Rule of Chrodegang viii, Ne beon hiᵹ modiᵹe..ac..welwyllende, & mildheorte. c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xxvi. 59 Þæt he hraðe dælde þearfum and wædlum mid well⁓willendum mode. 1375 Barbour Bruce v. 41 How that he fand nane weill willand, Bot all war fais that euir he fand. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 214 This fowle is sacred unto Jupiter, The lord of briddis in the highe heven, Wele willyng planete beholdyng from so ferre. 1448 Hen. VI Will in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) I. 379, I..pray my said heirs..that they shewe them self welwillyng feithful and tender lovers of my desire in this behalf. a 1533 Frith Disput. Purgat. i. D iij b, Goddes law requyreth a thynge to be done wyth a well wyllynge harte. 1540 Palsgr. Acolastus Ep. Ded. A ij b, The louyng and well wyllyng subiectes. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 120 His folkis..was nocht so weill willing as he requyred. 1597 J. Melvill Autob. & Diary (Wodrow Soc.) 410 They cam in a loving and weil-willing maner to inquyre. 1611 Cotgr., Bienvueillant, well-willing, fauourable. 1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 20 Aug. 631/1 Not even the most well-willing of critics can escape from its two main flaws. |
| absol. c 897 ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xxxiv. 229 Ða welwillendan [L. benevoli]. 1569 Reg. Privy Council Scot. I. 677 That the weill willing may be rememberit, and the obstinat constrenit to thair dewitie. |
b. Const. to, towards, unto.
| 1390 Gower Conf. II. 18 It semeth love is welwillende To hem that [etc.]. c 1440 Generydes 964 To ther desire the kyng was welewillyng. 1461 Paston Lett. (1904) IV. 14, I knew..not whedyr they wer well wyllyng to yow or not. 1549 J. Old Erasm. Par., Ephes. Prol. {para4}ij, Sondry other curates & ministres..are honest and diligently well wyllynge towardes the trueth. 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Fam. Love 50 b, Those which stand welwilling vnto his instructions. 1598 R. Bernard Terence, Hecyra v. i. (1607) 338 Your speach hath made mee fauorable and welwilling towardes you now. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke Transl. to Reader, Through the persuasions of diuers well⁓willinge Dutchmen to the English natione. 1888 Stevenson Black Arrow Prol. 20 He was one of those who are..ruggedly faithful and well-willing to their friends. |
c. Ready or desirous to (do something).
| c 1440 Generydes 2181 To wayte on hym ther were [they] well willyng. 1585 Burgh Rec. Edin. (1882) IV. 437 Sic persouns..as ar knawin to be..maist cairfull and weill willing to seik the saiftie and preseruatioun of the same. |
† B. n. One who is well disposed to another; a (person's) well-wisher or friend. Obs.
In pl., either unaltered or with s.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 8948 He spak so wyþ þe kyng of þat land, þat he was his wel willand Vpon Bretaigne a route to renge. 1340 Ayenb. 112 Þe echedayes dol þet god yefþ to his wel wilynde. c 1375 Lay-Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.) 368 Oure sib men and oure welewillandes. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 299 If that thou wistest al, What Cheste doth in special To love and to his welwillinge. 1423 in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1430, 30/2 Til al lordis our frenddis and wele willand effectuusly we praye. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. vii. ix. 3048 Oþir gudis..Þat langit til hym or til his men, Or til his weil willandis þen. c 1450 Godstow Reg. 12 To al oure frendes, and wel wyllynges. 1463 Paston Lett. II. 138 Wretyn..Be your welewylland, Abbot of Langeleye. |
Hence † well-willingness.
| c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xxxi. 44 Embe his efencempan he hæfde welwillendnysse and micele lufe. a 1390 Wyclif Bible, Ecclus. Prol., I monest ȝou to comen with wel willingnesse [Vulg. cum benevolentia]. |