▪ I. † nill, n.1 Obs.
Also 6 nyll(e, 6–8 nil.
[ad. med.L. nīl (nihil), a rendering of G. nichts, taken in the usual sense of ‘nothing’, but in this connexion really a reduced form of oˈnychitis, L. onychītis (Pliny), Gr. ὀνυχῖτις (Dioscorides).]
White oxide or flowers of zinc (by early chemists called nil or nihil album).
There is no evidence that the term has ever been really current in English, but from being used to render pompholyx and spodium it has found its way into the dictionaries, in which it latterly appears with a number of erroneous definitions (see quots.).
| 1545 Elyot, Pompholix is an herbe which (as Manardus writeth) is that which the Apothecaries dooe call Nill [ed. 1552 omits is an herbe whiche]. 1558 Warde tr. Alexis' Secr. i. (1559) 8 Take..of Nill a dragme. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Pompholix.., the sperkles or ashes that commeth of brasse tried in the furneis, and is of Apothecaries called Nyll, much vsed in medicines of the Eyes. 1585 Higins tr. Junius' Nomencl. 408/1 Pompholyx.., the foile that commeth of brasse, and the ore of brasse, which is so light that it flieth like a feather in the aire, and is called Nil. 1611 Cotgr., Pompholige, Nil; the light oare, or foyle of Brasse. 1632 Sherwood, Nill, les escailles d'airain. 1656 in Blount Glossogr. [copying Cooper. Similarly Bailey, 1721.] 1696 Phillips, Nil, the sparkles that flie from Metals tried in a Furnace. It is called in Greek Pompholyx, or Spodium. 1736 Ainsworth, Nil [the shadings of brass in trying], æris & cadmiæ favilla. 1755 Johnson, Nill, the shining sparks of brass in trying and melting the ore. [Hence in Webster 1828–47, and Ogilvie 1850.] 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk. 497 Nill, scales of hot iron at the armourer's forge. Also, the stars of rockets. |
▪ II. † nill, n.2 Obs.
Forms: 6 nyll, 7 nil(l.
[f. the vb.]
An instance of ‘nilling’; a disinclination or aversion to something.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 293 b, Where is one wyll and one nyll in all thynges. 1579 Twyne Phis. agst. Fortune i. xxvii. 36 b, Some..haue fealt..yf a man may so tearme it, a wyll and a nyll at one instant. 1656 Hobbes Liberty, Necess. & Chance (1841) 362 Though a man have in every long deliberation a great many wills and nills. 1677 Gale Crt. Gentiles iv. 262 God begins to wil or nil nothing; al his wils and nils are eternal. |
▪ III. nill
dial. var. of neeld, needle.
▪ IV. nill, v. Now arch.
(nɪl)
Forms: (see below).
[OE. (pres. t.) nylle, nyle, nelle, nele, etc., = OFris. nil, nel(e, nelle, f. ne ne 3 a + wille, wile will v. In the Lindisf. Gosp. the more original forms nwill, nuill also occur.
In early use another negative freq. occurs in the sentence.]
I. intr. To be unwilling, not to will.
1. Const. with infinitive (without to). Sometimes also denoting simple futurity. a. pres. tense (and inf.)
(α) 1st and 3rd sing. 1 nylle, 1, 4 nyle, 1, 3–4 nile, 4–6 nil, nyl(l, 5 nylle, nille, 5– nill. 2nd sing. 1, 4–5 nylt, 3–6 nilt (Orm. nillt), 6 nillest(e. pl. 1 nyllað, -eð, 3 nilenn, 4 nylen, nill. inf. 6–7 nill.
| 835 Charter in O.E. Texts 447 Ᵹif min wiif ðonne hia nylle mid clennisse swæ ᵹehaldan. a 900 Cynewulf Christ 683 Nyle he ænᵹum anum ealle ᵹesyllan gæstes snyttru. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) lxxiv. 8 Nyle he þa dærstan him don unbryce. c 1200 Ormin 2091 Whase nile trowwenn þiss He slaþ hiss aȝhenn sawle. Ibid. 6278 Ȝiff þu nillt nohht hatenn himm Þatt hateþþ þe. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1806 Self his kinde nile ðat wune forᵹeten. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1261 Nabuzardan nyl neuer stynt. 1388 Wyclif Isa. i. 20 That if ȝe nylen,..swerd schal deuoure ȝou. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 3952 Y my-self nyl not be y-buryed þere. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) 71 Yf thou nylt I shal..[thee] never more doughtir calle. 1551 Dr. Haddon's Exhort. in Furnivall Ball. I. 325 Thow arte too bownde, that wake thow nillest, for no distres. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. May 151 If I may rest, I nill live in sorrowe. 1616 R. C. Times' Whistle 120 Marriage they nill admitt by any meanes. |
(β) 1st and 3rd sing. 1–4 nelle, nele, 1, 3–5 nel, (3 neolle, neole, neol). 2nd sing. 1–4 nelt. pl. 1 nellað, 2 nelleð, 3 -eþ, 4 nelen.
| Beowulf 679 Ic hine sweorde swebban nelle. 971 Blickl. Hom. 45 Ᵹif hi nellaþ healdan Godes æwe. c 1000 ælfric Exod. v. 21 He nele þin word ᵹehiran. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1086 Hi nellað lufian God & rihtwisnesse. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 41 Synfulle men þe heued-synnes don habbeð and nelleð þerof no shrift nimen. c 1275 Passion our Lord 146 in O.E. Misc. 41 Ic nele neuer þe vorsake. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 11518 Ȝif hit be so..Þat þou nelt come at þy day. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xi. 22 Til þow be a lorde..leten þe I nelle. c 1400 26 Pol. Poems 18/106 Many..nelen non othere counscil crave. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 157 He wille not begyle, ne bigilid he nel not be. |
(γ) 1st and 3rd sing. 2–3 nulle, nule, 3–4 nul, nolle, 4–5 nol. 2nd sing. 3–4 nult, (6 Sc.) nolt. pl. 3–4 nulleð, -eþ, -eth, nolle(þ, 7 Sc. noll.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 29 He nule nefre mare eft ȝedon þeo sunnen. c 1205 Lay. 1447 Nawit for his forbode nulle ich hit bileuen. a 1250 Owl & Night. 909 Hwi nultu fare to Noreweie? Ibid. 1764 Hwi nulleth hi nimen heom to rede? 1297 R. Glouc. Chron. (Rolls) 7222 Hii nolleþ no god þing ihure ne yse. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. viii. 32 Such tiding mei tide y nul nout teme. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 344 We nolle sclepe in no sclowþe. 1399 Pol. Poems (Rolls) I. 363 Ther nul no stych with odur abyde. c 1400 Beryn 189, I wol hym no thing spare That I nol touch his taberd. 1633 Orkney Witch Trial in Abbotsford Club Miscell. 161 He said to yow, Away wich, carling, devill a farthing ye noll fa. |
b. pa. tense.
(α) 1st and 3rd sing. 1–6 nolde (Orm. nollde, 3 nulde), 1–3 nalde, (2 naldde, 3 nælde), 4–6 nold, 6 nould, Sc. nald. 2nd sing. 1 noldes, 1–3 noldest, 1, 3 naldes. pl. 1 noldon, naldon, etc., 3–4 nolden, 4–5 nolde.
(β) 6 nild(e, nilled.
| Beowulf 967 Ic hine ne mihte, þa metod nolde, ganges ᵹetwæman. a 900 Cynewulf Christ 1392 Ða þu lifes word læstan noldes. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark i. 34 Dioblas meniᵹo he fordraf ut..& nalde leta spreca hia. c 1000 ælfric in Assmann Ags. Hom. (1889) i. 229 For ðæs wintres cyle nolde se asolcena eriᵹan. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1106 Se cyng him nolde aᵹifan þæt þe he..uppon him ᵹenumen hæfde. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 5 He mihte ridan ᵹif he walde on riche stede..[yet] nalde he no. a 1225 Ancr. R. 234 [He] bed ure Louerd ȝeorne þet he dude hit from him, and he nolde. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3029 Ðe wicches hidden hem for-ðan, Bi-foren pharaun nolden he ben. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 897 (Kölbing), Whi noldestow vnderstonde, Hou þi kin is brouȝt to schond? 1388 Wyclif Isa. xlii. 24 Thei nolden go in hise weies. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 1593 Þe bysshopus nolde turne non other-weys. 1480 Robt. Devyll in Thoms E. Eng. Prose Rom. (1858) I. 33 Robert nolde ete nor drynke. 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. Prol. 52 Neptunus nold within that palice hant. c 1570 Pride & Lowl. (1841) 10 Whereas..I them beheld.., But nold so much as touche them with my hand. 1590 Greene Wks. (Rtldg.) 301/1 Unto the founts Diana nild repair. 1600 Fairfax Tasso v. xlvii, Thinke how I..Was wronged, yet I nould reuengement take. |
c. imp. (and subj.)
sing.. 1 nyl, nelle, 4 nil, 4–5 (also pl.) nile, nyle. pl. 1 nyllað, nellað, nyllan, nelle, 4 nilles.
Used only in renderings of L. noli, nolite.
| c 825 Vesp. Ps. iv. 5 Eorsiað & nyllað synᵹian. Ibid. xxxvi. 1 Nyl ðu elnian betwih awerᵹde. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) lxi. 10 Nellað ᵹe ᵹewenan welan unrihte. Ibid. cii. 9 Nelle þu oð ende yrre habban. a 1300 E.E. Ps. lxi. 11 Nil þou hope in wickednes. Ibid. lxxiv. 5, I saide to wicked, Nilles do wicli. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 362 Þerfore seiþ Poul aftir, Nyle ȝe ȝyve stede to þe devel. 1388 ― Prov. iii. 27 Nil thou forbede to do wel him that mai. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xviii. 109 Nile ȝe deeme and ȝe schulen not be deemed. |
† 2. With ellipse of go. Obs. rare.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 346 Nylt þou neuer to nunive bi no-kynnez wayez? 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 456 With foules þat fram hym nolde, but folwed his whistellynge. |
† 3. Const. to with infinitive. Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 7585 Your self nold For mykill of þis medill erthe þat myschefe to se. 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. Prol. ii. in Ashm. (1652) 117 Nylling to dwell where Syn is wrought. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxvi. 85 Greit abbais grayth I nill to gather. 1621 Quarles Div. Poems, Esther (1638) 99 The peoples patience nilling to sustaine The hard oppression. 1652 H. L'Estrange Amer. no Jewes 74 'Tis a learned ignorance to nill to know What our great master does not will to show. |
4. In the phrases nill he, will he; nilling, willing, etc. (Cf. will v.)
In these and other cases where will and nill are contrasted, the former usually precedes: for examples see will v.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 23728 Ded has vs wit-sett vr strete, Nil we, wil we, we sal mete. a 1400–50 Alexander 301 Fleme he sall þe toþire [wife].., nyll he so will he. c 1440 Gesta Rom. ii. xxvi. 354 Nylle he wille he, he shalle put forthe his honde. 1629 Reg. Privy Counc. Scot. III. 5 They sould caus fourtie knaves lyke himselffe bring him out nill he wald he. 1657 J. Watts Dipper Sprinkled 73 To take a living from them, to the value of 100l. per annum,..they nilling willing. 1787 Burns Let. to J. Skinner 25 Oct., Your name will be inserted among the other authors—‘Nill ye, will ye’. 1806 Gazetteer Scot. (ed. 2) 253/2 This puts the witch into such an agony, that she comes nilling willing to the house. 1850 Struthers Life Poet. Wks. I. p. xli, Thoughts of this kind frequently..forced themselves into his mind, nil he would he. |
II. trans.
5. Not to will (a thing); to refuse, reject; to negative, prevent from happening, etc.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Thorpe) v. 3 Þu eart se ylca God þe nan unriht nelt. c 1205 Lay. 28103 Ȝif hit weore ilimpe, swa nulle hit ure drihte [etc.]. c 1250 Hymn to Virgin ii. in Trin. Coll. Hom. App. 257 Þu nult noþing bote richt. a 1300 Vox & Wolf 189 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 64 Noltou, quod the wolf, thin ore? a 1330 Roland & V. 94 He brouȝt..Gold & siluer, & riche stones, Ac þerof nold he nouȝt. c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 910 ‘Nay, nay’, quod Plato, ‘certein, that I nille’. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 17 Y chese the yongest of the .iij. doughters, for y nille none other. 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades iv. ii. 590/2 It..nilleth, hateth, and repelleth the euil that the Lorde hath forbidden it. 1615 Jackson Creed iv. vi. Wks. III. 64 Many divine truths..we evidently refuse, or nill, when we come to question about their price. 1650 Baxter Saints' R. iv. ix. §1 If it appeare evil to us, then we Nill it. 1683 J. Corbet Free Actions i. vi. 5 Though God doth not simply Nill the Existence of sin, yet he Nills it so far, as that he hates it. a 1708 Beveridge Priv. Th. ii. (1730) 94 So as to will what he wills..and to nill what he nills. 1778 Arminian Mag. I. 196 He commanded Abraham to offer up Isaac, yet he nilled the execution of it. 1860 Pusey Min. Proph. 20 When to will the same and nill the same, maketh of twain, one spirit. |
† b. With dependent clause. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 105 God nele þet we beon gredie ȝitseras. a 1225 Ancren R. 8 Þauh nullich nout þet ȝe bihoten ham ase heste to holden. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 5055 Wanne god nel noȝt þat it be lengore in vre hond. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 270 She nolde..Hir owne fadir farede welle. 1513 Douglas æneis i. Prol. 271, I nald ȝe traist I saide this for dispyte. 1575 Gascoigne Weedes Wks. 112 Heaven it nolde that there they should them teint. |