† dighel, a.
Forms: 1 d{iacu}eᵹel, d{iacu}eᵹol, d{yacu}ᵹel, 3 diᵹel.
[OE. d{iacu}eᵹel, -ol (:—OTeut. *daugilo-), found beside déaᵹol (:—daugolo-), = OHG. taugal, tougal (daugal, dougal) dark, secret: cf. tougan, dougan concealed, secret.]
Secret, obscure.
| Beowulf 2719 Hie dyᵹel lond wariᵹeað. a 1000 Be Domes Dæge (1876) 40 Þæt hit ne sy dæᵹcuð þæt þæt dihle wæs. Ibid. 135 Diᵹle ᵹeþancas. a 1250 Owl & Night. 2 Ich was..In one swiþe diȝele hale. c 1275 Lay. 26935 Hii comen in one wode..in one dale deope, diȝele bi-halues [c 1205 diȝelen bihælues]. |
Hence ˈdighelliche, digheliche (also dihlice, diȝeliche, dieliche) adv., secretly; ˈdighelness (diȝelnesse, dihelness), secrecy; also ˈdighenlich a. [cf. OHG. tougan], secret; ˈdighenliche adv., secretly.
| c 893 ælfred Oros. ii. i. §5 Þurh Godes dieᵹelnessa. Ibid. vi. xxi, He wearð dieᵹellice cristen. c 961 æthelwold Rule St. Benet (1885) 134 Swa dihlice wuniende. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xiii. 35 Ic bodiᵹe diᵹelnesse. a 1200 Winteney Rule St. Benet xxvii. (1888) 67 Hiȝ scullan oft dihlice ealde witan..sændan. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 191 He secheð forte þat he open fint, and diȝeliche smuhȝð þer inne. c 1200 Ormin 5501 Full wel tunnderrstanndenn Off all þe boc in Godess hus Þe deope diȝhellness. c 1205 Lay. 415 Assaracus hit redde mid diȝenliche runen. Ibid. 13539 Forð riht faren we him to, diȝelliche & stille. a 1225 St. Marher. 16 To understonden so derne þing ant so derf, of godes dihelnesse. c 1275 Lay. 6659 Diȝenliche [1205 duȝeliche] hine bi-witie, and his name deorne. |