welladay, int. (n., v.) Now arch. and dial.
(ˈwɛləˈdeɪ)
Forms: 6 well a daye, 6–7 wel(-)aday, (8 wel-a-day), 6 wellada, 7 wel-adaie, weleaday, welady, welody, welliday, 7, 9 well a-day, 6– well-a-day, welladay. Also 6, 8–9 Sc. and dial. wal(l)aday; 6 wer(e)aday, 9 dial. werraday.
[altered f. wellaway, by substitution of day (or aday), as in wo worth the day, lackaday.]
A. int. An exclamation expressing sorrow or lamentation; = alas! Also with ah or O prefixed.
| c 1570 W. Elderton in Collect. B.L. Ballads etc. (1867) 1 Well a daye, well a daye, well a daye, woe is me. 1570 Levins Manip. 196/42 Wel aday, heu, hei. 1591 Spenser Virg. Gnat 417 Ah (waladay) there is no end of paine. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. ii. 37 A welady [Q. 2 weraday], hee's dead, hee's dead. Ibid. iv. v. 15 Oh weladay [Q. 2 wereaday], that euer I was borne. 1599 T. Cutwode Caltha Poet. (Roxb.) xxxix, But walladay, he was not there aware of Cupids shaft. 1602 W. S. Thomas Ld. Cromwell iv. ii. 22 A, welliday for my Cowe! 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 198 Alas and weladay, what shall we doe? 1648 Herrick Hesper., Mad Maid's Song iii, Alack and welladay! 1652 C. B. Stapylton Herodian xiii. 105 Then quire of Boys and Ladies sighing Welody, With Hymns and Pæans making dolefull Melody. 1719 D'Urfey Pills VI. 284 Alack and a welladay. 17.. Gaberlunzie-man v. in Ramsay's Tea-t. Misc. (1762) I. 79 She clapt her hand, cry'd, Waladay. 1781 Cowper Hope 428 Well-a-day, the title page was lost! 1798 Coleridge Anc. Mar. ii. 135 [139] Ah wel-a-day! [later well a-day!] what evil looks Had I from old and young. 1813 Moore Two-penny Post Bag viii. 35 Thou know'st the time, too, well-a-day! It takes to dance that chalk away. 1842 Barham Ingol. Leg., Lay St. Cuthbert, Well a day! Well a day! All he can say Is but just so much trouble and time thrown away. 1851 Hawthorne Twice-told T. I. viii. 154 But, welladay, we hear a shrill voice of affliction. 1888 Sheffield Gloss., Werraday, welladay. |
b. in reduplicated form
wella, welladay.
| 1805 G. McIndoe Poems 92 The precious clay, Which in the tomb, with tears, I laid, Wella welladay! 1820 Keats Eve St. Agnes xiii, And as she mutter'd ‘Well-a—well-a-day!’ |
B. n. The utterance of this exclamation; lamentation; a lament.
| 1582 T. Watson Centurie of Love lxxxii. (Arb.) 118 At last, though late, farewell olde wellada. 1597 Beard Theatre God's Judgem. i. xvi. 57 Their ioyfull song was turn'd to mournfull cries, And all their gladnesse chang'd to welladaies. 1598 Petowe 2nd Pt. Hero & Leander C iij b, This all alone sad Lady gan to play Framing sweet musick to her welladay. 1608 Shakes. Per. iv. iv. 49 (1st Qo.) His daughters woe and heauie welladay. 1814 Mrs. J. West Alicia de Lacy II. 291 Her ears were alternately assailed by the peccavis of penitence and the well-a-days of love. |
| transf. 1593 G. Harvey New Let. Notable Cont. C 2 b, Let him be the Falanta downe-didle of Ryme, the Hayhohalliday of Prose, the Walladay of new writers. |
C. v. intr. To cry ‘welladay’.
nonce-use.
| 1835 Clare Rural Muse 153 The swains are sighing all, and well-a-daying. |