| 释义 |
† ˈbilewhit, a. Obs.
Forms: 1 bilewit(e, bilwit, 1–2 bylewite, 2 bylehwit(t), 3 bilewhit, -ehwit.
[Etymology doubtful: prob. f. OTeut. *bili-, cogn. w. OIr. bil good, mild, and found in OHG. billich, mod.G. billig just, reasonable + wit; giving the sense ‘mild of wit or mind.’ Cf. G. bilwiz ‘a good friendly house-spirit,’ Grimm Germ. Myth. (ed. 4) III. 137 (Eng. ed. II. 473), and billy-blind. The interpretation ‘white of bill,’ like a young bird (f. OE. bile + hwít), was current at an early date, as shown by 12th c. spellings; cf. F. bec-jaune, G. gelb-schnabel, though these are depreciative rather than laudatory; and it must be noted that the earlier spellings had not hwít, but wite.]
Mild, gentle, clement; innocent, simple.
c890K. ælfred Bæda iv. xxiv. in Sweet Reader 50 Swa swa he hluttre mode and bilewite ond smyltre willsumnesse Dryhtne ðeowde. c950Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xi. 29 Biluit [ic] am. [c 975 Rushw. G. mild, c 1000Ags. G. bilwite, v.r. bylewite, c 1150Royal MS. bylewit, c 1160Hatton bylehwit.] c975Rushw. G. Matt. x. 16 Bilwite swa swa culfra. [c 1000 Ags. G. bylwite, c 1150Royal MS. bylewitte, c 1160Hatton bylehwitte.] 1123O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1041 He wæs swiðe god man and swiðe bilehwit. c1200Ormin 6654 Shepisshe & bilewhit, All clene off ille þohhtess. a1225St. Marher. 22 Þe engles..sungen on hire bodi bilehwit and blesceden hit. |