Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman exile, exill, exille, exhille, Anglo-Norman and Middle French exil, Middle French exssil (French exil ), alteration (after classical Latin exilium : see below) of Anglo-Norman essile , eisil , Anglo-Norman and Old French eissil , Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French essil prolonged absence from one's native country, banishment (early 12th cent.), ruin, devastation, destruction (early 12th cent.; c1100 as exill in sense ‘distress, torment’), destitution, deprivation (12th cent.: see below), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin exilium (also exsilium) fact or condition of banishment, in post-classical Latin also waste, ruin, destruction (frequently from late 12th cent. in British sources) < exul (see exul n.) + -ium (see -y suffix⁴). Compare Old Occitan eisilh , eiselh (in senses of branches I. and II.), and Catalan exili (1285), Spanish exilio (c1230), Portuguese exílio (13th cent. as †eixillo ), Italian esilio (beginning of the 14th cent.), and German Exil , †Exilium (second half of the 16th cent., in early use often with Latin inflectional endings; already in Old High German in the naturalized forms ihseli , ihsili ), all in senses of branch I. only. Compare exile n.²Specific senses and phrases. It has alternatively been suggested that senses of the French etymon relating to ruin and destruction (compare branch II. below) may have a distinct origin in classical Latin excidium overthrow, demolition, ruin, destruction (probably < excīdere excide v. + -ium : see -y suffix⁴), although this is not generally accepted. In sense 1c ultimately after Aramaic gālū (see Resh Galuta n.) and its cognate biblical Hebrew gōlāh, both in the general sense ‘exile, banishment’ as well as specifically designating periods of enforced absence from the land of Israel. With to go into exile at sense 1b(b) compare classical Latin in exilium īre ; with to send into exile at sense 1b(b) compare classical Latin in exilium ēiicere . Specific forms. In forms exsile, exsyle ultimately after classical Latin exsilium (attested in manuscripts and in grammarians), which is probably due to a false derivation from solum ‘ground’; in inscriptions the form attested is almost invariably exilium . Variation in pronunciation and stress. The position of the primary stress apparently varied between the first and second syllables in early use, with primary stress on the second syllable being common. With the variation in the pronunciation of -x- , compare discussion at X n.

Etymology: Probably a specific semantic development of exile n.¹ (for a similar semantic development, compare prison n. 2), perhaps influenced semantically by classical Latin exul exul n., or by Anglo-Norman and Middle French exilé (see exiled n.), or by exile v.With the variation in pronunciation, compare discussion at exile n.¹ and exile v.

Etymology: < classical Latin exīlis thin, lean, slender, narrow, scanty, meagre, deficient, unsubstantial, of small weight or importance, slight, (of soil) poor, thin, (of colour, light) weak, dim, (of style) lacking fullness of expression or ornament, in post-classical Latin also unaspirated (5th or 6th cent. in grammarians), of uncertain origin (perhaps < exigere (see exact v.) + -lis : see -il suffix). Compare French †exile slender, thin, worthless (1611 in Cotgrave in an apparently isolated attestation), Italian esile slender, thin (1342). Compare slightly earlier exility n.

Etymology: Partly (i) < Anglo-Norman exiler, exilier, Anglo-Norman and Middle French exiller, Middle French exillier, exciller, excillier (French exiler ), variants (with alteration after classical Latin exilium exile n.¹) of Anglo-Norman eissiller , eissilier , etc., Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French essiller , essillier , etc., to banish (a person) (first quarter of the 12th cent. in Old French), to devastate, ravage, ruin (a person or thing) (late 12th cent.; probably partly < eissil , essil , exil , exile , etc. exile n.¹, and partly < post-classical Latin exiliare ), and partly (ii) < post-classical Latin exiliare to drive into exile, banish (5th cent.), to live in exile (6th cent.; < classical Latin exilium exile n.¹). Compare Old Occitan eisilhar (early 15th cent. or earlier), in senses of branches I. and II., and (in senses of branch I. only) Catalan exiliar (13th cent.), Spanish exiliar (late 14th cent. as †exilar), Portuguese exilar (13th cent. as †eixillar), Italian esiliare (end of the 13th cent.).With branch II. compare the etymological note at exile n.¹ With sense 3 compare classical Latin exulāre exulate v. The position of the primary stress apparently varied between the first and second syllables in early use, with primary stress on the second syllable being common (so always in Shakespeare and Milton); with the variation in pronunciation of -x- , compare discussion at X n. In Middle English prefixed and unprefixed forms of the past participle are attested (see y- prefix).