wall-eyedadj.

Etymology: The surviving form descends from Middle English wawil-eȝed , < Old Norse vagl-eyg-r , occurring only once, and explained in the context to mean ‘having speckled eyes’. The second element, -eygr , is regularly < auga eye n.¹ The first element, vagl, is of obscure origin; it coincides in form with vagl beam of wood, roost, perch (Danish, Norwegian vagl, Swedish vagel) which is used in the Icelandic New Testament of 1540 for the ‘beam’ in the eye spoken of in Matthew vii. 3–4; it is, however, probably a distinct word, not recorded separately in Old Norse, but surviving in modern Icelandic vagl film over the eye, Swedish vagel stye in the eye.Beside wawil-eȝed Middle English had a synonymous wald-eȝed . This is commonly believed to be < Old Norse vald-eygð-r ; but that word is only a conjectural reading for valldœgðr , occurring in a series of adjectives designating certain defects that a horse may have; the context does not show whether a physical blemish or a fault of temper is referred to, and if -œgðr be correct it must apparently mean ‘-scared’. A strong point in favour of the correction to valdeygðr is the coincidence with the Middle English form; but the meaning of vald- remains obscure. Compare modern Slesvig dialect valdøiet having a running from the eyes (quoted by Molbech from Outzen's manuscript collections), which Outzen would derive < valde dialect variant of Danish valle whey. The rare Middle English wolden-eiȝed adj. seems to be synonymous with wawil-eȝed , wald-eȝed , and if so is probably an alteration of the latter form due to the influence of Middle English *walden , Old English gewealden small (preserved, with different sense, in Scots waldin adj.). See also walnyed adj. Compare waldeneie n., probably a similar variant of walleye n.