† sellyadj.adv.n.
Obsolete.
A. adj.
Strange, marvellous, wonderful.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [adjective] > with quality of strangeness
selcouthc888
uncouthc900
sellya1000
ferly?c1225
strangec1374
nicec1395
ferlifula1400
monsterfulc1460
portentous1553
miraculous1569
vengible1594
strangefula1618
phenomenous1743
phenomenala1850
very like a whale1859
weird and wonderful1859
fourth-dimensional1902
out of this world1941
unreal1965
OE Beowulf 3038 Ær hi þær gesegan syllicran wiht, wyrm on wonge wiðerræhtes þær laðne licgean.
a1000 Boeth. Metr. (Gr.) xxviii. 53 Is þæt sellic ðincg þæt hi ne wundriað, hu [etc.].
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3653 Sillich [c1300 Otho seollich] us þuncheð Cezar.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 3209 Wnder þon hær com tidinde..þat wes icumen of þare sæ. a deor swiðe sellich [c1300 Otho sullich].
a1290 Pains of Hell 213 in Herrig Archiv LXII. 403 Neren nowiȝt hoe þerof adrad: ffor-þi hoe slepeþ in sulli bed.
a1300 Cursor Mundi 26010 And it agh be sa selle wonder Als þof his hert him brest in sunder.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 466 Sella..bar tubal, a sellic smið.
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. Wace (Rolls) 15171 Þat estre Þat we on Englische calle Roucestre; Byforn hit hadde a name selly In Breton, Dorciberni.
c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame 513 For now at erste shul ye here So selly an avisioun, That Isaye..Ne mette swich a dreem as this!
a1400 Seuyn Sages (W.) 248 Herkneth nou a selli tiding!
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 1439 Þenne þay beten on þe buskeȝ &..On þe sellokest swyn swenged out þere.
c1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 3513 Of tham this was a selly case, That nowther wist what other wase.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 8713 The sorow þat ho suffert were solly to here.
B. adv.
Wonderfully, marvellously, strangely.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [adverb]
wonderlyc897
sellya1000
wonderc1175
wonderfullya1300
marvellouslya1382
marvellousa1400
marvelly?a1400
wonderful14..
wonderslyc1489
to marvelc1500
wondersc1528
wondrously1535
prodigiously1541
wondrous1557
admirably1570
admiredly1598
to a miracle?1614
marls1615
amazingly1650
miridically1652
mirificously1657
surprisingly1661
to wonder1661
astonishingly1668
prodigious1694
strikingly1752
amazing1760
à merveille1762
astoundingly1826
mirifically1873
breathtakingly1887
eye-poppingly1959
mind-bogglingly1973
staggeringly1976
mind-blowingly1977
a1000 Solomon & Saturn 149 Næfre hie ðæs syllice bleoum bregdað æfter bancofan federhoman onfoð.
a1000 Solomon & Saturn 269 Se fugel..singgeð syllice.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15263 He igrap a nail-sax sel-liche kene. and wel iwhæt.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 10069 Þat he com to Eouerwic riden swiðe sellic [c1300 Otho sellich].
a1290 Pains of Hell (Digby 86) 191 For fendes hem stondeþ bi And pineþ hem swiþe selli.
a1300 Cursor Mundi 2271 Þis tour was selli mad vpright, Fiue thusand steppes it had on hight.
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1315 Sellik ðu art on werde cumen, Sellic ðu salt ben heðen numen.
c1325 Metr. Hom. (1862) 72 This womane yode wit chylde full lange, And tholed paynes sely strang.
c1390 (?c1350) Joseph of Arimathie (1871) l. 94 He lette sle for his sake selli mony children.
a1450 Le Morte Arth. 3387 Hys brodyr..Was sely seke and sore vnsounde.
a1450 Le Morte Arth. 3482 That shall thou rew sely sore.
C. n.
Marvel, wonder; something wonderful. Phrase, to have selly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [noun] > a marvel, object of wonder
wonderc700
wonderinga1100
selcouthc1175
sellya1200
ferlyc1275
wondernessc1275
wonder thingc1290
adventurec1300
marvelc1300
marvellingc1400
wonderelc1440
signc1450
admiration1490
wonderment1542
wondering stockc1555
miracle-worker1561
singularity1576
stupor mundi1587
miracle1595
marvellation1599
portent1607
astonishment1611
prodigy1616
magnale1623
magnality1646
mirable1646
phenomenon1741
gaping-stock1817
reacher1825
stunner1829
buster1833
caution1834
merry-go-rounder1838
knock-down1843
astonisher1871
marvelry1874
mazer1876
phenom1881
whizzer1888
knock-out1892
whizz1908
doozy1916
doozer1930
heart-stopper1940
blockbuster1942
ooh-ah1957
mind-blower1968
stonker1987
a1200 Moral Ode 181 in Lamb. Hom. 171 Nis na sullic [v.rr. sellic, sellich, seollich] þech hom bo wa and hom bo uneade.
c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 9347 Nu ihere ich muche seollic [c1300 Otho sellich].
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3260 Ð is bode herde king pharaon, And him ðuhte sellic ðer-on.
a1400 Childhood Jesus (BL Add.) 176 in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen 74 329 No celly þof þai chaunged chere.
a1400–50 Wars Alex. 2551 He sall vs sett on a-saute & surely encounbre If þai were sary & so na selly [Dubl. MS. no selly] me thingke.
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 239 For fele sellyez [MS reads sellyeȝ] had þay sen, bot such neuer are.
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 475 I haf sen a selly.
c1400 St. Alexius (Vernon MS.) 104 Þat chirche was of vr ladi, þer-inne was a gret celli [Laud MS. 108 selly], an ymage of hire sone.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 5153 All the souerayns hade selly..Of priam, the price Kyng, þat prudly hade saide.
Derivatives
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [adverb] > with a degree of strangeness
selcouthlyc1175
ferlyc1230
selcoutha1300
disguisilyc1325
ferlifula1400
ferlilya1400
sellylyc1400
miraculouslya1425
ferlifullyc1425
strangelya1450
strangefully1664
portentously1755
miraculous1781
like magic1783
phenomenally1878
out of this world1941
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 963 Þe tweyne yȝen & þe nase, þe naked lyppeȝ, & þose were soure to se & sellyly blered.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.adv.n.a1000