a. Obs. Forms: 3 weole-, 3–5 wele-, 4–5 welful, 4 wellful, Sc. velfull, 5 welfull, 6 weelful, 6–7 weal(e)full. [f. WEAL sb.1 + -FUL.] Happy, prosperous, fortunate, blessed, gladsome.
c. 1230. Hali Meid. (MS. Titus), 31. For, beo hit nu, þat te beo richedom riue, ant tine wide wahes wlonke & welefulle.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, in O. E. Hom., I. 259. Hire wlite se weoleful þat euch eorðlich liht is þeoster þer oȝeines.
1352. Minot, Poems, viii. 17. Weleful men war ȝe, i-wis.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. met. i. (1868), 4. Þilke deeþ of men is welful þat ne comeþ not in ȝeres þat ben swete. Ibid. (c. 1386), Man of Law’s T., 353. O cleere, o welful Auter, hooly croys.
1406. Hoccleve, La Male Regle, 402. O god!… Weleful lord.
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 16999. And wel-full and blyssed be tho betynges and skowrynges, that compellyn a chylde to declyne ffrom his trespacys and his Errours.
1556. Grimalde, Cicero De Offic., Pref. to Rdr. C vj. If it bee well, and wisely, and conueniently done: we shall be wealfull, and in a blessed case.
1609. J. Davies (Heref.), Holy Rood, D 3. To tell the Ierkes with ioy, that ioy do bring, Is both a wealefull, and a wofull thing.
Hence † Wealfully adv., † Wealfulness Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. pr. iii. (1868), 37. It deliteþ me to comen now to þe singuler vphepyng of þi welefulnesse.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, iii. (Andrew), 663. Alhale, þu blissit croice, þat is hallowit welfully of Ihesu cryste in þe body. Ibid., 785. A matrone þat wellfully quhile maryt wes with a senatour of þe place.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. vi. 24. If a man be riche and fulfild with worldly welfulnesse, some commenden it.
1388. Wyclif, 3 John 2. Of alle thingis Y make preyer, that thou entre and fare welefuly, as thi soule doith welefuli.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, IV. 274. Þat euery þing miȝt in welfulnes To ȝoure encres perseueren and contvne.
