Now rare or dial. [Cf. Du. welwillend.]
A. adj. Wishing well to another; disposed to be kind or friendly; benevolent, propitious; loyal, well-affected.
c. 1000. Rule of Chrodegang, viii. Ne beon hiʓ modiʓe … ac … welwyllende, & mildheorte.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xxvi. 59. Þæt he hraðe dælde þearfum and wædlum mid well-willendum mode.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 41. How that he fand nane weill willand, Bot all war fais that euir he fand.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 214. This fowle is sacred unto Jupiter, The lord of briddis in the highe heven, Wele willyng planete beholdyng from so ferre.
1448. Hen. VI., Will, in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 379. I … pray my said heirs … that they shewe them self welwillyng feithful and tender lovers of my desire in this behalf.
a. 1533. Frith, Disput. Purgat., I. D iij b. Goddes law requyreth a thynge to be done wyth a well wyllynge harte.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, Ep. Ded. A ij b. The louyng and well wyllyng subiectes.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 120. His folkis … was nocht so weill willing as he requyred.
1597. J. Melvill, Autobig. & Diary (Wodrow Soc.), 410. They cam in a loving and weil-willing maner to inquyre.
1611. Cotgr., Bienvueillant, well-willing, fauourable.
absol. c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxxiv. 229. Ða welwillendan [L. benevoli].
1569. Reg. Privy Council Scot., I. 677. That the weill willing may be rememberit, and the obstinat constrenit to thair dewitie.
b. Const. to, towards, unto.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 18. It semeth love is welwillende To hem that [etc.].
c. 1440. Generydes, 964. To ther desire the kyng was welewillyng.
1461. Paston Lett. (1904), IV. 14. I knew … not whedyr they wer well wyllyng to yow or not.
1549. J. Old, Erasm. Par., Ephes., Prol. D ij. Sondry other curates & ministres … are honest and diligently well wyllynge towardes the trueth.
1579. W. Wilkinson, Confut. Fam. Love, 50 b. Those which stand welwilling vnto his instructions.
1598. R. Bernard, Terence, Hecyra, V. I. (1607), 338. Your speach hath made mee fauorable and welwilling towardes you now.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, Transl. to Reader. Through the persuasions of diuers well-willinge Dutchmen to the English natione.
1888. Stevenson, Black Arrow, Prol. 20. He was one of those who are … ruggedly faithful and well-willing to their friends.
c. Ready or desirous to (do something).
c. 1440. Generydes, 2781. To wayte on hym ther were [they] well willyng.
1585. Burgh Rec. Edin. (1882), IV. 437. Sic persouns … as ar knawin to be … maist cairfull and weill willing to seik the saiftie and preseruatioun of the same.
† B. sb. One who is well disposed to another; a (person’s) well-wisher or friend. Obs.
In pl., either unaltered or with s.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8948. He spak so wyþ þe kyng of þat land, þat he was his wel willand Vpon Bretaigne a route to renge.
1340. Ayenb., 112. Þe echedayes dol þet god yefþ to his wel wilynde.
c. 1375. Lay-Folks Mass Bk. (MS. B.), 368. Oure sib men and oure welewillandes.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 299. If that thou wistest al, What Cheste doth in special To love and to his welwillinge.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. ix. 3048. Oþir gudis … Þat langit til hym or til his men, Or til his weil willandis þen.
1423. in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 1430, 30/2. Til al lordis our frenddis and wele willand effectuusly we praye.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 12. To al oure frendes, and wel wyllynges.
1463. Paston Lett., II. 138. Wretyn … Be your welewylland, Abbot of Langeleye.
Hence † Well-willingness.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xxxi. 44. Embe his efencempan he hæfde welwillendnysse and micele lufe.
a. 1390. Wyclif, Bible, Ecclus., Prol. I monest ȝou to comen with wel willingnesse [Vulg. cum benevolentia].
