Obs. Forms: α. 1–3 weald, 1 -wild, -wyld, North. wæld, 3–4 weld, 4 weilde, 4–5 welde, weild, 5 weelde, wielde, wylde. β. 2–5 (6 Sc.) wald, 3–5 walde, 5 Sc. wauld. γ. 3–5 wold, 3–6 wolde. [(1) OE. weald (rare), usually ʓeweald, Anglian ʓewald = OS. giwald, OHG. gawalt (MHG., G. gewalt); (2) OE. *(ʓe)wield, -wild, -wyld, *-weld: see Y- and WIELD v.]
1. Command, control; possession, keeping; occas. hold, grasp: chiefly in phr. at, in, on (one’s) w.; to have in w., to have command or control of, to possess, have; to w., in or into one’s possession. (See also 4 a.)
α. c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., II. iv. § 10. Hie … þæt win drincende wæron oð hi heora selfra lytel ʓeweald hæfdon. Ibid., III. ix. § 10. Æfter þæm þe Alexander hæfde ealle Indie him to ʓewildon ʓedon. Ibid., IV. xi. § 4. Þa bæd he Scipian friþes, & him his sunu ham onsende, se wæs on his ʓewealde [Cott. MS. wealde].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 462. Qui suld I him seruis yeild? Al sal be at myn auen weild. Ibid., 788. Sone quen sco þis frutte biheild, Sco desirred it to haue in weild. Ibid., 25445. Þou þat has þis world to weld.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 160. Vitaile inouh at weld.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 395. The tyme, that hath al in welde To elden folk, had maad hir elde.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3716. Þat y mote þe seo, On crysten mannes welde.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 2994. An ymage … Of Sexeres þat sum-quyle þat cite had to welde.
c. 1400. Roland & Otuel, 828. Thaire saules went alle to lucyfere, Þat hade þam alle to welde.
c. 1440. York Myst., i. 67. All welth in my weelde es.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), G ij b. Whan the colers haue al in welde A great keelth in man they yelde.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 166. All this warld to weild thow had.
β. 971. Blickl. Hom., 47. Hi habbaþ maneʓa saula on heora ʓewaldum.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 147. Ne mei na Mon me folȝen, bute he forlete al þet he iwald ach.
c. 1200. Ormin, Ded. 204. To lesenn mannkinn þurrh his dæþ Ut off þe defless walde.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9482 (Cott.). Nu has him sathanas in wald. Ibid. (13[?]), 21917 (Edin.). Alle sal we die bath ginge and alde Es [= as] nau havis of him selvin walde.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxi. (Clement), 10. Wedyr & wynd he has in wald.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, X. 579. God, that has the warld in wauld.
γ. c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1958. Ȝet wast bettre he ðus was sold, Ðan he ðor storue in here wold. Ibid., 3116. ‘Wold,’ quod god, ‘wile ðor-of crauen.’
13[?]. K. Alis., 6716 (Laud MS.). Þou shalt habbe … my londe al to wolde.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 3215. Þou hast namo breþere in wold; Þy fader ys ded, þy moder ys old.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxxii. 273. We wille it noght welde with-in oure wolde.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 3233. Goo thow, syr lucan de boteler, That wyse wordys haste in wolde.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., vii. 32. God that has alle in wold. Ibid., xxviii. 137. When I gaf myself to wold to you in fourme of bred.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), I ij b. The payne that he had fyrst in wold Shal than be encresed thre fold.
b. In gen. case in advb. phr. Willes and waldes: intentionally and purposely.
c. 980–1060. Laws of Æthelred, VI. lii. Ʒif hit ʓeweorþeð þæt man unwilles oþþe unʓewealdes æniʓ þing misdeð, na bið þæt na ʓelic þam þe willes & ʓewealdes sylfwilles misdeð.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 6. Heo … sunegeð deadliche iðe bruche, ʓif heo hit brekeð willes & woldes.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 37. Þat forschuppes te self willes & waldes into hare cunde.
2. Power, might, force, strength.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2000. To don swilc dede adde he no wold.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3564. Til vnwelth windes al his wald.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2689. Þoffe my schouldire be schrede, and my schelde thyrllede, And the wielde of myne arme werkkes a littille.
a. 1510. Douglas, K. Hart, II. 220. All thing ȝe haue wrocht With help of Wisdome, and his willis wald.
3. Meaning, significance (cf. 4 c).
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2122. If he can rechen ðis dremes wold.
4. In phr. aȝen (owen) awold, also aȝen or haven wold (wald, weld), representing OE. on (ʓe-)wealde habban, and ʓeweald áʓan or habban with genitive (cf. A prep.1, O prep.1, OWE v. B. 1): a. To have in control or possession, possess.
[Beowulf, 1727. He ah ealra ʓeweald.
c. 1000. Dream of the Rood, 107. On domdæʓe dryhten … ah domes ʓeweald.]
c. 1000. in Anglia, I. 31 Hine … þet alle þing haueð on wealde.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 79. Swo holie mihte is þoleburdnesse þat he þe hit kið, þer þurh haueð his soule weald. Ibid. He … þermide ouercumeð þe unfele and his soule lokeð, and haueð swo wald. Ibid., 205. Bute he forsake alle þe woreld winne þat he weld ahȝ.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3412. Al bi ðhusenz ðis folc was told, Ilc ðhusent adde a meister wold.
a. 1275. Prov. Ælfred, 181, in O. E. Misc., 113. Ȝif þu hauest welþe a wold.
a. 1300. Harrow. Hell, 232 (Digby MS.). Ich am moises … Ich dude þe lawen þat þou astolde Wor to ben owin [MS. oþin] on wolde.
b. To be the cause of, be responsible for: = WIELD v. B. 3 a.
c. 1200. Ormin, 11815. I me sellf all ah itt wald Þatt deofell maȝȝ me scrennkenn.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2054. He herde hem murnen … Harde dremes oȝen awold ðat.
c. To mean, signify, denote, imply.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 324. Quat oȝet nu ðat for-bode o-wold, Ðat a tre ȝu forboden is…? Ibid., 1671. Luue wel michil it aȝte a wold, Swilc seruise and so longe told. Ibid., 1944. Quat-so þis dremes owen a-wold.
a. 1300. Havelok, 1932. Betere is … i se Wat þis baret haueth on wold [MS. Þat þis baret on hwat is wold].
