Now only Sc. and dial. Forms: 3–5 wil, wille, (4 Sc. vill), 4–5 wyl(le, 5–6 wyll, 4–6, 8–9 Sc. and dial. will, (9 Sc. wull). [a. ON. villr bewildered, erring, astray: see WILD a.]
1. Going or gone astray; that has lost his way, or has nowhere to go for rest or shelter; straying, wandering, ‘lost.’
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 975. Ðo fleȝ agar fro sarray,… In ðe diserd, wil and weri.
13[?]. Cursor M., 23091 (Edin.). Quen I was wil and out of rest, Godli tok ye me to rest.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 2369. All wery I wex and wyll of my gate.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VI. xvi. 1614. He trawalit al day, qwhil þe nycht Hym partit fra his company. Þan was he wil of herbery.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. xxx. 450. When I was will and weriest ye harberd me full esely.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 35. In thay Montanis, I-wis, he wox all will.
1806. [see WAIF sb.1 B. 2].
1815. G. Beattie, John o’ Arnha’ (1826), 62. His will and weary ghost.
1871. W. Alexander, Johnny Gibb, xxvii. Gyaun awa’ to Aiberdeen like a wull chucken.
2. fig. † a. Going astray in thought, belief or conduct; going wrong, erring; wayward, ‘wild.’
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7310. Noght yow allan, bot your ox-spring, Sal reu ful sare your will ȝerning.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 76. More to wyte is her wrange, þen any wylle gentyl. Ibid., C. 473. Þen wakened þe wyȝe of his wyl dremes.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxviii. (Margaret), 360. Ȝoure consal is wikit & wil.
b. Not knowing what to do or how to proceed; at a loss, at one’s wit’s end, uncertain, perplexed.
c. 1300. Havelok, 863. Hwan he kam þer, he was ful wil, Ne hauede he no frend to gangen til. Ibid., 1042. Of puttingge he was ful wil, For neuere yete ne saw he or Putten the stone, or þanne þor.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12208. Arthur was al wyl On whilk hil þe geaunt was.
c. 1440. York Myst., xviii. 208. Allas! Joseph for woo Was neuer wight in worde [= world] so will!
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 53. [They] had sik drede that thai war will quhat to do.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 138. Ȝit was I mekle willar than.
1721. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 375. You are so will of your wooing, you wat not where to wed. Note, You have such Choice of Mistresses.
3. Phrases. † a. Will of wane (wone) [WANE sb.2, WONE sb.2: lit. wandering without a dwelling-place, homeless] = 1; also fig. = 2 b. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 980. Adam went out ful will o wan.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 471. And he wes als sa will off wane, That he trowit in nane sekyrly. Ibid., VII. 2. The kyng toward the vod is gane, Wery for-swat and vill of vayn.
c. 1440. York Myst., xix. 217. Was neuere so wofull a wyffe, Ne halffe so wille of wone!
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cress., 543. Wrappit in wo, ane wretch full will of wane.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), II. 343. So will of wane [printed wand], and weipand for greit wo.
† b. Will of rede [REDE sb.1 2: lit. at a loss for a plan or scheme] 2 b. Also will of good rede.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 494. He wes alsua will off red, That he durst rest in-to na place.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 379. That weder made me so will of rede, I hopid sone to have my dede.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VI. xvi. 1652. His lemman was wil of gud rede.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. xi. 6. The top of litle Ascanius heid, Amang the dulefull armes, will of reid Of his parentis.
c. Will gate (Sc.), † gate will [GATE sb.2]: going astray.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 90. Þan sho went in & tolde hym þe cauce or hur gate will.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 527/2. Wylgate, or wronge gate, deviacio.
1825. Jamieson, Will-gate, wull-gate sb. 1. An erroneous course, literally used. S. 2. In a moral sense, any course that is improper.
4. compl. or as adv. (chiefly with go): Astray, out of the way (lit. and fig.); to go will, to go astray, lose one’s way, wander, err.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 52. Silden he us wille, If we heren to his word Ðat we ne gon nowor wille.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4100. Bot ar he till his breþer wan, Will he yode, and mett a man.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxiii. (vii Sleperis), 255. Wenand þat he had gane wil, Ane vthyre ȝet þane ȝed he til.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IV. xxi. 1987. Welth and riches wont was ay In wantones mare wil to draw Þan hawynge fayr and mesoure haw.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 453. He gaff vnto ane honeste womman in wyldrenes, goand wyll, iij c penys.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 73. Walkand will of his way.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, lxvi. 74. It is so lang in cuming me till, I dreid that it be quyt gane will.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 92. Thocht I wauer, or ga wyll, Or am in danger for to die.
1734. Ramsay, Vision, iii. I deimt dame Nature was gane will To rare with rackless reil.
1855. N. & Q., 1st Ser. XII. 489/1. Each time she attempted to cross this place she was irresistibly, and against her will, prevented by some invisible power; or, as she said, was ‘Will led.’
† 5. Of a place: Out-of-the-way, unfrequented, desolate. Obs.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2084. Wela wylle was þe way, þer þay bi wod schulden.
c. 1425. Engl. Conq. Irel., li. 129. Hit was wille londe and woddy.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. vi. 61. To nane wncouth landis,… Nother to fremmyt place, nor steddis will. Ibid., XI. x. 64. Him self ascendis the hie band of the hyll By wentis strait and passage scharp and wyll.
Hence † Willness (whylenes), wildness, madness.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 9327. What whylenes or wanspede wryxles our mynd?
