Forms: 1 ʓellan, ʓiellan, ʓillan, ʓyllan, 3 ȝeolle, 3–5 ȝelle, 4 ȝel, ȝele, yhelle, ȝolle, ȝulle, 4–6 yel, yelle, 5 ȝhelle, 6 Sc. ȝell, 5– yell. Pa. t. str. 1 ʓeal, pl. gullon, 3 yal, pl. gullen, ȝulle(n, ȝollen, 3–5 ȝal; wk. 4–5 ȝelled, 5 ȝellede, yellid, -yd, 6 yeald, Sc. ȝeld, 6– yelled. [OE. (Anglian) ʓellan, (WS.) ʓiellan, ʓyllan, ʓillan str. vb., pa. t. ʓeal, pl. ʓullon = MLG. gellen, gillen wk., MDu. gellen str. (Du. gillen), OHG. gellan str. (MHG., G. wk. gellen), ON. gjalla, pa. t. gall (Sw. gälla, Norw. giella); f. gell-, extended form of gel-: gal-, whence OE. galan to sing, GALE v.1, -gale in nihtegale NIGHT(IN)GALE, ON. -gal in hanagal cockcrow, OS., (M)Du., OHG. galm outcry.]
1. intr. To utter a loud strident cry, esp. from some strong and sadden emotion, as rage, horror, or agony.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 2040. Þer me mahte iheren þe heaðene hundes ȝellen & ȝeien & ȝuren.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., 3/87. Þo cam þe deouel ȝeollinde forth.
c. 1290. St. Brandan, 583, ibid., 235. Huy weopen ant ȝollen [Harl. MS. ȝulle] faste.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4239. So grisliche ȝal [v.rr. ȝolled, ȝelled] þat ssrewe þo.
c. 1305. St. Katherine, 241, in E. E. P. (1862), 96. Þo gan þemperour for wraþþe loude ȝulle and rore.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Nun’s Pr. T., 569. They yelleden as fendes doon in helle.
c. 1450. Brut, II. 422. Thei cryed alle ‘nowelle’ as high as thei myght yelle.
1553. T. Wilson, Rhet. (1580), 176. Women are saied to chatter, churles to grunt, boies to whine, & yongmen to yel.
1575. Laneham, Lett., G iv b. Knights stampt, Squiers startld az steeds in a stoour Yeemen & Pagez yeald oout in the hall.
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 423. Infernal Ghosts, and Hellish Furies, round Environ’d thee, some howl’d, some yell’d, some shriek’d.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., v. She yelled out on seeing him as if an adder had stung her.
1835. W. Irving, Tour Prairies, xii. 93. They whooped and yelled in the Indian style.
1877. Tennyson, Harold, V. i. 229. When all was lost, he yell’d, And bit his shield, and dash’d it on the ground.
fig. 1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. v. Wks. 1856, I. 141. Murder for murder, blood for blood, doth yell!
b. Of certain birds and beasts: To emit a loud cry, either as their natural utterance or when hurt or from rage.
a. 1000. Finnsburg, 6. Fuʓelas singað, ʓylleð græʓhama.
a. 1000. Riddles, xxv. 3. Ic eom wunderlicu wiht,… hwilum græde swa gos, hwilum ʓielle swa hafoc.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 112. Þe faucun was wroþ wit his bridde & lude ȝal & sterne chidde.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1453. He hurtez of þe houndez, & þay Ful ȝomerly ȝaule & ȝelle.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IV. xxiv. 2116. Alkyn best … ȝhellande ran as þai war wode Til woddis and til wildirnes.
c. 1529. Skelton, E. Rummyng, 500. She yelled lyke a calfe.
1560. Bible (Genev.), Jer. ii. 15. The lyons roared vpon him & yelled.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., IV. ii. 60. The Dogges did yell.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 37. The cruell wound enraged him so sore, That loud he [sc. the dragon] yelled for exceeding paine.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., I. iii. Yell’d on the view the opening pack;… A hundred dogs bay’d deep and strong.
1863. W. C. Baldwin, Afr. Hunting, ix. 408. Innumerable hyenas,… fighting, running, and yelling like demons.
† c. Applied to loud singing or chanting.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 395. Nero … gan to ȝelle [v.r. ȝolle] and songe ȝe gestes of Troye.
1395. Purvey, Remonstr. (1851), 18. What wisdom is this to hiren hem so dere to yellen in chirchis and abbeies.
† d. trans. To protrude (the tongue) in uttering a yell. Obs.
1480. Robt. Devyll, 229, in Hazl., E. P. P., 1864, I. 228. Behynde them woulde he steale, And geve them a sowce … To cause some to yell out theyr tongues longe.
e. To urge on by yelling.
1868. G. Meredith, Poems, Orchard & Heath, ix. They raced; their brothers yelled them on.
† 2. intr. Of an inanimate thing: To make a strident or crashing noise. Obs.
a. 1000. Riddles, xxxiii. 4. Ic seah searo hweorfan, grindan wið greote, ʓiellende faran.
a. 1000. Andreas, 127. Guðsearo gullon, garas hrysedon.
c. 1205. Lay., 9797. Helmes þer gullen [c. 1275 ȝollen].
c. 1330. Florice & Bl. (1857), 302. The water wille ȝelle als hit ware wode And bicome on hire so red so blod.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XIV. x. 654. Soo she wente with the wynde rorynge and yellynge that it semed alle the water brent after her.
1560. B. Googe, trans. Palingenius’ Zodiac, V. (1561), M iij b. Black storms he sends with thondres rore he makes the skies to yel.
1606. Wily Beguiled, F 2. Let … sounding musicke yell Through hils, through dales.
3. trans. To utter with a yell. Also transf.
[a. 1000. Seafarer, 24. Ful oft þæt earn biʓeal uriʓfeþra.]
13[?]. Gosp. Nicodemus (A.), 1796. Howe þai lay in droupand drede And non so ȝhepe a worde to ȝelle.
1370–80. Visions of St. Paul, 275, in O. E. Misc., 230. Þei ȝelleden wiþ lodly cry, ‘Poul, Michael, on vs ha merci.’
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 5. Þay styntyn neuer to cry and ȝelle: ‘Woo ys hym þat þedyr schall goo.’
1577. Whetstone, Gascoigne, xxvi. The Nightingale,… When she might mourn, her sweetest layes doth yel.
1605. Shaks., Macb., IV. iii. 7. It [sc. heaven] resounds As if it felt with Scotland, and yell’d out Like Syllable of Dolour.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 540. He tumbled down, and as he fell, Did Murther, murther, murther yell.
1700. T. Brown, trans. Fresny’s Amusem., 21. Another Son of a Whore yells louder than Homer’s Stentor, Two a Groat.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. i. Clamorous war-pipes yell’d the gathering sound.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lxxi. Yelling their uncouth dirge, long daunced the kirtled clan.
1852. Miss Yonge, Cameos, I. xxviii. 230. Otho … fled…, hunted by the students, all yelling abuse.
Hence Yelled ppl. a.; Yeller, one who yells.
1823. New Monthly Mag., VIII. 499. Some dozen yappers and yellers of all shapes and breeds.
1895. S. Crane, Red Badge, xxiii. At the yelled words of command the soldiers sprang forward.
1900. Lancet, 3 March, 637/2. To prosecute a newspaper yeller for obtaining money under false pretences.
