[f. YELL v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb YELL; esp. the uttering of a sharp loud cry of rage, agony, etc.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 2643. An mid ȝulinge [Jesus MS. yollinge] & mid igrede.
c. 1290. St. Brandan, 493, in S. Eng. Leg., 233. Ȝeot heo i-heorden heore ȝeollinge [Harl. MS. ȝullinge].
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 971. Such a ȝomerly ȝarm of ȝellyng þer rysed.
1395. Purvey, Remonstr. (1851), 112. Hou abhominable is the feynid preiere othir hidous yellinge of siche prelatis.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 240. Þes fendes madyn a ȝellyng and a cryyng, þat any myght be agast forto here hit.
1556. Lauder, Tractate of Kyngis, 92. With gretyng, raryng, and with ȝellyng.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades, V. V. 936/1. Often times the Singers striue among themselues for the excellencie of voyces, whereby it commeth to passe that the whole Churche ringeth with an hoarse kinde of yellinge.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xiii. 124. When after goes the cry with yellings lowd and deepe That all the forrest rings.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., lxix. (1663), 281. The dreadfull yelling of six thousand Elephants.
1666. Spurstowe, Spir. Chym., 151. Cries … that are like the yellings of the damned.
1740. Richardson, Pamela, I. xxvi. 78. The cursed Yellings of you both made me not myself.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxvii. The yelling and screaming of the children. Ibid. (1818), Br. Lamm., ix. The impatient yelling of the hounds.
1871. R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, xlii. 18. Swell your voices in higher harsher yellings.
