a. Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1–3 ǽlenge, 3 elinge, (4 eling, elyng(e, helynge, eleynge, 7–8, 9 dial. ellinge), 2–6, 9 dial. elenge. Also ALANGE, q.v. [OE. ǽlęnge, f. Æ- pref. + *lęnge:—OTeut. *langjo- f. *lango. LONG a. The two etymological senses of ‘very long, tedious’ and ‘remote, lonely,’ seem to blend in the later uses. Chaucer abnormally accents ele·nge (rhyming with chale·nge).]
† 1. Very long, tedious. Obs.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past., v. 40. Þæt hie bioð on ælengum ðingum … ʓeðyldiʓe.
c. 1430. A. B. C. Aristotle, in Babees Bk. (1868), 11. E to elenge, ne to excellent, ne to eernesful neiþer.
2. Remote, lonely; dreary, miserable. Obs. exc. dial.
c. 1205. Lay., 15190. Þe stude wes Ælenge [1275 Elinge]: nu hatte hit Stanhenge [1275 Stonhenge].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3075. An elenge lijf þare þai ledd.
c. 1300. St. Brandan, 637. Eling ich ȝeode her alone.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 94. Elyng is þe halle … Þer þe lorde ne þe lady liketh nouȝte to sytte.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wyf Bathes T., 343. Povert is this, although it seme elenge [v.r. alange, alenge, alinge].
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 341. Lanfrank leet neuere a man goo from hym helynge and sory.
c. 1400. Beryn, 967. Why do yee thus? this is an elyng fare.
a. 1420. Occleve, De Reg. Princ., 1008. His labour to hym is the elengere.
1481. Reynard (1844), 65. We goo not into another foreste, where we sholde be strange, and elenge.
1674. Ray, S. & E. Country Wds., 65. Ellinge.
1858. Murray’s Hand-bk. Kent, Introd. 32. The fairies … may still be … heard of in the more ‘elenge’ (lonely) places of the Downs.
1875. Parish, Sussex Gloss., s.v. Ellynge, ’Tis a terrible ellynge, lonesome old house.
¶ 3. Explained in Dicts. as ‘strange, foreign.’
1678–96. in Phillips.
1721. in Bailey; and in mod. Dicts.
