Forms: 4–6 exil(l, excile, 4 exile-n, 5 exyl(e, 4– exile. [ad. OF. exilier (12th c.), learned form of essillier, esseillier, etc.:—late L. exiliāre, f. ex(s)ilium EXILE sb.1 In OF. the vb. has chiefly the sense to ravage, devastate (cf. sense 4 below); for the development of meaning cf. exterminate. (Formerly accented exi·le; so always in Shaks. and Milton.)]
1. trans. To compel (a person) by a decree or enactment to leave his country; to banish, expatriate: a. with from, † out of; also † into, to.
c. 1330. Roland & V., 39. Þe king ebrahim Out of lond exiled him.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 156. Afterwarde into an ile This Jupiter him didde exile.
c. 1450. Merlin, x. 145. [They should] go vpon the kynge Arthur … and so exile hym fro all the contree.
1493. Festivall (W. de W., 1515), 73. The emperour exyled Iohan … into the yle of Pathmose.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. i. 192. For that offence, Immediately we doe exile him hence.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., xi. 35. Whom assuredly they could not think exiled from Heaven.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), III. 242. Ravenna … very kindly received Dante, when he was exiled from Florence.
b. with double obj. (Cf. BANISH.)
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1862), 179. Godwine … and his Sonnes were exiled the Realme.
1606. Earl Northampton, in True & Perfect Relat., E e iij a. For Conspiracy … was the Archb. Cant. exiled the Kingdom.
1608. J. King, Serm., 24 March, 3. He … was exiled the world.
1812. S. Rogers, Columbus, III. 21. All, exiled the realms of rest, In vain the sadness of their souls suppressed.
c. simply. Also † to exile forth.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 58. Þerfor was þe dome gyuen … To exile þe erle Godwyn.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 263. The fader … Forth with the sone they exile.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13070. Orestes … shuld render his londes, And be exilede for euermore.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 182. Sum part off tham … That Makfadȝan had exilde furth beforne.
a. 1471. Chron. Rich. II., etc. (Camden, 1856), 13. The kyng [Rich. II.] … exilid the duke of Hereforde for terme of x. yeer.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 186. Thou takest it heavily that thou shouldest be … exiled without cause.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, I. 201/1. The Man I sing, who forc’d by Fate,… Expell’d and exil’d.
1840. Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile, Poems 1850, I. 91. Hear us sing above you ‘Exiled is not lost.’
† d. intr. To be in exile; = L. exsulare. rare.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2582 (Cott.). A uoice … said … In egipte suld his sede exile In tharldon four hundret ȝere.
a. 1618. Sylvester, Du Bartas (1621), 1041. The more the Body dures, Soul more indures; Never too soon can Shee from thence exile.
2. transf. and fig. To banish or separate from (one’s home, a pleasant or endeared place or association). Const. as in 1 a, b, c.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 2974. Þe saules here … Er exild fra þis lyf til payn, With-outen any turnyng agayn.
1500–20. Dunbar, In Prays of Woman. Exylit he suld be of all gud company.
1526. Tindale, Acts iii. 23. Every soule which shall not heare that same prophet shal be exyled [ed. 1534 destroyed; so in Wyclif (1382–8), Bible (1611), etc.] from the people.
1578. Gude & Godl. Ball., 118. That will [free will] thy presence hes me exilit.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 386. They wilfully themselves exile from light.
1601. B. Jonson, Poetaster, IV. vii. Exiled the circle of the court.
1749. G. West, trans. Pindar, 1st Pythian Ode, 81 (R.). Exil’d from Praise, from Virtue, and the Muse.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 243. I am free; At my best home, if not exiled from thee.
1804. Jane Austen, Watsons (1879), 268. But you are fitted for society, and it is shameful to have you exiled from it.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Aristocr., Wks. (Bohn), II. 80. The French live at court, and exile themselves to their estates for economy.
† 3. To banish, expel, get rid of. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., II. 385. Þis oonhede þat Crist made is wel nyȝe excilid.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 13. Þe pestilence, which haþ exiled pacience Fro þe clergie in special.
c. 1430. Lydg., Compl. Bl. Knt., lxxiii. For to exile Trouthe … Out of her Court.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, Q iv. Her lord exyled and put her fro hym.
c. 1534. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden), I. 27. Gildas … exilinge all fables, most ernestlie embraceth truth.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1684), III. 431/1. None, that had not clean exiled all humanity and mercy.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. i. 46. Equitie [is] exil’d your Highnesse Land.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. 27. That place … Where black-brow’d night doth not exile the day.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Cymon & Iphig., 549. His brutal Manners from his Breast exil’d.
† II. 4. To devastate, ravage, bring to ruin. Obs. Cf. EXILE sb.1 3.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. xv. (1869), 12. Þilke þat wolen exile þe hous of grace dieu and dispoile it of hire goodes.
a. 1470. Tiptoft, Caesar, xiii. (1530), 18. Hys cuntry so robbed, pylled & exyled [vastatis].
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. vi. 32. Yf ne were theyre … good prechynge … Cristente shold be exyled by errour and euyl byleue.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xxvi. 38. He wasted … all the playn countrey of Scotland, and exiled diuerse townes. Ibid. (a. 1533), Huon, clxii. 633. They exyle your countre, they sle men, women and chyldren.
