Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 byldo, 4–5 beld(e, 5 beelde, 6 beald, 5–7 beeld, 4–9 beild(e, 5– bield, (6 beill, bele, beale, 8–9 biel). [Common Teut.: OE. bęldo, in WSax. bięldo, byldo boldness, courage = OHG. baldî, MHG. belde confidence, feeling of security, Goth. balþei boldness, confidence:—OTeut. *balþjôn-, n. of quality from *balþo-z, Goth. balþs, OHG. bald, OE. bald, beald, BOLD. The evidence appears to show that mod.Sc. bield, beild is the same as the ME. belde, the connection being through sense 3. But the matter is not without difficulty, and the derivation of Sc. bield has been sought elsewhere, esp. in connection with build, though without much success.]
† 1. Boldness, courage. Obs.
c. 890. K. Ælfred, Bæda, I. vii. He sceolde ða byldo anescian.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12237. A barn wit-uten beild [v.r. beilde, belde].
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 649. Quen he blusched þerto, his belde neuer payred.
1470. Harding, Chron., clxxxv. iv. His brother bastard, with strong beeld, Had putte hym out.
† 2. Confidence, assurance, feeling of security; hence, comfort. Often in alliterative connection with bliss. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 605. A land o lijf, o beld, and blis, Þe quilk man clepes paradis.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 162. This tronchoun for relic scho held Al hir lif, with worschip and beld. Ibid., 166. Ic haf tinte werdes, mensc, and belde.
c. 1400. Melayne, 324. With mekill blysse & belde.
† 3. Resource, help; often in alliterative connection with bote (BOOT); succor, defence, relief.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 7. Mankind in prisoun he held, With outen help, wit outen belde.
c. 1360. Yesterday, in E. E. P. (1862), 136. Vnswere I schal, Whi god sent suche men boote and belde.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 1721. A woman dyscownfortyd sare, Wythowten bote or belde.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 549. Mony berne wist nother of bute no beild.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 51. Quhan Kings and princes hes na other beild bot in thair awin folks.
† b. A means of help or succor. Obs. (Often transferred to a person.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20815. Ogain þat fa scho be vr beild.
c. 1352. Minot, Poems, vi. 27. Alweldand god … He be his beld.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. vi. 15. He wes þe Beld of all hys kyn.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 762. Sche cryed to hym … Thou be my fadurs belde.
† 4. Resource against hunger; ‘cheer,’ sustenance. (Only Sc.) Obs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. ix. 50. His fader eyrit and sew ane peice of feild, That he in hyregang held to be his beild.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 1087. For fude thow gettis none uther beild Bot eait the herbis upone the feild.
5. a. Refuge, shelter. b. A place of shelter. (Only Scotch and north. dial.).
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 82. He ran restlesse, for hee wist of no bield.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. x. (ix.) 16. Hecuba thidder … for beild Ran all in vane.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), I. 8. The Scotishmen call it [Cromart haven] beill of shipmen.
1594. Scot. Poems 16th C., II. 352. Argyll … Wpone ane hill had tane beild.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, II. lxxxiv. 36. This is our beild, the blustring windes to shun.
1691. Ray, N. Country Wds., 7. Beeld, shelter.
1792. Burns, Wks., II. 397. Better a wee bush than nae bield. Ibid., III. 216. Jamaica bodies, use him weel, An’ hap him in a cozie biel.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xxv. ‘The oppressors that hae driven me to tak the heather-bush for a bield.’
1822. W. J. Napier, Pract. Store-farming, 116. The most valuable … shelter … is derived from the bield of a close, well-built, stone dike.
1864. Atkinson, Whitby Gloss., Bield, a shelter or shed. ‘A bit of a bield in a field neuk.’
c. A lodging, dwelling; a den.
1570. Levins, Manip., 207. A Beale, den, spelunca.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm., iii. The fox will not worry near his beeld [v.r. bele].
1815. Scott, Guy M., viii. ‘There’s thirty yonder … that ye have turned out o’ their bits o’ bields.’
