Obs. Forms: α. 3–4 swilc, (3 Orm. swillc, swillk-; swiulc, suwilk, squilk, 4 squylk), 3–5 swilk, suilk, 4–5 swilke, swylk(e, suylk; 5 swelk, suelc. β. 3 selk(e, 3–4 sulk(e, 4–5 silk(e, sylk(e, (4 schilke). γ. 4–5 swyk. [Northern unpalatalized form corresp. to swilč, swilch, swelč, sulch, swich: see SUCH and cf. SIC.]
1. As dem. adj. in ordinary attributive, predicative, or complemental use: = SUCH I.
α. c. 1200. Ormin, 201. Witt sinndenn off swillc elde nu Þatt wilt ne muȝhenn tæmenn. Ibid., 15811. Whatt læn þeȝȝ sholldenn unnderrfon Att Godd forr swillke dedess.
c. 1210. Bestiary, 440. & deuel geld swilk billing wið same & wið sending.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3726. Leateð ben swilc wurdes ref.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4133 (Cott.). If yee do suilk an outrake. Ibid., 6258. And yee sal cum al hal to land, Swilk es þe vertu of þis wand.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VII. 364. He suld nouthir haff hert no will Swilk iuperdy till vndirta.
c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., 89. Two precious stoones … þat men fynden yn rynnand waters, of whom þe wyrkynges er swylk.
c. 1440. York Myst., iii. 53. To swilke a lorde in alle degree Be euermore lastand louynge.
β. a. 1300. Siriz, 101. That I shal don selk falsete. Ibid., 264. I shal kenne hire sulke a lore.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 1513. How dar ȝe do sylk a þyng?
13[?]. Cursor M., 23153 (Edinb.). Al þat are schilke. Ibid., 24548. Of bale and bot sulk was mi soru.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 7. Þat … silk indulgencis rennun not forþ aȝen þe ordinaunce of God.
γ. a. 1500. Ratis Raving, Prol. 11. And gyf swyk causs sall fal in the, Trow weill at þow sal punyst be.
2. With correlative or dependent clause: = SUCH II.
a. c. 1200. Ormin, 5413. Þa shall Godess kinedom All all swillc beon onn eorþe, Alls itt iss upp inn heoffness ærd.
12[?]. Will of Ælfgar (anno 958), in Birch, Cartul., III. 215. In to squilke haleȝen stowe squilk hire red likes.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1937. Swilc nið & hate ros hem on, He redden alle him for to slon.
a. 1300. Body & Soul, in Map’s Poems (Camden), 339. The fendes kasten suwilk a ȝel, the erthe it openede anon.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2848 (Cott.). Suilk als þai brued now ha þai dronken.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2123. So stod ut of his mouth a glem, Rith al swilk so þe sunne-bem.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., I. 658. Swilk als þe tre es with bowes, Swilk es þe fruyt þat on it growes.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 337. Wyrk yhe then apon swylk wyss, That ȝour honour be sawyt ay.
1444. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), II. 105. Swilk composicion and avise as sall be made betwen ye said Maire … and Hugh Cliderhowe.
1451. Lincoln Diocese Documents, 52. With suylke stufe of vetell as was purwad for my howsald.
β. c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 59. Oþer sacramentis are ȝeuen to ilk man for himsilf, and silk þey are to ilk man as þei are tane wiþ hart and concience.
1457. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), II. 207. Silke as the custom of the kirk of the cite of York requires.
γ. c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., 100. Yn pryue conseils er swyk þinges shewed to oon, þat byfore many or mo shold noght be shewyd.
3. Swilk and swilk: see SUCH a. 16 b. (Cf. 4.)
c. 1200. Ormin, 1006. All þeȝȝre lac wass swillc & swillc.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4413 (Cott.). Al suilk and suilk, sir, was þe scam Þat he can seke on mi licam.
4. absol. or as pron. = SUCH IV.
[c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxviii. § 1. Be swilcum & be swylcum þu miht onʓitan þæt se cræft þæs lichoman bið on þa mode.]
c. 1200. Ormin, 9381. All swillc & swillc comm Sannt Johan To shæwenn & to kiþenn. Ibid., 13935. Wel he wisste himm sellf forr whatt He nollde swillke chesenn.
c. 1300. Havelok, 644. Al with suilk Shole we sone þe wel fede.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxxix. 21. Swilk ere fikil louers and fals.
c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., 50. To swilk … þat souereyn god iugys vnworthi & enemys.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxviii. 333. Whils I am werere of swylke, the longere mercy may I call.
5. With one, none, another: = SUCH 26–28.
α. c. 1200. Ormin, 11595. Þatt swillc an shollde muȝhenn beon Shippennd off alle shaffte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 77 (Cott.). Suilk in herth es fundun nan. Ibid., 1942. For nakin schaunce Sal i ta suilk a noiþer wengance. Ibid., 18142. For þar mai be nanoþer suilk.
c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., 107. If þou fynde non swylke.
1483. Cath. Angl., 374/2. Swilkone,… talio.
β. a. 1300. Siriz, 245. For none selke werkes.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 15508. In al this world is non silke [rhyme mylke].
6. With numeral, expressing multiplication: = SUCH 32.
13[?]. Evang. Nicod., 386, in Herrig, Archiv, LIII. 398. [It] es more syn þan swilk seuen.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 1886. Sum he losed of hys men, Bot the evil lost swilk ten.
c. 1425. Seven Sag. (P.), 1196. Swylke seven clerkys hadde hee Undir hym as have ȝe.
B. adv. So, likewise; as, Cf. SUCH adv.
12[?]. [see 2 above].
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 143. Ðe mone is more bi mannes tale, Ðan al ðis erðe in werldes dale; And egest swilc ðe sunnes brigt, Is more ðanne ðe mones ligt.
C. Comb.: swilk-like = SUCH-LIKE.
c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., 97. Chaterynge of bryddes, and swylk lyk souns. Ibid. A rappyngge togedre of stones, hewynge of wode, and swylk lyk.
1439. Charters &c. of Edinb. (1871), 64. Payand yerly … swylk like annuales as thai dede to … Schir Robert.
