Obs. [UN-1 7.]
1. Feeble, weak, impotent; = UNWIELDY a. 1.
Freq. from c. 1400 to c. 1450.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 57. Siðen hise limes arn unwelde.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 347. Vn-welde woren and in win Here owen limes.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 359. Al woxen was her body vnwelde, And drie,… for elde. Ibid. (c. 1386), Reeve’s Prol., 32. Oure olde lemes mowe wel been vnweelde.
14[?]. Sir Beues (L.), 34. He … Wexed febull and vn-welde.
c. 1480. Bk. of Brome (1886), 106. Hys body gane vax on-wylld.
absol. a. 1300. Cursor M., 10539. Sal naman negh þat vnweild.
2. Difficult or cumbrous to manipulate or handle; unwieldy. rare.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 312. The reyni Storm fell doun algates And al here takel made unwelde.
a. 1440. Sir Eglam., 309. A clobb of yron … That was mekylle and fulle unwelde.
Hence † Unwieldness. Obs.–1
1437–8. Rolls of Parlt., V. 439. In cas that any of the seide Lordes … fall to suche unweldnesse or impotence.
