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Elenge: tedious, remote, dreary

E·lenge, a. Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 11-13 ǽlenge, 13 elinge, (14 eling, elynge, helynge, eleynge, 17-18, 19 dial. ellinge), 12-16, 19 dial. elenge. Also ALANGE, q.v.

OE. ǽlȩnge, f. Æ pref. + *lȩnge:—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 (riming with chale·nge.​)

Also see the Middle English Dictionary.

†1. Very long, tedious. Obs.

c 897 Ælfred Gregory's Pastoral Rule v. 40 Þæt hie bioð on ælengum ðingum…ʒeðyldiʒe.

c 1430 A B C Aristotle in Babees Book (1868) II E to elenge, ne to excellent, ne to eernesful neiþer.

2. Remote, lonely; dreary, miserable. Obs. exc. dial.

c 1205 Layamon's Brut 7580 Þe stude wes Ælenge [1275 Elinge]: nu hatte hit Stanhenge [1275 Stonhenge].

a 1300 Cursor mundi 3075 An elenge lijf þare þai ledd.

a 1300 St. Brendan 637 Eling ich ʒeode her alone.

1377 Langland Piers Plowman B. x. 94 Elyng is þe halle…Þer þe lorde ne þe lady liketh nouʒte 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 good from hym helynge and sory.

Bill White (billw@wolfram.com) · Emacs 29.3 (Org mode 9.6.15)