Sc. and north. Forms: 3 wal, 4 wall, 5 wail, 5–6 waill, 6 waylle, 8–9 wile, 9 waile, 3– wale. [a. ON. val neut., corresponding to OHG. wala (MHG. wal, mod.G. wahl) str. fem., f. Teut. root *wal-, *wel-: see WILL v.]
1. The action or an act of choosing; choice. Also, scope for choice, plurality of things to choose from.
Before the 17th c. recorded only poet., chiefly in certain set phrases: At, to wale, at one’s choice, in abundance; men of wale, men of high merit; worthy in or to wale, of approved valor. (By some writers of the 15–16th c. to wale in the last phrase seems to have been taken as the inf. of WALE v.1)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4353. If … þat þou mi lefe wald be; O werldes welth to wale and wan Sal þou haf mare þan mai be gan. Ibid., 5375. Ibid., 7629. And of a thusand men o wal, He made him ledder and marscal.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems, v. 77. Sir Edward, oure gude King wurthi in wall.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 1587. When he had tolde this tale … He hade wordis at wale To thane ilkane.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11952. He russhit vp full radly, raght to his clothes, Soche as happit hym to hent, hade he no wale.
c. 1440. York Myst., ii. 55. Als ye I haue honours in alkyn welth to wale.
c. 1450. Holland, Houlate, 447. With lordis of Scotland, lerit, and the laif As worthy, wysest to waile, in worschipe allowit.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 211. Wynis went within that wane, maist wourthy to vaill.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, V. xii. 37. Thar wes na strenth of valeant men to waill.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. to Lady Kenmure (1664), 29. I will have no other tutor, suppose I could have waile & choise of ten thousand beside.
1808. Jamieson, s.v., He gaif me the wale, he allowed me to choose.
1847. De Quincey, Notes on Landor, Wks. 1859, IX. 297. Our Arab friend, however, is no connoisseur in courts of law: small wale of courts in the desert.
1858–67. Ramsay, Remin. (1867), 167. There’s nae waile o’ wigs on Monrimmon Moor.
1894. Crockett, Raiders, xxxiii. She’s a wonderfu’ woman, the mistress; no the like o’ her in the three counties. She micht hae had the wale o’ the men.
b. Coupled with will.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., xxvii. With alle welthis to wille, and wynus to wale.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 147. [He] mycht in the time that he feit him have had otheris at will and wale.
1742. R. Forbes, Ajax (1755), 11. Lat him than now tak will an’ wile.
1836. J. Affleck, Poet. Wks., 81 (E.D.D.). I’ve sheets and blankets, will and wale, I’m nae deaf nit.
2. That which is chosen or selected as the best; the choicest individual, kind, specimen, etc.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. v. 188. The King Latyne, but faill, Gart cheis of all his steidis furth the waill.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 399. Ane great airme … to the number of lm men the waill of all Ingland.
1717. Ramsay, Elegy on Lucky Wood, xi. She was the wale of a’ her kin.
1786. Burns, Ordination, vi. For lapfu’s large o’ gospel kail Shall fill thy crib in plenty, An’ runts o’ grace the pick an’ wale.
1815. Scott, Guy M., lv. The Bertrams were aye the wale o’ the country side!
1842. J. Aiton, Dom. Econ. (1857), 262. The best way to get one, and the wale of them, is to intercept one of the packs which are driven from the northern markets.
1887. Stevenson, Merry Men, v. Wks. 1895, VIII. 166. It’s the pride of the eye, and it’s the lust o’ life, an’ it’s the wale o’ pleesures.
