Felon a. and sb.¹

Forms: α. 3–5 feloun(e, -un(e, 4–6 felown(e, Sc. felloun(e, 5 felone, (feleyn), 6–8 fellon(e, 3– felon. β. (in adj. only) 4–5 felo(u)ns; cf. felunsly s.v. FELONLY. [a. OF. felon adj. and sb. = Pr. felon, felhon, fellon adj., Sp. fellon, It. fellone adj. and sb.:—vulgar L. *fellōn-em. From its formation, the word must have been originally a sb., fel (:—fe·llo), whence FELL a., being the subj. case, and felon (:—fellō·n-) the obj. case; but so far as documentary evidence goes, both forms were indiscriminately used in OF. as adj., and the recorded subst. use of the latter is derivative. The curious Eng. form felouns adj. may perh. be due (like fiers FIERCE) to the -s of the nom. case in OF. (in this instance a product of analogy).

  The ultimate etymology is uncertain. Of the many conjectures proposed the most probable is that fellōne-m is a derivative of L. fell-, fel gall, the original sense being ‘one who, or something which, is full of bitterness’ (or ‘venom,’ the two notions, as many linguistic facts show, being closely associated in the popular mind). In support of this view it may be pointed out that the sb. has had the senses of ‘an envenomed sore’ and ‘cholera’ (see FELON sb.¹); moreover, this etymology accounts perfectly for the strangely divergent senses which the adj. has in the Rom. langs.; ‘wicked,’ ‘angry,’ ‘brave,’ ‘melancholy, sad’ (It. fellone), ‘intensely painful.’ Of the other suggestions that have been made the most plausible is perhaps that of Prof. R. Atkinson of Dublin, that fello was originally a term of obscene abuse, f. L. fellāre as used in a peculiar sense by Martial and Catullus. Some scholars think that fello is from OHG. *fillo, an unrecorded derivative of fillen to scourge (cf. med.L. fillo rascal); others have sought to connect it with the obscure second element in the OE. words wælfel (from wæl carnage; occurring only once, as an epithet of the raven) and ælfæle, ealfelo (usually supposed to be from eal all; only twice, as an epithet of áttor poison). The mod.Da fæl horrible, disgusting, has also been compared; the MDu. fel is adopted from Fr. The Celtic words often cited are out of the question; the OF. word cannot have come from Wales or Ireland, and Gaulish appears not to have possessed the sound f; the Welsh ff and the Irish f do not correspond etymologically.]

  A.  adj.

  1.  Of persons and animals, their actions, feelings, etc.: Cruel, fierce, terrible; wicked, base. Now poet.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1160 (Cott.).

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, I. 47. Enwy, that is sa feloune.

c. 1489.  Caxton, Blanchardyn and Eglantine, liii. 205. They left their wordes, drewe their swerdes, & set their sheildes afore theym, so bigan they to smyte amonge their felon enmyes.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, XIII. i. 95. Hys felloun fa is kyllit thus.

1549.  Compl. Scot., Prol. 14. Fechtand be fellone forse.

a. 1550[?].  Freiris of Berwik, 553, in Dunbar’s Poems (1893), 303. With that Symone a felloun flap lait fle.

1575.  J. Still, Gamm. Gurton, I. iii., in Hazl., Dodsley, III. 179. Perchance some felon sprit may haunt our house indeed.

1687.  Dryden, Hind & P., III. 1170.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., IV. 712. Vain shows of love to veil his felon-hate!

1735.  Thomson, Liberty, IV. 1189.

1813.  Byron, Giaour, 677.

1855.  Singleton, Virgil, I. 33. Both gods and stars the mother felon calls.

  β.  a. 1300.  Cursor Mundi, 9973 (Trin.).

c. 1440.  York Myst., xi. 39.

a. 1450.  Knt. de la Tour (1868), 14. Curtesye and softenesse may ouercome a wilde bridde, that hathe no reson, nedes it aught to refraine felons proude herte of man and woman.

  b.  transf. Of things and places: Savage, wild; (of weapons) murderous.

c. 1320.  Sir Tristr., 1446.

c. 1450.  Merlin, 269. It semed by her armes that thei were come from felon place.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, IV. x. 19. And felloun stormis of ire gan hir to schaik.

1566.  Drant, Horace’ Sat., vii. D vi b. The fellone tongue of Rupilie.

1637.  Milton, Lycidas, 91.

1781.  Cowper, Truth, 445.

c. 1800.  K. White, Lett., Elegy Occasioned by the Death of Mr. Gill (1837), 204.

1814.  Scott, Massacre Glencoe, 26.

  † c.  Angry, sullen. Obs.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, V. 199. With felon [It. fellone] look and face dispitouse.

1567.  Drant, Horace’ Epist., II. 63.

  † 2.  Brave, courageous, sturdy. Obs.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, VIII. 454. He wes bath þoung, stout, and felloun.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. (1887), 131. Fergus sone to King Ferquhard King of Yrland is namet first King of Scottis … for his felloune fortitude, his justice, his prouidence, and his notable vthiris vertues.

  † 3.  ‘Terribly’ great, ‘tremendous,’ huge. Sc. Obs.

c. 1450.  Henryson, Mor. Fab., 73. The man therefore was in an felloun fray.

1513.  Douglas, Æneis, V. iii. 30.

1536.  Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. p. xxxvii. With ane fellon stoure.

c. 1570.  Sat. Poems Reform., xx. 25.

a. 1605.  Polwart, Flyting w. Montgomerie, 208.

  † 4.  With sense derived from the sb.: Feloniously acquired, stolen. Obs. rare^–1.

1631.  Fuller, David’s Hainous Sinne, xix. (D.). Whose greedy pawes with fellon goods were found.

  B.  sb.¹

  † 1.  A vile or wicked person, a villain, wretch, monster. Sometimes applied to the Devil or an evil spirit. Obs.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 11481 (Gött.). Herodes, þat fals feloune. Ibid., 12982 (Gött.). ‘Ne seis þu noght,’ said þe felune.

1340.  Ayenb., 29. Þe uour werreres þet þe feloun heþ.

a. 1400.  Octouian, 943.

1485.  Caxton, Charles the Grete, 100. Syr admyrall, I knowe now wel that ye wyl haue vs destroyed, for the frenssh men ben moche felons.

1594.  Carew, Tasso (1881), 27.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Æneid, VI. 804.

1814.  Scott, Ld. of Isles, III. xxiv.

  † 2.  In good sense: A brave man, a warrior. Obs. rare.

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 819*. Fers felons with hym fangez & florens enowe.

  3.  Law. One who has committed felony.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9668. Al þat þe felon hath, þe kinges it is.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. XI. 240. Þauh þe fader be a frankelayne and for a felon be hanged.

c. 1460.  Play Sacrum., 505. Hold prestly [?] on thys feleyn & faste bynd him to a poste.

1467.  in Eng. Gilds (1870), 383. Mansleers, ffelons, Outlawes.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 301. They dyd leade the bounden as they do theues or felons.

1575.  Nottingham Rec., IV. 158. Ralfe the felon that brake Maister Askewe house.

1592.  Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. iii. 69. I do … apprehend thee for a Fellon here.

1683.  Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 72. It was proposed that no fellons be brought into this Contrey.

1728.  Pope, The Dunciad, I. 281.

1796.  Burke, Regic. Peace, Wks. 1842, II. 318. A gang of felons and murderers.

1818.  Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), III. 267. If a person be pursued with hue and cry as a felon, and he flies and leaves his own goods, these will be forfeited as goods stolen.

1878.  Emerson, Misc. Papers, Fort. Republic, Wks. (Bohn), III. 398. The felon is the logical extreme of the epicure and coxcomb.

  transf.  1735.  Somerville, The Chace, III. 168.

1768–74.  Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 26. All this we ascribe to Roger, for we say he brought down the felon [a hawk]; and if we think the shot a nice one, applaud him for having done a clever feat.

  † b.  Felon-de-se, felon of oneself: = FELO-DE-SE.

1648.  Bp. Hall, Sel. Thoughts, § 34. Nothing is more odious amongst men, then for a man to be a felon of himself.

1655.  Fuller, The Church-History of Britain, V. i. § 3. A stake knock’t into the grave, is the the monument generally erected for Felons de Se.

1678.  Marvell, Growth Popery, Wks. 1875, IV. 322. If a House [of Parliament] shall once be felon of itself and stop its own breath.

  † 4.  = FELONY 1, 2. Obs.

c. 1325.  Cursor M., 22861 (Edin.).

  5.  attrib. and Comb., as felon-bushranger; felon-worshipper; felon-setter (Anglo-Irish), a thief-taker. Also felon-setting vbl. sb., in quot. attrib.

1859.  Cornwallis, New World, I. 99. Only four troopers and an officer in charge, a number quite inadequate for the safe convoy of thousands of ounces of gold through wild forests, and in a country infested with *felon bushrangers of the most desperate character.

1864.  People (Dublin), Feb. The Irish people believe that Mr. Sullivan has more than once acted the part of a *felon-setter.

1890.  Pall Mall G., 20 Sept., 4/3. The *felon-setting policy in which they have been engaged for a long time past.

1857.  The Saturday Review, III. 21 March, 271/2. There appear to be three great classes of *felon-worshippers. First, there are those who love a scoundrel because he is a scoundrel, and look upon a gaol as your only field for philanthropy. Secondly, there are those who run after him as they would after a fire-engine, or a balloon, or a runaway cab—running only because others run, and going home again when their man is hanged or transported, as they would when the fire is put out, the balloon invisible, or the cab smashed; but these perhaps are hardly worshippers, any more than a bevy of grisettes and students at a fête are worshippers of the saint whose day it is. Thirdly, we have those of the George Selwyn stamp, for whom a criminal has a sort of unhallowed fascination. They take a deep interest in all he says and does, or has said and done—they have an unquenchable thirst for information as to whether his health holds up, what he had for breakfast the last morning, whether he takes kindly to the crank, the colour of his hair and eyes, his height, his habits, his disposition.