a. Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1–2 unfæle (2 unn-), 3 unfeale; 2–3 unfele (vn-), 3–4 unvele (vnuele, onvele), 9 Sc. and north. onfeel, unfeil. [OE. unfǽle, f. un- UN-1 + fǽle good, FELE a.2] Bad, evil, wicked; wretched, miserable, unpleasant.

1

a. 900.  Genesis, 723. Hit wæs þeah … mennisera morð, þæt hie to mete dædon ofet unfæle.

2

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 108. Satiri, uel fauni,… unfæle men, wudewasan, unfæle wihtu.

3

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Mark vi. 49. Hi wendon þæt hit unfæle [c. 1160 un-fele] gast wære.

4

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., II. 79. Ȝif þe unfele man his wille folȝeð and … teð him to unwrenches.

5

c. 1205.  Lay., 22018. Neh þere sæ stronde is a mære swiðe muchel; þat water is un-fæle.

6

a. 1250.  Owl & Night., 1003. Þat lond is grislich & vnuele. Ibid., 1381. He is vnvele and forbroyde.

7

a. 1290.  S. Eng. Leg., I. 468/231. Þe sarazins onvele weren fulle of nyþe and hete.

8

13[?].  R. Gloucester’s Chron. (Rolls), App. G. 39. Þe moder his þrote carf, þo was heo vnfele.

9

c. 1400.  Laud Troy Bk., 8830. The while that he hadde his hele, Ther he sclow Gregeys as vn-vele.

10

1825.  Jamieson, Onfeel,… unpleasant, disagreeable, implying the idea of coarseness or roughness; as, ‘an onfeel day,’ ‘onfeel words,’ &c. Teviotd.

11

1894.  Northumberland Gloss., 756.

12