Obs. Forms: 1 unsæl, 2–3 un-, vnsel, 4–5 vnsell, -sele; 4 vncel(e, 5 vnceyll(e. [OE. unsǽl (un- UN-1 12 + sǽl SELE sb.) = ON. and Icel. úsæla, ósæla unhappiness.]
1. Unhappiness, misery; misfortune, ill-luck.
c. 1023. Wulfstan, Hom. (1883), 236. Þa deoflu … wæron on miclum unsælum, and þa englas wæron on swiðe micelre blisse.
c. 1205. Lay., 30541. Unsel him wes on mode.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1263. Ich wolde Þer hi wel vnderstonde scholde Þat sum vnsel heom is ihende.
c. 1275. XI Pains Hell, 90, in O. E. Misc., 149. Snaken … dreyeþ heom in-to a wel Þer heo þolyeþ al vn-sel.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 278. Þe Scottis I telle for sottis, & wrecchis vnwar, Unsele dyntis to dele þam drouh to Dunbar.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 1267. Of an vnsele y may ȝou telle, & ȝe wil a stounde duelle.
a. 1400. Hymns Virgin (1867), 106. Þat þou … help to sauen hem from vncele, So þat heore soules beo not schent.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 5985. Ector thanne with mochel vnsele Graunted his askyng.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xii. 3. Here is mekyll vnceyll, and long has it last.
b. Unseemly matter. rare.–1
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., 503/377. Bi heore onswere þei wuste ful wel Þat þei bedde spoken muchel vncel.
2. An improper time.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 13. Ȝef man haueð to done mid his rihte spuse on unsele oðer an untime þan man faste sal.
