Nall vs Nill - What's the difference?
nall | nill |
To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive ).
*1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queen) , III.v:
*:I here auow thee neuer to forsake. / Ill weares he armes, that nill them vse for Ladies sake.
*1600 , (Edward Fairfax), The (Jerusalem Delivered) of (w), XII, lxi:
*:What I nill tell you ask (quoth she) in vain, / Nor mov'd by prayer, nor constrain'd by power.
To be unwilling.
*:
*:So the knight of Ireland armed him at all points,, and rode after a great pace, as much as his horse might go; and within a little space on a mountain he had a sight of Balin, and with a loud voice he cried, Abide, knight, for ye shall abide whether ye will or nill , and the shield that is to-fore you shall not help.
*:• :
*::Soo the knyght of Irelonde armed hym at al poyntes /and rode after a grete paas as moche as his hors myght goo / and within a lytel space on a montayne he had a syghte of Balyn / and with a lowde voys he cryed abyde knyght / for ye shal abyde whether ye will or nyll / and the sheld that is to fore you shalle not helpe
*1955 , , (The Lord of the Rings) (Appendices):
*:I must indeed abide the Doom of Men, whether I will or I nill .
To reject, refuse, negate.
*1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queen) , II.vii:
*:Certes (said he) I n’ill thine offred grace, / Ne to be made so happy do intend.
Shining sparks thrown off from melted brass.
Scales of hot iron from the forge.
As nouns the difference between nall and nill
is that nall is an awl while nill is shining sparks thrown off from melted brass.As a verb nill is
to be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive).nill
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) nillen, from (etyl) nillan, nellan, . Cognate with (etyl) nelle.Verb
Derived terms
* willy-nillyEtymology 2
Compare Irish and Gaelic (neul) star, light. Compare (nebula).Noun
- (Knight)
