Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Intention; intent; aim.
- noun A variant of
addle . - noun A nettle.
- To aim; propose; intend; attempt; try.
- To expect; reckon: as, I'm ettling he'll be here the morn.
- To take aim.
- To make attempt.
- To direct one's course.
- To aspire; be ambitious.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To earn. [Obs.] See
addle , to earn.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb obsolete To
earn . - verb transitive, dialectal To
aim ;purpose ;intend ;attempt ;try . - verb transitive, dialectal To
expect ;reckon ;count on . - verb intransitive, dialectal To take
aim . - verb intransitive, dialectal To make attempt.
- verb intransitive, dialectal To
direct one'scourse . - verb intransitive, dialectal To
aspire ; beambitious . - noun dialectal
Intention ;intent ;aim .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
A variation of addle ("to earn").
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Middle English etlien, atlien, from Old Norse ǣtla ("to think, mean, suppose, intend, purpose"), from Proto-Germanic *ahtalōnan (“to strive, think”), from Proto-Indo-European *ok- (“to think, intend, purpose”); partly from Middle English aghtelen, ahtlien ("to think, esteem, purpose, set out, arrange"), from a frequentative variant of Old English eahtian ("to estimate, esteem, fix the character or quality of something, consult about, consider, deliberate, mediate, devise, watch over, speak of with praise"), from West Germanic *ahtōna (“to think, believe, fear”), from Proto-Germanic *ahwjanan (“to believe, intend, think, fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *okʷ-, *h₃ekʷ- (“to see”). Cognate with Dutch achten ("to deem, regard, esteem, think"), German achten ("to heed, respect, value"), Danish agte ("to esteem, intend, observe, heed"), Gothic 𐌰𐌷𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ahjan, "to think"). More at eye.
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Examples
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They that ettle to the top of the ladder will at least get up some rounds.
The Monastery 2008
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They that ettle to the top of the ladder will at least get up some rounds.
The Monastery Walter Scott 1801
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Dinna ettle at a penny more; he micht gang back upo' 't.
Warlock o' Glenwarlock George MacDonald 1864
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Shame fa' him, say I,'at made his siller as a flesher i' the wast wyn' o' Howglen, to ettle at a gentleman o' a thoosan' year for ane o' his queans!
Warlock o' Glenwarlock George MacDonald 1864
bilby commented on the word ettle
Scots - to attempt to do something.
December 26, 2007
AnWulf commented on the word ettle
From Old Norse ǣtla (to think, mean, suppose, intend, purpose) and from Old English eahtan (pursue, estimate, appreciate) and eahtian (æ, e) (to estimate, esteem, consult about, consider, deliberate: watch over, speak of with praise). Ger. achten
eahtung f. estimation, valuation, deliberation, counsel.
November 3, 2011