micel

• miċċel, myċċel, myċel

From Proto-West Germanic *mikil, from Proto-Germanic *mikilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s (“big, great, stout”). The Germanic is cognate with Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “great”). Compare Swedish mycket (much).

• IPA^(key): /ˈmi.t͡ʃel/

miċel (comparative māra, superlative mǣst)

1. big, large; great, physical context

   "Ēalā, hū miċele nosu hē hæfþ!" "Māran iċ ġeseah." "Hwæt is sēo mǣste þe þū ǣfre ġemēttest?"

   "Wow, he has such a big nose!" "I've seen bigger." "What's the biggest one you've ever seen?"

2. great, abstract context
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint George, Martyr"

     Nāst þū lā Geori þæt ūre godas swincað mid þē and ġit hī synd ġeþyldiġe þæt hī þe miltsion. Nū lǣre ic ðē swā swā lēofne sunu þæt ðū þæra cristenra lāre forlǣte mid ealle and tō mīnum rǣde hraðe ġebūge swā þæt ðū offriġe þām ārwurðan Appoline and þū mycelne wurðmynt miht swā beġitan.

     Knowest thou not, O George, that our gods are striving with thee, and even yet they are patient, that they may pity thee; now I exhort thee, as a beloved son, that thou altogether quit the Christians' doctrine, and quickly incline to my counsel, so that thou sacrifice to the venerable Apollo, and thou mayest so obtain great honour.

   • Wonders of the East

     Þā wīf syndon ðrēotȳne fōta lange ⁊ heora līċ bið on marmorstānes hwītnysse. ⁊ hī habbað olfenda fēt ⁊ eoferes tēð. For heora unclēnnesse hīe ġefelde wurdon fram ðām mycclan macedoniscȧn Alexandre. Þā hē hī lifiende ġefōn ne mihte þā ācwealde hē hī for ðam hī syndon ǣwisċe on līchoman ⁊ unweorðe.

     Those women are thirteen feet tall and their bodies are the whiteness of marble. And they have the feet of camels and teeth of a boar. For their uncleanliness, they were killed by Alexander the Great of Macedon. He killed them because he could not capture them alive, because they are worthless and foul of body.

3. much, a lot

   Hū miċel sċeal iċ þē?

   How much do I owe you?

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy

     Hwæðer miċel feoh mæġ ǣniġne mann dōn swā ġesǣliġne þæt hē nānes þinges māran ne þearf?

     Can a lot of money make anyone so happy that they don't need anything more?

• Middle English: muchel, michel, mickle, mikel, mochel, mochell, mukel (nonstandard), muche (apocopated form)
  • English: much
  • Geordie: mickle, muckle
  • Scots: mickle, mikil, mekil, mukill, muckle
  • Yola: mucha, muche, much