Etymology

Although formally it could continue OE fēolan, at least some ON input is usually cited for the ME v. because of its sense and distribution. Reflexes of a PGmc st. v. *felxan- attest a variety of related senses: cp. Go filhan 'bury, conceal' and ON fela 'hide, conceal' with OE fēolan 'force, make one's way; stick into, cleave to', befēolan 'bestow, commit, engage in, importune', OFris bi-fella 'conceal, commit', OS bi-felhan 'commit' and OHG felahan 'transmit, entrust, bury', and the original meaning is debated (see further Kroonen and Seebold).

PGmc Ancestor

*felxan-

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

fela 'hide, conceal; entrust'
(ONP fela (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far fjala, Icel fela, ODan fiælæ, fialæ, OSw fiæla, fiala, Sw dial fjäla

OE Cognate

fēolan 'force, make one's way; stick into, cleave to'

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

C3c

Attestation

Attested from the 14c., this v. is characteristic of the N/Midlands in ME and MnE dial (MED, OED, EDD).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Cl 914

Bibliography

MED fēlen (v.2) , OED feal (v.) , HTOED , EDD feal (v.), Bj. 209-10, de Vries fela, Mag. fela (2), Orel *felxanan, Kroonen *felhan-, DOE fēolan, befēolan, AEW fēolan, Seebold Felh-a