Etymology

Always attributed to ON, cp. OIcel vagl-eygr 'wall-eyed' (only attested from Thómass saga erkibyskups) and Icel vagleygur from vagl 'cloud on the eye' (Mag. vagl (2)). The identification of vagl is uncertain and (as OED notes) it is unclear whether it is identical with the n. vagl 'beam, upper cross-beam' (Mag. vagl (1); see Bj.). Regardless, the root is not attested in OE. All authorities observe the likely early confusion or conflation with the originally distinct ME wald-eʒed (adj.).

PGmc Ancestor

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

 vagl-eygr 'wall-eyed'
(ONP vagleygr (adj.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Icel vagleygur

OE Cognate

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

D1c

Attestation

Only from WA in ME; see OED for widespread MnE attestations.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

WA 1706

The precise sense of this adj. is not evident from the context (a wawil-eʒid shrewe), only that it must be derogatory. Glosses (e.g. TPD 1830n) assume it is a variant of wald-eʒed at 608.

Bibliography

MED wal-eied (adj.) , OED wall-eyed (adj.) , HTOED , Bj. 257, de Vries vagleygr, Mag. vagl (2)