Wt/sco/byspel

English

Alternative forms

• byspell, by-spell, byspelt, bispel, byspeel, byspale

Etymology

From Middle Inglis bispel, byspell, from Old English, bīspel, biġspel (“proverb, parable, example, story”), from bī- (“by”) + spel (“talk, story”), equivalent to . Cognate with Middle Dutch bijspel (“proverb, parable”), Low German bispeel (“example”), German Beispiel (“example”). More at by-, spell.

Noun

byspel (plural Wt/sco/byspels)

1. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete A proverb.
   • 1845, Henry Hammond, A paraphrase and annotations upon all the books of the New :

     [...] signifies a byword or proverb, or, as it is still used in the north, byspell.

2. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete An example.
   • 2011, Michael Everson, The Oxford English Dictionary on eð:

     I don't like using ð for most words at the beginning of the word simply because ð looks like a d and huru Ð looks like a D and would encourage people using the “d” instead of “th” for byspel: “dat” instead of “that” … and others.

   • 2011, EnglishGBTranslation

     As byspel, encyclopædia instead of encyclopaedia; ... As byspel, færie is actually wrong, thus faerie should be used.

3. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete A person used as an example, either positively or negatively; one who has become a byword for any remarkable quality.
4. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete An exceptional or wonderful character.
5. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete A family outcast; bastard.
   • 2001, Peter Novobatzky, Ammon Shea, Depraved and Insulting English:

     "The byspel of his rich and landed clan, young Norton lived alone in a shed, by the woods on the edge of the estate. [...]"

6. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete An accidental piece of good fortune; a wonderful stroke of luck or dexterity.
7. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete A mischievous person (usually applied to youngsters); an awkward figure.
8. Template:Wt/sco/obsolete A natural child.

Usage notes

• Neither this term nor any of its alternative forms can be found in COCA or BNC, two of the largest corpora of contemporary usage, American and British respectively.

Derived terms

• byspell book
• byspell of wisdom

Related terms

• byword

References

• Wright, The English dialect dictionary, Byspel(l).

Anagrams

• blypes

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Scots

Alternative forms

• byspale

Etymology

From Old English biġspel, bīspel (“example, pattern, proverb”), from bī- (“by”) + spel (“tale, story”), compare Old High German bīspel (German Beispiel)

Noun

byspel (plural byspels)

1. a rarety, someone or something of rare, unique, or exceptional qualities (often used ironically)

   She's just a byspale.

   • a 1811, reported in Jameson.

     He's nae byspel mair than me.

     He's no better than me.

Adverb

1. very, extraordinarily, exceedingly, exceptionally

   byspel weel ("very well")