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Chris -- 2018-04-11

#1 2012-02-28 06:52:40

burred
Eggcornista
From: Montreal
Registered: 2008-03-17
Posts: 1112

"illing" for ailing

Inspired by the fires of hail, it occurred to me that there might be quite a mother load of eggcorns based on ail/ell. JonW719 thought likewise back in ‘08, when considering the intriguing entry of “in tell” for entail.

So the “ell” for “ail” confusion is pretty rampant, certainly in spelling, and more than likely in pronunciation.

Jon added another interesting variant, intell. A quantum of intelligence. Others of that elk that come to mind are death nail for knell. Also easy to find is “The Farmer in the Dale”.

I don’t know when folks began verbing the the adjective ill for ailing, but it’s now a widespread eggcorn. The two words are etymological strangers. I can’t do better than to quote etymonline.

ill (adj.)
c.1200, “morally evil” (other 13c. senses were “malevolent, hurtful, unfortunate, difficult”), from O.N. illr “ill, bad,” of unknown origin. Not related to evil. Main modern sense of “sick, unhealthy, unwell” is first recorded mid-15c., probably related to O.N. idiom “it is bad to me.”

ail (v.)
c.1300, from O.E. eglan “to trouble, plague, afflict,” from P.Gmc. * azljaz (cf. O.E. egle “hideous, loathsome, troublesome, painful;” Goth. agls “shameful, disgraceful,” agliþa “distress, affliction, hardship,” us-agljan “to oppress, afflict”), from PIE * agh- lo-, suffixed form of root * agh- “to be depressed, be afraid.” Related: Ailed; ailing; ails.

OK, it’s not an ail for ell switch, the post was just inspired by that. We’ve lost some interesting words: That was an azljaz project. Don’t mind me, I’m just a bit agh. After the agliþa of that last assignment.

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#2 2012-02-28 10:29:11

kem
Eggcornista
From: Victoria, BC
Registered: 2007-08-28
Posts: 2850

Re: "illing" for ailing

The ail/ell switch dovetells with my own experience.

Idaho sports forum comment: “That attitude dovetells with their coach”

East Indian government document: “there is a unity of control and management, interlacing and dovetelling of finances”


Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.

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#3 2012-02-29 08:07:21

burred
Eggcornista
From: Montreal
Registered: 2008-03-17
Posts: 1112

Re: "illing" for ailing

Bell me out here.

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#4 2012-03-08 18:35:39

burred
Eggcornista
From: Montreal
Registered: 2008-03-17
Posts: 1112

Re: "illing" for ailing

See also fail short by CatherineR.

I’m afraid that I won’t reach my goals that I’ve set for myself and then i’m a fellure again.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/ma/Is-anyone … 1/13360136

That’s a nonce and one of those google singletons.

And death nail. And wailed up.

And see hailed responsible, also, as it happens, by CatherineR. JuanTwoThree suggested we call these aigcorns.

Or maybe aguecorns, what with all the death and wailing and fellure.

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