Elenge: tedious, remote, dreary

E·lenge, a. Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 11-13 ǽlenge, 13 elinge, (14 eling, elynge, helynge, eleynge, 17-18, 19 dial. ellinge), 12-16, 19 dial. elenge. Also ALANGE, q.v.

OE. ǽlȩnge, f. Æ pref. + *lȩnge:—OTeut. *langjo- f. *lango- Long a. The two etymological senses of ’very long, tedious’ and ‘remote, lonely’, seem to blend in the later uses. Chaucer abnormally accents ele·nge (riming with chale·nge.)

Also see the Middle English Dictionary.

†1. Very long, tedious. Obs.

c 897 Ælfred Gregory's Pastoral Rule v. 40 Þæt hie bioð on ælengum ðingum…ʒeðyldiʒe.

c 1430 A B C Aristotle in Babees Book (1868) II E to elenge, ne to excellent, ne to eernesful neiþer.

2. Remote, lonely; dreary, miserable. Obs. exc. dial.

c 1205 Layamon's Brut 7580 Þe stude wes Ælenge [1275 Elinge]: nu hatte hit Stanhenge [1275 Stonhenge].

a 1300 Cursor mundi 3075 An elenge lijf þare þai ledd.

a 1300 St. Brendan 637 Eling ich ʒeode her alone.

1377 Langland Piers Plowman B. x. 94 Elyng is þe halle…Þer þe lorde ne þe lady liketh nouʒte to sytte.

c 1386 Chaucer Wyf Bathes T. 343 Povert is this, although it seme elenge [v.r. alange, alenge, alinge].

1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 341 Lanfrank leet neuere a man good from hym helynge and sory.