bilewit

• bilewitte, bilehwit, bilewhit

From a conflation of Old English bilewit (“innocent, simple”) and bilehwīt (“simple, honest, sincere”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiləˌhwiːt/, /ˈbiləˌwit/

bilewit

1. simple, innocent

• bilewitnesse

• “bile-whīt, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

• belewit, bilewet, bylewit, bylwet, bylwit, bylywit

From Proto-Germanic *biliwit- (“gentle-minded”), from Proto-Germanic *biliz (“merciful, kind”) (from Proto-Indo-European *bʰil- (“decent, good”)) + Proto-Germanic *witją (“mind, wit”) (from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to know”)), equivalent to Old English bile- + witt. Related to Middle High German bilwiz (“genius, mischievous person, goblin, witch”), unbil (“unbecoming, improper”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈbi.le.wit/

bilewit (superlative bilewitust)

1. innocent, simple
   • Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church

     On ðām tīman wæs sum þėgen Drihtelm ġehāten, on Norðhymbra lande, bilewite on andgyte, ġemetegod on ðēawum, ārfæst on līfe, and his hīwrǣdene tō ðām ylcan ġewissode.

     At that time there was a certain servant living in Northumbria, called Drihtelm, who was innocent of mind, temperate of character, righteous in life, and instructed his household on how to do the same.

2. calm, gentle
3. merciful, gracious
4. plausible

• bilewitnes

• bilehwīt

• Middle English: bilewit