illr

From Proto-Germanic *ilhilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁elḱ-. The comparative and superlative degrees are taken from the Proto-Germanic adjective *ubilaz (whence English evil), but are themselves from yet another origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *wers-.

illr (comparative verri, superlative verst)

1. evil, bad
2. hard, difficult
3. close, mean, stingy

This word seems to have a suppletive inflection, using another root in the comparative and superlative forms, than in the positive form.

• illa (adverb)

• Icelandic: illur
• Faroese: illur
• Old Swedish: ilder, īller
  • Swedish: illa
• Old Danish: illæ
  • Danish: ilde
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ille
• Norwegian Nynorsk: ille
• → Middle English: ille, ill, il
  • English: ill
  • Scots: ill
  • Yola: ill

• Zoëga, Geir T. (1910) “illr”, in A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press; also available at the Internet Archive