View source for weal

==English==

===Pronunciation===
* {{enPR|wēl|a=RP}}, {{IPA|en|/wiːl/}}
* {{audio|en|LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-weal.wav|a=Southern England}}
* {{IPA|en|/wil/|a=GA}}
* {{homophones|en|we'll|wheal|wheel<aa:wine-whine>}}
* {{rhymes|en|iːl|s=1}}

===Etymology 1===
From {{inh|en|enm|wele}}, from {{inh|en|ang|wela|t=wellness, welfare, prosperity, riches, well-being, wealth}}, from {{inh|en|gmw-pro|*welō}}, from {{inh|en|gem-pro|*walô|t=well-being, wellness, weal}}. Cognate with {{cog|de|Wohl}}, {{cog|da|vel}}, {{cog|sv|väl}}.

====Noun====
{{en-noun|-}}

# {{lb|en|obsolete}} [[wealth|Wealth]], [[riches]]. {{defdate|10th|19th c.}}
# {{lb|en|literary}} [[welfare|Welfare]], [[prosperity]]. {{defdate|from 10th c.}}
#* {{RQ:Bacon New Atlantis|page=7|passage=Therefore for ''{{smallcaps|Gods}}'' loue, and as we loue the '''weale''' of our Soules and Bodies, let us ſo behaue our ſelues, as we may be at peace with ''{{smallcaps|God}}'', and may finde grace in the Eyes of this People.}}
#* {{RQ:Milton Paradise Lost|book=VIII|lines=132–133|passage=For whom all this was made, all this will ſoon / Follow, as to him linkt in '''weal''' or woe, [...]|year=1873}}
#* {{quote-book|en|year=1919|author=Stanley J. Weyman|chapter=XIII. Peter Pauper|title=The Great House|passage=It seemed so plain that if the workman had his master’s profit at heart, and the master were as anxious for the '''weal''' of his men, the interests of the two would be one.}}
# {{lb|en|by extension}} [[boon|Boon]], [[benefit]].
#* {{quote-text|en|year=1885|author=w:Richard F. Burton|title=w:The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night|section=Night 557
|passage=And indeed I blamed myself and sore repented me of having taken compassion on him and continued in this condition, suffering fatigue not to be described, till I said to myself, "I wrought him a '''weal''' and he requited me with my ill; by Allah, never more will I do any man a service so long as I live!"}}
# Specifically, the general [[happiness]] of a community, country etc. (often with qualifying word). {{defdate|from 15th c.}}
#* {{RQ:Macaulay History of England|volume=I|chapter=IV|page=515|passage=Yet never was there a time when it more concerned the public '''weal''', that the character of the parliament should stand high.}}
#* {{RQ:Wodehouse Jeeves in the Offing|chapter=IV|passage=The austerity of my tone seemed to touch a nerve and kindle the fire that always slept in this vermilion-headed menace to the common '''weal''' [...]}}
#* {{quote-text|en|year=2002|author={{w|Colin Jones (historian)|Colin Jones}}|title=The Great Nation|page=372|publisher=Penguin|year_published=2003
|passage=Louis could aim to restyle himself the first among citizens, viewing virtuous attachment to the public '''weal''' as his most important kingly duty.}}

=====Derived terms=====
* {{l|en|commonweal}}
* {{l|en|in weal and woe}}
* {{l|en|wealful}}
* {{l|en|wealsman}}
* {{l|en|wealth}}
* {{l|en|weal-public}}

=====Related terms=====
* {{l|en|in weal or woe}}

=====Translations=====
{{trans-top|community welfare}}
* Bulgarian: {{t+|bg|благоденствие|n}}
* Chinese:
*: Mandarin: {{t+|cmn|幸福}}, {{t+|cmn|福利}}
* Finnish: {{t+|fi|hyvinvointi}}, {{t+|fi|hyvä}}
* Plautdietsch: {{t|pdt|Wool|n}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|благосостоя́ние|n}}, {{t+|ru|бла́го|n}}
* Spanish: {{t|es|bien común|m}}
* Swedish: {{t+|sv|väl|n}}, {{t+|sv|välstånd|n}}
* Turkish: {{t+|tr|gönenç}}
{{trans-bottom}}

===Etymology 2===
See {{m|en|wale}}.

====Noun====
{{en-noun}}

# A [[raised#Adjective|raised]], [[longitudinal]] [[wound#Noun|wound]], usually [[purple]], on the [[surface#Noun|surface]] of [[flesh]] [[cause#Verb|caused]] by a [[stroke#Noun|stroke]] of a [[rod]] or [[whip#Noun|whip]]; a [[welt]].
#: {{synonyms|en|wheal}}
#* {{RQ:Stedman Surinam|volume=I|chapter=XII|page=296|passage=[A]lthough a few [slaves] live comfortably at Paramaribo, the greateſt number are wretched, particularly thoſe governed by a ''lady'', who have many '''weals''' to ſhow, but not the ſmallest indulgence to boaſt of.}}
#* {{RQ:Doyle Great Shadow|chapter=The End of the Storm|pages=140–141|pageref=141|passage=He turned as I struck him and fired full into my face, and the bullet left a '''weal''' across my cheek which will mark me to my dying day.}}
#* {{quote-book|en|year=1958|author=w:T. H. White|title=w:The Once and Future King|location=London|publisher=Collins|year_published=1959|chapter=16|pageurl=https://www.fadedpage.com/books/20150633/html.php
|passage=He had been slashed sixteen times by mighty boars, and his legs had white '''weals''' of shiny flesh that stretched right up to his ribs.}}
#* {{quote-text|en|year=2007|author=w:Tan Twan Eng|title=w:The Gift of Rain|location=New York|publisher=Weinstein Books|section=Book Two, Chapter Twenty-One, p. 422|url=https://archive.org/details/giftofrain00tant
|passage=And I saw the green island in the immense sea, the borders of the sea curling with a lining of light, like a vast piece of rice paper, its edges alive with '''weals''' of red embers, ready to burst into flame.}}

=====Translations=====
{{trans-top|a raised, longitudinal wound, usually purple, on the surface of flesh caused by stroke of rod or whip}}
* Czech: {{t+|cs|šlinc|m}}, {{t|cs|šlehanec|m}}, {{t|cs|šrám|m}}
* Dutch: {{t+|nl|striem|f}}
* German: {{t|de|Strieme|f}}
* Greek:
*: Ancient: {{t|grc|μώλωψ|m}}, {{t|grc|σμῶδιξ|f}}
* Irish: {{t|ga|léas}}
* Italian: {{t+|it|pomfo}}
* Latin: {{t|la|vībex|f}}
* Maori: {{t|mi|kārawarawa}}
* Polish: {{t+|pl|szrama|f}}, {{t+|pl|pręga}}
* Russian: {{t+|ru|рубе́ц|m}}
* Spanish: {{t+|es|roncha|f}}
{{trans-bottom}}

====Verb====
{{en-verb}}

# To mark with stripes; to [[wale]].

===Anagrams===
* {{anagrams|en|a=aelw|alew|e-law|lawe|wale}}

{{top|en|Dermatology}}

==Old English==

===Noun===
{{ang-noun|m}}

# {{alternative form of|ang|weall}}