wieldy
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: From Middle English weeldy, weldy (“agile, vigorous; of a shield: easy or satisfying to wield”), from welden (“to govern, preside over, reign, rule; to command, control, dominate; to dwell, reside; to accomplish, bring about; to overcome, prevail; to handle (a tool, weapon, etc.), use”). By surface analysis, wield + y. Compare also Old English ġewielde (“controlling, dominant”), from Proto-West Germanic *waldī, from Proto-Germanic *waldiz (“manageable; powerful”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“to rule; powerful, strong”). Later uses of sense 2 (“capable of being easily wielded”) are likely a back-formation from unwieldy.
Inflected forms:
form: more wieldy
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: wieldier
pos: adj
tags: archaic
comparative
form: most wieldy
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: wieldiest
pos: adj
tags: archaic
superlative
Senses:
gloss: Able to wield one's body well; active, dexterous.
pos: adj
tags: dialectal
examples: But the baron, who was neither ſo wieldy nor ſupple in his joints as his companions, flounced himſelf down with ſuch precipitation, that his feet ſuddenly tilting up, came in furious contact with the head of the marquis, […]
She bore the proportions of a marchioness all over; that is, was more wieldy than a duchess, more unwieldy than a countess. […] [T]he Marchioness of Clanweary was wieldy and limp; she moved herself surprisingly, and if not for too long together, was a good walker; but her feet were too small for her in the long run.
gloss: Capable of being easily wielded or managed; handy.
pos: adj
examples: July the 30. we took boat to go down to Abbeville, by the river of Some; a river of no great breadth, but deep and full; the boat which carryed us was much of the making of thoſe Lighters which live on the Thames, but that is was made more wieldie and fit for ſpeed.
About twenty years agoe, I publiſhed, Latiali but rudi Minerva, a Synopſis of a Philoſophical Grammar and Lexicon; […] deſigning not only to remedie the confuſion of Languages, by giving a much more eaſie medium of communication than any yet known; but alſo to cure even Philoſophy it ſelf of the diſeaſe of Sophiſms, and Logomachies; as alſo to provide her with more wieldy and manageable Inſtruments of operation, for defining, dividing, demonſtrating, &c.
In former ages, the quarter-staff was a formidable weapon— […] To this heavy staff succeeded the lighter single-stick, or cudgel, which was more wieldy, portable, and elegant.
We take leave of Mr. [Charles Robert] Maturin, wishing to see his agreeable genius exercised on wieldier subjects than the Universe, and objecting to that theme, to borrow two of his own expressions, "most chiefly" on account of its "vastitude."
I realized a split second too late that for perhaps 70 yards the surface was coated with slime, evidently deposited by farm carts crossing between staggered gates on opposite sides of the road. The car I was driving, not the wieldiest of vehicles, started to slide.
This machine requires more power than the compact model, is less wieldy, and is somewhat more difficult to keep in adjustment.
Related words: unwieldy
wield
wielder
wieldsome
Derived words: wieldiness
Translations: