c. 1300, Middle English weilen, waylen (“to sob, cry, wail”), from Old Norse væla (“to wail”), from væ, vei (“woe”), from Proto-Germanic *wai (whence also Old English wā (“woe”) (English woe)), from Proto-Indo-European *wáy.
The verb is first attested in the intransitive sense; the transitive sense developed in mid-14ᵗʰ c.. The noun came from the verb.
Meanings
A prolonged cry, usually high-pitched, especially as of grief or anguish.
She let out a loud, doleful wail.
Any similar sound as of lamentation; a howl.
A bird's wail in the night.
The wail of snow-dark winter winds.
A sound made by emergency vehicle sirens, contrasted with "yelp" which is higher-pitched and faster.
de Schrei (a long drawn out howl) · lv vaimana (loud cry or shriek) · de Jaulen (a long drawn out howl) · eo vekrio (loud cry or shriek) · it suono di sirena (emergency vehicle siren) · fi ulina (loud cry or shriek) · da jammer (loud cry or shriek) · ru стена́ния (loud cry or shriek) · pt gemido (loud cry or shriek) · fa ویله (loud cry or shriek) · ca gemec (loud cry or shriek) · de Klagelaut (loud cry or shriek) · da klageråb (loud cry or shriek) · ru вопль (loud cry or shriek) · bg вопъл (loud cry or shriek) · da hyl (loud cry or shriek) · gl laio (loud cry or shriek) · de Wehklagen (loud cry or shriek) · de Geschrei (a long drawn out howl) · de Schmerzensschrei (loud cry or shriek) · fr gémissement (loud cry or shriek) · de Heulen (emergency vehicle siren) · fr plainte (loud cry or shriek) · pl bek (loud cry or shriek) · nl schreeuw (loud cry or shriek) · is æpa (loud cry or shriek) · es gemido (loud cry or shriek) · nl kreet (loud cry or shriek) · it lamento (loud cry or shriek) · ja 泣き声 (loud cry or shriek) · ru вытьё (loud cry or shriek) · de Heulen (a long drawn out howl) · it urlo (loud cry or shriek) · de Schrei (loud cry or shriek) · ru вой (loud cry or shriek) · de Kreischen (a long drawn out howl) · mi whakapū (a long drawn out howl) · de Kreischen (loud cry or shriek) · bg вой (emergency vehicle siren) · ja うなり (loud cry or shriek) · it gemito (loud cry or shriek) · bg стон (loud cry or shriek)
c. 1300, Middle English weilen, waylen (“to sob, cry, wail”), from Old Norse væla (“to wail”), from væ, vei (“woe”), from Proto-Germanic *wai (whence also Old English wā (“woe”) (English woe)), from Proto-Indo-European *wáy.
The verb is first attested in the intransitive sense; the transitive sense developed in mid-14ᵗʰ c.. The noun came from the verb.
Meanings
(intransitive) To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish.
(intransitive) To weep, lament persistently or bitterly.
(intransitive) To make a noise like mourning or crying.
The wind wailed and the rain streamed down.
(transitive) To lament; to bewail; to grieve over.
My lord, wise men ne'er sit and wail their woes 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act 3, scene 2]:
to wail one's death
(slang) To perform with great liveliness and force.
The band was really wailing as we quickly made our dance moves in a most provocative manner. 2012, Robert Lewis Barrett, A Portrait of the First Born As a Child, page 377:
We had a nondenominational wedding, with a bunch of great Sufi musicians really wailing, and my wildly enthusiastic mother in attendance. 2013, Joan Silber, Fools, →ISBN:
At Boston's Roseland, as "the Count's band was wailing," he grabbed Mamie, an avid dancer. The "band was screaming when she kicked off her shoes and got barefooted 1999, Lewis A. Erenberg, Swingin' the Dream: Big Band Jazz and the Rebirth of American Culture, page 111:
Another outstanding surfer from Hawaii - Fred Hemmings. Fred only stands up on alternate Wednesdays, but when he does, he really wails. 1966, Bruce Brown, director, The Endless Summer: