Word
wil
Phoneticswil
/ˈwɪɫ/
Definition
v. to want or desire something. This is a very old word that people do not use in modern conversation.
v. to desire, wish, or want. A Middle and early Modern English transitive verb; now restricted to archaic or poetic contexts.
Examples
“He may do what he wil with his own.”
“The knight declared he would go wherever his lady might wil him to travel.”
“In the ancient texts, the gods would often wil the hero toward a fate he could not possibly escape, regardless of his own mortal desires.”
Examples
simple
“He may do what he wil with his own.”
contextual
“The knight declared he would go wherever his lady might wil him to travel.”
complex
“In the ancient texts, the gods would often wil the hero toward a fate he could not possibly escape, regardless of his own mortal desires.”
Usage
Archaic spelling of 'will' used as a lexical verb meaning 'to desire'; distinct from the modern modal auxiliary verb.
Pitfall
I wil go to the store
I will go to the store
The spelling 'wil' is archaic; modern English uses 'will' for both the future auxiliary and the verb meaning to desire.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wil