Etymology From Middle English fele, from Old English feola, fela (“much, many, very”), from Proto-West Germanic *felu, from Proto-Germanic *felu (“very, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *pélh₁u (“many”). Cognate with Scots fele (“many, much, great”), Dutch veel (“much, many”), German viel (“much, many”), Latin plūs (“more”), Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”). Related to full, few.
For they bring in the substance of the Beere / That they drinken feele too good chepe, not dere.1589, Richard Hakluyt, The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, […], London: […] George Bishop and Ralph Newberie, deputies to Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC:
fele
adj
Etymology From Middle English fele, from Old English feola, fela (“much, many, very”), from Proto-West Germanic *felu, from Proto-Germanic *felu (“very, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *pélh₁u (“many”). Cognate with Scots fele (“many, much, great”), Dutch veel (“much, many”), German viel (“much, many”), Latin plūs (“more”), Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”). Related to full, few.
This cruel monstre, […] Infect with fell venoum;1513, Gavin Douglas, Eneados:
So fele shippes this yere there ware / That moch losse for vnfreyght they bare. So fele ships this year there were / that much loss for unfreight they bore.
Etymology From Middle English fele, from Old English feola, fela (“much, many, very”), from Proto-West Germanic *felu, from Proto-Germanic *felu (“very, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *pélh₁u (“many”). Cognate with Scots fele (“many, much, great”), Dutch veel (“much, many”), German viel (“much, many”), Latin plūs (“more”), Ancient Greek πολύς (polús, “many”). Related to full, few.