A madling acts in opposition to common sense. He is an owd madling whose reason has become childish by the lapse of years.1881, Benjamin Preston, Dialect and other poems, with glossary of the local words:
A madling was speaking to them; a woman. Dani stopped with a mind to retreat.2006, Jacqueline Carey, Godslayer: Volume II of The Sundering:
1 more example
The madling—he had appeared today in the form of Austeri-Pranz, one of Vespanus' instructors at Roë, an intimidating man with bulging, rolling eyes and a formidable overbite—gave the question his consideration.2010, George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Songs of the Dying Earth:
madling
adj
Etymology Either from attributive use of madling (see above), or for maddling, present participle of maddle (“to be mad”). More at maddle.
To be madling is to have our ideas confused.1881, Benjamin Preston, Dialect and other poems, with glossary of the local words:
The madling woman snatched the tray from his hands, giving it to the Fjeltroll to inspect.2006, Jacqueline Carey, Godslayer: Volume II of The Sundering:
1 more example
She blinked her painful eyes. “Oh,” she said, “the madling boy. . . . But how would I know this? Why do you trouble me with this? […]2014, Richard Monaco, Parsival: