Possible antedatings of "hail-fellow well met"

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Thu Mar 13 19:22:53 UTC 2014


"hail-fellow well met", under "hail-fellow, adj, adv., & n.".

The possible antedatings are 1574 (OED has 1581) and adverbially 1656
(the OED has 1670).

(1)  Sermons of Master Iohn Caluin, vpon the booke of Iob. Translated
out of French by Arthur Golding. [London] : Imprinted by [Henry
Bynneman for] Lucas Harison and George Byshop, [1574].

This contains three instances of "hail-fellow well met", found via
the Search function of EEBO.  They are, I think, adj. and
n.,  antedating OED2 senses A. and C., 1581--.  (I apologize for not
providing page numbers; I was pressed for time.)

(2)  Thomas Cobbet.  A fruitfull and usefull discourse touching the
honour due from children to parents, and the duty of parents towards
their children ... .  London, Printed by S.G. for John Rothwell ...
1656.  Page 94.  EEBO.

"how over-familiar do too many children make themselves with their
parents? as if hail-fellow well met (as they say) and no difference
twixt parent and child".

Is this adverbial?  (Sometimes it seems as though the early writers
disdained the standard parts of speech.)  If it is adv., then it
antedates OED2 sense B., 1670--.

Joel

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