A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Cautelous, Cawtelous, a. Also: caut-, cawtelus, cautilouse. [ME. cautelous (a 1400), F. cauteleux, f. Cautele,n.] Cunning, crafty, wily; full of tricks or traps. a1500 Henr. Fab. 394.
The foxe semis craftie and cautelous a1500 Seven S. 1838.
The dremaris that war sa cawtelous, Thai war the sagis … That thé begylis nycht & day c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxi. 3.
He … him absentis, with wylis cautelus, Ȝeiris and dayis mo than two or thre c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 17.
Ane doctour conding, Callit Solon, ane jurist cautelous Ib. iii. 150.
That … ȝe wald … me defend fra this cautelous cace Id. Seven S. 4151.
Auld men … ar wonder cautelus, Wylie and fell Ib. 6821.
Presenting thair the deuillis net Vnder cullour sa cautelous a1568 Bann. MS. 145 a.
Cattis ar cawtelus in taking of myis 1600 Colville Palinode 10.
The civill law is so confused and cautelous, that it cannot well bee reduced to anie forme c1650 Gordon Britane's Distemper 56.
His cautilouse and wary disposition
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"Cautelous adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/cautelous>
