A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1438, 1498-1650
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Ferefull, Feirfull, a. [ME. ferefull (c 1350), fer-, feerful, f. Fere n.3]
1. Causing fear, terrible, dreadful. ?1438 Alex. ii. 1337.
Ferefull was the noyes and cry a1500 Henr. Orph. 304.
He fande a ferefull strete, Myrk as the nycht, to pas richt dangerous a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 853.
With dowble dreid bere in memoriall That ferefull dome 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 10.
The feirful stremys and costis wondyrfull Now most I write 1513 Ib. iv. 125.
The mysty toppys of mont Lewcas … That feirful is til euery maryner 1562-3 Winȝet I. 21/7.
The feirfull plaige that come on thay people 1588 Criminal Trials I. 163.
The guid nychtbouris … come verry feirfull sumtymes, and fleit hir verry sair c1650 Spalding I. 209.
Thay began to schoot thair cartow at the same, quhilk wes veray feirfull
2. Full of fear; alarmed. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 558.
Rowmes and ritches sall mak thé na remeid Quhen thow sall ferefull pas thow wait nocht quhar 1567 Satirical Poems vii. 9.
The taine him self Philandrius did call, … The tother feirfull semt to be at all 1608 Dundonald Par. Rec. 170.
Scho grev so feirfull at that tyme that scho desyrit hir gudmother to tarie with hir
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"Ferefull adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ferefull>
