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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mervail(l)ous, -vell(o)us, -val(l)ous, Marvailous, -vell(o)us, -lal(l)ous, a. (adv.). Also: -vailus; -veillous; -vel(l)ouse, -vel(o)us, -is, -welus, -is; -valus, -wal(o)us, -is; -vol(o)us, -wolus; -viellous, -vilus. [ME. (c 1330) and e.m.E. merveil(l)ous, -veylouse, -vailouse, -vellus, -vilos, marvelliows, OF. merveillos.]

1. adj. Such as to excite wonder or admiration, to be marvelled at; marvellous, wonderful; amazing, astomshing; extraordinary, remarkable; miraculous.Also absol. as noun.(1) 1456 Hay I. 15/5.
Then apperit a mervaillous visioun till him
Ib. 37/29.
Babilone the mervailous
Ib. 43/25.
A prophetes … talde mony mervailous thingis of the tyme tocum
Ib. 49/21.
The quhilk of peple had sik a multitude that was mervaillous
Ib. II. 7/17.
Marvailous
a1500 Henr. Orph. 43 (Ch. & M.).
Caliope, that maidyn meruailus
(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 299.
Off marwelus [C. merwalis] and gret dedys sere He wes bathe doare and kennere
c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 599.
Sa faire ane hors sa mervelus ane destrall
Ib. 2727. a1500 Henr. Fab. 567 (Ch.).
This tod … Desauit wes be menis richt meruelous
Ib. 1622 (Bann.). 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 174 (Sm.).
Marvalus
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4369.
This is ane marvellous monarchie
1560 Rolland Seven S. 74. 1567 G. Ball. 214.
Meruellus
1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots 533.
His marvelous seiknes … seamyng rather artificiall than naturall
(c) a1500 Henr. III. 147/49.
Hir mervalus haill madinhede
Id. Orph. 253 (Asl.).
Cerberus … a monstour merwalous
1490 Irland Mir. I. 158/24.
This haly froit, blist Jhesus, was merwalus
Ib. 45/30. 1492 Myll Spect. 281/3.
Quhen Paris persauit the mervalous defens of this Achilles
a1500 Bk. Chess 1688.
The chastite it was so merwalous Off Ypocras
Ib. 1244. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 169/21. Ib. 236/26, 263/5. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2431.
Meruallous
1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 42.
Marvalous
a1578 Pitsc. I. 67/3.
Ane marvalus exampill to all mortall men
(d) 1533 Gau 39/13.
The marwolus conceptione and birth of Jesus Christ
Ib. 3/24.
Marvolous
1562-3 Winȝet II. 26/22. Ib. 47/20.
O meruolous turning of materis
(e) 1596 Dalr. II. 436/14.
A meruiellous maitter
(2) c1475 Wall. v. 41.
Thar cruell deide rycht merwalus to ken
c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 163.
The birdis … Quhois mirthfull soun wes mervelus to heir
(3) a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 125/23.
absol. And it mich be comprehendit be naturall reasone it var na mervalus and miracle

b. Such as to excite wonder on account of great size, number, degree etc.; very great; huge, tremendous. c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 116.
Thir men … thole in thar seknes meruolus dolur and infirmyte
1456 Hay I. 39/10.
The grete and mervaillous power, riches and … estate of that toun
a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 487.
In number maruellous
a1500 Bk. Chess 571.
Hire effraye was wounder mervalous
c1500-c1512 Dunb. xliv. 15.
Mervellus
Ib. lxxvii. 42.
Of mervelous bewtie
1531 Bell. Boece II. 151.
With mervalus affection and kindnes
1535 Stewart 25653.
With thanking meruelous
Ib. 36208.
With cloudis mervelus
1549 Compl. 53/31. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 615.
Ane maruellous congregatioun
c1552 Id. Mon. 2271. 1562-3 Winȝet II. 51/4.
Be a meruolous capacitie of mynd
Ib. 4/6.
Meruolous
1567 G. Ball. 127. a1578 Pitsc. I. 138/23. 1596 Dalr. I. 20/14. Ib. 31/31, 279/2.
A beist of a meruellous audacitie and suiftnes
1611 Crim. Trials III. 165.
They passed that day in mervelous anxietie
1614 Melvill lx. c1616 Hume Orthog. 23.
A mervelouse libertie

c. Of persons: Exciting wonder or admiration for accomplishments or endowments; wonderfully accomplished, gifted or successful; also, wonderfully fortunate. Also absol. as noun.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1258.
That Dedalus Wes in his dedys merwalus
Ib. v. 886.
Off dedys sa mervalus
a1538 Abell 2* b.
Barnys marwalus of ingyn
1567 Sat. P. iii. 41.
Of musick meruelus
1596 Dalr. II. 44/31.
Vpon the cythar meruellous
(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxi. 1.
We lordis hes chosin a chiftane mervellus
1560 Rolland Seven S. 8969.
Fyne phisitianis, meruellous medicinaris
(3) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2268.
Now be content; ȝe ar ane mervelous man
(4) a1500 Seven S. 2140.
absol. Thai war avisit thus To seike Merlyng that merwalus

2. adv., modifying adjectives and adverbs: Remarkably, extremely, very.Cf. Mervaillously adv. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 45/1.
It is rycht mervalus proffitable to a persone to dispone him for prayere
1521 Douglas Corr. 77.
If it [the bischopric] could be purchased it shuld make merveillous grete riek in Scotland
1533 Boece iii. xix. 118.
Ane purpure skawbert mervellus craftelie wrocht
Ib. viii. xi. 274 b.
Mervellus penitent
1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 35.
For the skaith sustenit … is mervalous greit
1543–4 Ib. 68. 1545 Ib. 169. 1549 Ib. 296.
Marwelis
c 1556 Edinb. Hammermen 192 b.
At this tyme all thingis concerning begin wes mervalus deyr
1559 Cal. Sc. P. I. 277.
Marvolus evill
1562-3 Winȝet I. 50/1.
A meruelis haisty change to be amangis christianis
1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 42.
Maruelous maturatiue
1571 Misc. Bann. C. III. 125.
They gafe me a potion of medecine … wherby I was mervelous seik
1583–4 Cal. Sc. P. VII. 42.
Mervelus malcontent
1596 Dalr. I. 7/10.
Heir a dry knowe or … a thick wodd, all meruellouse delectable to the eye

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"Mervailous adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mervaillous>

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