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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.

Notabil(l, -able, a., n. and adv. Also: nottabill, (natable). [ME. and e.m.E. notabile (Rolle), -able, F. notable (13th c.), L. notābilis.]

1. adj. Worthy of note, esp. on account of eminence, value or importance.a. Of things, actions, conditions, etc.(a) 14.. Acts I. 12/2.
Quhasa evir … hes suorn apon the haly evangel or apon the haly cystre or othir notabill halydum 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 194.
Mony notabill history 1533 Bell. Livy I. 4/22.
Ane notabil doctryne To ws a1538 Abell 113 a.
Mony odir notabill turnis he did eftir 1568 Q. Mary Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lviii.
That ye did sum notabil act aganis the rebelis 1570 Leslie 198.
The vangairde … gaif thame ane notabill owrthraw 1638 T. Hope Diary v.
It wer ane notabill testimonie of his majestys love to religioun(b) 1456 Hay I. 4/2.
Ȝour notable and haly workis c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 34/23.
A persone in gret notable necessite & perile 1492 Myll Spect. 285/26. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 324/13.
The mast notable accidentis brevit thus 1531 Bell. Boece I. iii. 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 165. 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 73.
Of thair stowt and notable operationis a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 134/9.
I vald mak the readaris to knaw ane notable purposse 1558-66 Knox I. 225.
In suppressing of so notable a wark of God 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 350.
To see a youth … without a notable inconvenient either to body or soul … without a notable menȝe 1596 Dalr. II. 53/30.
The actes notable of our last kingssuperl. 1600-1610 Melvill 117.
I … saw the notablest exemple … of God's judgment

b. Of persons. Also in an unfavourable sense, = notorious.Also, well-known, noted, for the attributes implied by the noun.(1) 1428 Liber Melros II. 520.
Worthy and notable persons 1456 Hay I. 1/6.
Compilit be a notable man, doctour in decreis Ib. 229/33.
Owre maist notable doctouris Ib. 302/11. 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III. 94.
Before natable [sic in pr.] witnes 1494 Loutfut MS. 42 b.
[To] call the … herrauld or pursewant the maist notable in absens of herrauld 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 344.
[Chaucer's] legend of notabill [Ruddim. notabillis] ladeis Ib. vi. viii. 95.
That notabil spows furth of hir lugyng place … al armour dyd arrace a1578 Pitsc. II. 45/21.
Sum nottabill man quhome he gaif credit 1596 Dalr. II. 358/21.
Nobillis … to menteine the commounouris weil notable and prudent(2) 1494 Loutfut MS. 6 a.
plur. Mony notables princis & lordis Ib.
Notablis madenys without spot … of villany(3) 1456 Hay II. 111/2.
A notable and expert maister in astronomy 1596 Dalr. I. 60/32.
A man nocht les notable in iugement Ib. 142/6.
Tua notable men in lerning, maneris and halynes of lyfe Ib. 335/1.
Except mony vertuous men … tua notable and wondirfull in respecte of thair vertue 1626 Garden Worthies 87.
A nobleman nottable for many noble pairts(4) 1530 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 328.
Certane grete notable thevis 1587 Acts III. 464/2. 1596 Dalr. I. 146/10.
A man of a craftie ingine and disceitful and a notabil hipocrit Ib. II. 396/23.
Sum notable clattireris … quha steirit vpe the rude peple 1622-6 Bisset I. 52/14.
Fywe hundreth of the maist notabill theivis c1650 Spalding I. 44.
Nottabill

c. Of a body of persons. 1450 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I. 151.
Eftir the awis of ane notable assise c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 782.
Ane notabill embassade, Thre hundreth hors trappit with harnessing 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 151/17.
The maist anceant and notable generale consellis

d. Of places. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 153/18.
iij^clxx notable citeis 1533 Boece xiv. vi. 553.
The samyn [city] was ȝit be ancientnes notabill and famous 1571 Misc. Spald. C. II. 38.
The maist notabill townis of France 1622-6 Bisset I. 70/6.
The cheifes places … and utheris notabill pairtis

2. noun. A noteworthy fact or event.plur. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 299/23.
Ane litill memoriale … with principale accidentis and notables of the sam Ib. 301/30.
This was the mast notables of the first age Ib. 326/1, 329/25.sing. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 302/7.
I schewe bot the most notable of euery age

3. adv. in notable (= well) knawin: cf. Notablie adv. a. 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 330.
Within fourty dayis next it be notable knawyn the said James … sall [etc.] 1511 Lennox Mun. 191.
On to the day … that the falȝe … be notable knawin be the said Mathowe