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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sped(e)ful(l, Speidful(l, adj. Also: speed(e)- and -fule, -fwll. [ME and e.m.E. spedful (1340-70), spedeful, speedful (both Trevisa), spedfull (c1400), spedefull (1509), speedfull (1573); Sped(e n.] Expedient, suitable; useful, helpful; necessary; profitable, advantageous; efficacious; successful.Also, once, as a personal name. 1474 Treas. Acc. I 71.
To Andro Speidfull, be a precep of the kingis, to by him a goune iiij li.predic. 1375 Barb. iii 574.
Schyr Nele Cambell thaim mete Bath with schippis and with meyte [etc.] … and other thing, That wes spedfull to thar passyng a1400 Leg. S. iv 186.
Thane prowit he thame … That spedful wes sic passione, As Criste one croice to be done 1456 Hay I 112/6.
Here speris the autour quhilkis thingis ar maist nedefull to the bataill and spedefull 1456 Hay II 28/24.
The office is foundit ay on gude and prouffitable werkis that ar spedefull to the commoun prouffit 1456 Hay II 118/11.
Than is mare spedefull till him metis of gude pith … na till otheris that ar of waykar complexioun 1456 Hay II 123/9.
Metis that ar restrenȝeand ar nocht spedefull tobe etyn first c1460 Wisd. Sol. 64.
I suld set al my hart to wysdome … quhill I saw quhat war maist spedfule to manis sone in erde c1515 Asl. MS I 330/5.
With all vther thingis … in this memoriale speidfull to be expremit c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Cor. vi 12.
Al thingis ar leefful to me, bot nocht althingis ar speedfull c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Cor. x 22.
Spedefullattrib. a1400 Leg. S. ii 988.
Cause of folk thu suld defend, & thol it cum till spedfull end a1400 Leg. S. iii 871.
Spedful or helplyk thinge a1400 Leg. S. xii 317.
Petyr … sad: Spedful thinge vare & gud That we stablyste ane in the place, The quhyle to supple of Judas a1400 Leg. S. xxix 8.
Men cesis seldine for to syne To spedful pennance to begyne a1400 Leg. S. xxx 140.
I ame of wyt and wil Spedful consel to gyf thé til 1499 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 625.
Wyth all vtheris claus neidfull & speidfull requyrit vpone law thairto 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 48.
The haile commonis ar liklie to be wrekit without tymous and speidfull remaid be put thairto

b. In impers. and quasi-impers. phrases. Freq. const. to think or se (see Se v. 9 (1) for further examples).Also where the orig. impers. constr. has broken or is in the process of breaking down.(1) a1400 Leg. S. vii 503.
Maste spedful is to caste … Cuttis a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 3.
In lofe of … thame that we prophetis cal, Spedful ware to say sum thinge Of Sancte Johne c1420 Wynt. ix 1850 (C).
In althynge ful suythe to say Is noucht speidful, na neidful ay 1425–6 Acta Conc. II xiii.
Witht continuacion of dais … as beis spedfull 1456 Hay I 150/27.
Vicis, … the quhilk war spedefull … that thai war removit 1456 Hay II 131/9.
Than [sc. in autumn] is spedefull till have all gude metis hate and moyste 1481 Peebles B. Rec. I 187.
To dispon thairapon as is maist behuffull and speidfull batht for hymself and the reparacion of the said alter — 1375 Barb. iv 551.
Gyf ȝe se Amang ȝow giff that it speidfull be I will send a man in Carrik To spy [etc.] 1375 Barb. ix 56.
Quhen the lordis … Saw that the ill ay mar & mar Trawaillyt the king, thaim thocht … It war nocht spedfull thar to ly a1400 Leg. S. xviii 1.
It ware spedfule … To [etc.] 14.. Acts I 341/1.
It is speidfull that the dittays be cryit on xx^tj days warnyng or mar 1456 Hay I 112/29.
It is spedefull till us to wit [etc.] 1458 Fam. Rose 133.
Vnto the tyme that the air of the said William haf … fulfillit the forsaid mariage with quhat persone or in quhat place, it sal be spedeful to the said Huchoune c1460 Vert. Mess (STS) 9.
It is mar spedfull, neidful and profitable to the manis saul-heill to her mes with clen hart 1464–5 Acts XII 30/2.
It is speidfull that the lew be proclamit to xiij s. iiij d. a1500 K. Hart 148.
It war speidfull sum folk ȝe outwarde sent, That culd rehers quhat thing ȝone peple ment c1500 Harl. MS 4700 291a.
It is speidfull that the dittais be cryit on xx dais warning or mair 1529 Aberd. B. Rec. I 123.
To … devise quhar it mycht be maist speidfull and esy to begyne to … waw the said towne(2) 1375 Barb. v 486.
Him thoucht nocht speidfull for to fair Till assale hym in to the hicht 1375 Barb. xii 194.
Gyff ȝow thinkis spedfull that we Fecht, we sall a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 81.
Thame thocht spedful and gude Ilke day to [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii 475.
Wherfore spedfull [L. expedit] war than, thynk me, That [etc.] 1456 Acts II 46/2, etc.
The lordis thinkis spedfull that [etc.] 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III 100.
I will … that my said lord [etc.] … dispone upon the said gold … as thay think spedefull 1457 Acts (1597) i 44.
Speedefull 1460 Stewart Mem. 64.
To set the said landis als oft as hym thynk spedefull 1464–5 Acts XII 30/1.
Thire ar the namys of the lordis that ar thoht speidfull to be witht the ki[ng] in Beruic [etc.] 1469 Acts II 97/2.
To auise vppone all vthir articulis that salbe thocht spedful for the honor of oure souerane lorde [etc.] 1500 Fam. Rose 171.
Ay and quhill we or oure successouris thinkis speidfull to big ane myll of our awin 1507–8 Rec. Earld. Orkney 79.
Wilyam of Nes … sal haffe … the forst chose of the heyd chymys, and Thome Tulloch to chyse therefftir, and thinkis hee nocht spedfull, hee sall byg apon his awne halff quhare it plesis hym best c1522 Doug. in Doug. (Sm.) I p. ci.
Spedfull 1552 Reg. Cupar A. II 102.
The saidis [persons] … salhaif powar to big alsmekill as thai think speidfull and necessar 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 170. — 1375 Barb. xv 479.
Me think it spedfull that we Abid quhill his men scalit be Throw the countre c1420 Wynt. viii 6642.
Me think it speidfull to wryte heire, That [etc.] 1424 Acts II 6/2.
That the king sall ger strik new mone quhen he … thinkis it speidfull and profitable for the realme 1425 Milne-Home MSS 19.
Spedeful 1460 Hay Alex. 2903.
Him thocht it speidfull … sum pairt of thair riches to dispend 1473–4 Edinb. B. Rec. I 27.
We think it richt speidfull and proffitabill that [etc.] 1491 Lennox Mun. II 144.
Thai sall cum … betuix and Pasch, quhen thai think it spedfull c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 200.
Think ȝe it speidfull Venus mother be thair? … Considerand Venus is in my contrair c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 636.
Nixt in ordour was set ilk nobill knicht, As the marschell it speidfull thocht and richt 1683 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 204.
Speedful — 1456 Acts II 45/2.
It is thocht spedfull that the king [etc.](3) 1398 Acts I 211/1.
To consail of thyngis for to be done as it is sene spedful for the comon profite 1402 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 55.
Gif it be sene mar spedful til the said Alexander his ayris or assignez 1424 Acts II 5/1.
It is seyne spedfull that the prelatis gar taxt thar rentis and kirkis in this maner 1425 Acts II 11/1.
It is sene spedful be the kingis consale that [etc.] 1441 Aberd. B. Rec. I 7.
Thai sal dispone that guide upon the commoune werk of this toune, at the devise and as it sall be sene speidfull be the alderman and the commoune counsaile 1457 Acts (1597) i 44.
Speedeful 1476 Peebles B. Rec. I 178.
Grantand to … George Robyson fwll power to mak … tenandis … als oft as it is sene speidfwll tyll hym 1476 Peebles B. Rec. I 181.
It is ordanit and seyn spedfull that the forsaid seruice sal be gyfyn to the mast abyl chaplan of the town c1575 Balfour Pract. 75.
Speidful — 1432 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. viii 44.
[Sir Thomas shall] get a sufficient scoler to ler and to tech the said Jone sic thingis as … ar sene mast spedfull and profitabill to tech him 1450 Edinb. Chart. 71.
We have … grauntit to thaim full licence … to strengthen oure foresaid burgh in quhat maner of wise or degree that beis sene maste spedefule to thame 1456 Hay II 97/9.
Gyf thou will delyte theé in syk plesaunces [sc. recreation and listening to music] … thou may use thame betymes as may be sene spedefull to thy discrecioun 1457–8 Acta Conc. II xvi.
Our soverane lorde and his consale sall ordane and name uther lordis to syt at tymis and placis sene speidfull to him and his sade consale 1465–6 Misc. Spald. C. II 251.
And gif thar happynis to be sen speidfull to ony of the saide lordis … to eik [etc.] 1467 Lennox Mun. 79.
That the remanent thareof [sc. land] be assignit to him in vthir competent placis sene spedefull to ws 1494 Bk. Carlaverock II 444.
The Lordis and Commissionaris … haith ordanit the wardanis, lieuetenentis … to apponte and sett days of trewis … als oftin as salbe sene speidfull 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 104.
The said Johnne … sal mak wyndes … that salbe seyne spedfull for to help to the hesing of the said gret bellis 1533 Edinb. B. Rec. II 63.
And thairfore ratifyis … the samyn for ws and our successouris als lang as thai salbe sene expedient speidfull and proffitabill for the commoun proffit(4) 1438 Ayr B. Ct. 1 Dec.
Thir thai ar that ar fundyn spedeful to be rentouris 1466 Newburgh B. Ct. fol. 8a.
The hail communite of the tone wardyt & fande spedful that thai that had the wodrouf suld hald it stil 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 73.
By their advice he findeth it verie speedfull, that [etc.] c1650 Spalding II 256.
It wes found speidfull that ane new couenant sould be maid wp(5) 1464–5 Acts XII 30/1.
To avis … apon the takin of the trewis … & apoint sic vthir artiklis and amytiez at s[all] sem speidfull to thame and acording to the common gude of the realm