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

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

(Swetely,) Swetly, Sweitly, Sweetly, adv. Also: suet(e)ly, suetlie, suettlie, sweitlye, -lie, sueitlie, sweetlie. [ME and e.m.E. sweteliche (Ancr. R.), suetli (Cursor M.), swetely (Chaucer), sweetly (c1565); Swet(e adj. Cf. also Swet(e adv.]

1. (In ironic use) with a sweet smell; fragrantly. a1585 Polwart Flyt. 685 (T).
Thy sentences of swit [= soot] richt sweitlie smellis, Thow [sat] neir the chymlay [nuik]

2. With a sweet sound or voice; melodiously, mellifluously. a1400 Leg. S. xx 357.
A woice of hewine than … On Sancte Blase swetly can cal a1500 Henr. Fab. 872.
The lark, the maueis, and the merll … Sweitlie can sing c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxvii 45.
Madinis ȝing … Playand on timberallis, and syngand rycht sweitlie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 129.
Quhare I micht heir the birdis sweitlie syng 1558-66 Knox II 381.
Thair mycht have bene hard among hir flatteraris … ‘Was thair ever oratour spack so properlie and so sweitlie!’ a1585 Maitl. Q. 211/83.
The fouleris malice cumis into my mynd Quha sueitlie tonis his instrument & sang Thairefter then … beginnis to chaunge his not 1679-81 Short Compend xvii.
To Hamilton wood … Where mavise they heard sweetly sing

3. In a manner pleasing to the mind, feelings or senses; pleasurably; contentedly. 1490 Irland Mir. II 132/14.
The gret luf mercy & liberalite of God drew him suetlie to his luf and seruice 1490 Irland Mir. III 66/15.
The lady that eftir his opinȝeone and hirris lyis suetlie in his armes c1552 Lynd. Mon. 113.
Thocht barran feildis beris nocht bot weidis Ȝit brutall beistis sweitlye on thame feidis 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 24.
Scho sweitly sleipit till the next day at none 1596 Dalr. I 90/8.
Thay satisfiet thair hungir suietlie 1643 Baillie II 123.
We … spent an afternoon with him verie sweetlie

4. In a pleasant or kindly manner; courteously, graciously. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 229.
Thane suetly sad scho hyme til [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 2944.
His men sa sweitly can he pray That [etc.] 1456 Hay I 29/21.
A scorpioun is as a worm of the erde, the quhilk softly and suetely touchis till mannis flesch, and softly clawis with hir clukis 1456 Hay I 285/28.
The prince suld be … of gude tholemudenes to suetely here the caus c1460 Thewis Wysmen 90.
The wysman … Swetly argowis, and nocht hyme schamis 1490 Irland Mir. I 26/13.
As a gud fadere … sueitlie punysis thar trespassis and fautis a1578 Pitsc. II 61/5.
Quhene he had endit his prayer suettlie and Christiane lyke he ansuerit thame a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 95 (L).
Discreittlie, mair sueitlie, Nor craftie Amphioun; Or mwssis that vsis That fountoun Eloquon

5. In a loving manner; lovingly, affectionately. a1450 Fifteen Ois 24.
Syne Thou wesche thair feit … And sueitlie thame Thou confort 1490 Irland Mir. I 108/15.
Justice and pes has suetlie kissit a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 363.
The Lambe … with that face mair sueiter than the lawn Sweitlie resauit the sone of Lucifeir [sc. Judas] 1513 Doug. i x 58.
Thé forto hals and to enbrace Kyssand sweitly thi quhyte nek and thi face c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 983.
Than in his armis he did hir thrist, And aither vther sweitlie kist 1600-1610 Melvill lx.
He sueitlie named the haill banisched brethering, thanking God for thair constancie

6. transf. Appar. with reference to the sweetness of honey. (Cf. Swet(e adj. 1.) a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 63 (W).
Some [sc. bees] sweitly hes the hony socht Quhill thay ware cloggit soire