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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Vehement, adj. and adv. Also: wehement, vihement, viement, veament. [e.m.E. vehement, OF vehement, L. vehement-.]

A. adj. 1. Of presumption or suspicion: Very strong. 1456 Hay I 259/33.
Be presumpcioun vehement and inevitable 1516 Acts XII 36/2.
For suspicioun vehement and violent 1553 Dundee B. Ct. II 266b (6 Nov.).
Thare culd be na sufficient preif gottine but vehement suspicioun 1629 Black Sc. Witches 7.
The depositions of men and women who are infamous … are ever received as violent and vehement presumptions

2. Of natural phenomena: Strong, fierce, powerful, extreme. b. Of a sound: Powerful, extremely loud.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. 15397.
The sonnys hete thare was sa vehement [etc.] 1533 Boece 90b.
Be resoun of vehement cauld in oure cuntre the wolf naturalie is felloun cruell 1533 Boece 539b.
The maist vehement wynd 1568 Inverness Rec. I 164.
In case that sic vehement wattyr cum quhilkis salbe able to tak away the said kistis 1596 Dalr. I 5/12.
He fand heit and calde lesse vehement in Scotlande than in France 1615 Highland P. III 179.
Contrarie wynds and wehement stormes(b) 1574 Reg. Privy S. VI 501/2.
Viement stormes of wodder 1579 Reg. Privy C. III 242.
It lay not in mannis power to have preservit the said schip aganis sa suddane and viement ane stormeb. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5588.
Thare sall ane angell blawe a blast … With hudous voce, and vehement, Ryse, dede folk, cum to iugement

3. Of pain, illness: Intense, severe. Also fig.(a) 1513 Doug. iv ix 32.
Langsum amouris vehement payn and wo 1531 Bell. Boece I 55.
The king of Pichtis … wes liand … in vehement fever 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 337.
That … scho is not able to steir hir body for the vehement pane and dolloure thairof 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 9.
Ane langour (or ane vehement seiknes of bodie or of minde)(b) ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 106.
Allace, sueit Lord, for that veament pane that thir wickit tormentouris did to ȝowfig. 1549 Compl. 1/15.
The special cause of our afflictione hes procedit of thre vehement plagis … cruele inuasions … pestilens … ande the contentione of diuerse of the thre estaitis

b. Of feelings, physical strength, etc.: Very strong, violent, extreme. 1513 Doug. ix xi 89.
Ane hydduus … speir … Quhilk with sa vehement fors this Turnus threw 1549 Compl. 130/4.
I exort thé to mettigat thy inuectiue vehement accusatione 1551 Hamilton Cat. 177.
The vehement hait of carnal concupiscence 1596 Dalr. I 296/19.
Sum sygne … of my … vehement luue to ȝour serenitie

c. Of troubles, difficulties, etc.: Terrible, overwhelming, extreme. 1549 Compl. 71/11.
Ther can nocht be ane mair vehement perplexite as quhen ane person beand in prosperite at his hartis desire, ande syne dechays in miserabil aduersite 1562-3 Winȝet II 35/20.
He engenerit to his scoleris richt vehement cummeris and grete perplexitie 1578 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 June.
To pay … ten merkis mony to his support, in respect of this vehement dertht

4. Of an action: Performed with great violence or unusual force. 1533 Boece 85a.
The freyndis and principalis of the hous of King Durst war slane … Sa vehement was the murthare that nowthir kynde nor age mycht avale 15.. Clar. ii 55.
This asper batell wode and wehement 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 172.
The Deuill … gaive thé his taikin in thy left hand withe ane vehement nip in the thik of [thy] hand

5. Of expenses: Very large, overwhelming. 1554 Acts II 604/1.
Be his grit laubouris vihement expensis & daylie danger

6. Of medicine: Extremely potent. 1571 Misc. Bann. C. III 125.
They gafe me a potion of medecine quhilk was the most vehement that ever I gat

7. Of a person: a. attrib. Passionate, fierce, intense in character. b. predic. Strong in opinions, intense in behaviour.a. 1611 Reg. Panmure I xxxii.
Jhone was ane vehement man, … bot Paule Meffane wos an mair myld maneb. c1628 Annandale Corr. 280.
Ye ar soe viement aganes hir and hir brother a1646 Row 7.
When the frier was most vehement upon his invection [etc.]

B. adv. Strongly, fiercely, extremely. 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 38.
The gravell hes tane me sa veament that I may nocht travell 1549 Compl. 52/19.
The tua vintirs that thai hef ar nocht verray vehement cald 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 289.
The wedder wes vehement cald a1578 Pitsc. I 407/3.
He became so vehement seik that no man had hope of his lyffe 1596 Dalr. I 5/14.
The windis … blawis oft verie vehement 1596 Dalr. II 10/4.
Althoch the king prudentlie dissemblet, thay knew him to be vehement angrie c1600 Montg. Suppl. ix 29.
Quhen that ȝe ar out of my sicht … It dois me peirs so vehement In at my braynis