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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.

Vil(i)té, n. Also: vylté, wylté, vilitee, -ie, -yté, -eté. [ME and e.m.E. uilte (Ancr. R.), vylte (Manning), vilite (Wyclif), vylyte (1502), OF vilté, vilité, L. vilitas.]

1. Vileness of moral conduct, character or states of affairs, degradation; ignobleness.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 454.
How I Had brynnand luste of lychory … That vylte thane sa lykyt me a1400 Leg. S. xviii 619.
The vilte of myn syne c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2038 (D).
Quhen women settis thaim for sic cryme As for to defoull thare bodyis … Declynand ay frome honeste, Takand the war to such wylte(b) 1456 Hay II 40/17.
The said maist noble ordre, the quhilk excludis uttraly all ignobilitee and vilitee 1513 Doug. ix Prol. 4.
Agilyte dyd wryte of worthy clerkis And tharin merkis wysdome, vtilyte, Na vilyte nor sic onthryfty sperkis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 376.
The myserabilitie Of diuers curtis … The dreidfull cheange, vaine glore, and vilitie 1533 Boece 100b.
Vnlefull lawis menyng na thing bot vilite and abhominacion that to euery man mycht be lefull to wed mony wyiffis 1535 Stewart 1079.
O ȝe Pechtis of blude imperiall Clene but corruptioun and so honest with all We mervell … Quhen that ȝe mixit with sa vyle ane blude As with ȝond Scottis sa full of vilitie But faith or fame, honour or honestie 1549 Compl. 170/26.
I exort ȝou to retere fra vanite & til adhere to vertu & ony … that thynkis ȝou of maist reputation throucht ȝour superfle veltht ȝe suld … be humil … or ellis al ȝour gloire, veltht, and dignite, sal change in vilite. Ȝe haue grit occasione to fle thir varldly caduc honouris the quhilkis can nocht be possest vitht out vice a1568 Wedderburn in Bann. MS 279b/88.
Howbeit sum wemen falt be cace Be ignorance or thruch grit libertie Ȝit men sowld nocht allage … That all wemen ar of sic vilitie a1586 Lindsay MS 70.
Cheualrie mycht be distroyit in vilete and mycht nocht be reparit and restorit into nobilnes 1597 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. III 78.
Natur condamnis the ingrat, the vilitie of that vice no tong can delat

2. Meanness, lowliness. 1558 Knox IV 442.
Judge not the matter after the vilitie of my bodie whom God hath appointed embassadour and messager unto you; but with reverence and feare consider Him whose message I beare a1585 Polwart Flyt. 213 (T).
Allas! puir hudpyk, hunger bittin … Bydand … In feildis … Bair … For fault of cattell, corne & gers; Ȝour bankettis of sick vilitie [H. most nobility] Deir of the dog brane of the mers a1586 Lindsay MS 63b.
Be the vilitie in quhilk ȝow ar … ȝow aucht to be put vnder ane serf

3. Filthiness, the presence of foul or putrid matter. 1540–1 Acts II 374/2.
Becaus of the vilite that cumis be slaying of flesche be the flescheouris duelland on the est syde and temyng of interellis of beistis, generand corruptioun, it is … ordanit that the samin be forbiddin