A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1400, 1500-1512, 1573-1596
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Wylely, -ie, adv. [ME and e.m.E. wylyliche (a1400), wilele (c1400), wilyly (a1425), wilily (1611).] Cunningly, cleverly, by craft. — c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1408 (D).
Menelayus Aganis the watching of Pirrus … Tham kepit ay richt wylely c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 438.
I haif a wattir spunge for wa … wring I it full wylely, & wetis my chekis 1573 Davidson in Satirical Poems xl 51.
Sum … that winks mair wylelie … With iouking thay will jangil craftelie, And on thair feit will ay licht quhen thay list 1596 Dalr. I 268/32.
Quhen the king in table asket him in mirrines … quhat was betuene a Scott & a sott … Jhone answeris ‘the burde’: wittilie and wylelie tuecheng the king betuene quhome and Jhone was the table
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"Wylely adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/wylely>
