Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lelely, Leil(l)ely, -ily, -aly, adv. Also: lell-, leyll-, lil(l)-, leal(l)- and -el(l)-, -il(l)y(e, -i(e, -é, -yly, -ielie, -alie, -é. [ME. lelely, -li (14th c.); var. of lelly Lely, like fullely, -ily, from fully and halely, halily from haly (wholly).] In senses of Lel(e a. = Lely adv.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii. 545.
He … held him lelely [E. lely] his fay Ib. xx. 134.
At this tale suld lelely Be haldin Ib. ii. 171, xix. 202. 1391 Lennox Mun. 44.
The quhilk thingis … leleli to kepe and to fulfill [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 596.
Pryame not fenȝheandly, But absolute and lelelye … swore the pees 14.. Acts I. 22/2.
Quha evir … has haldyn his lande a twelfmoneth … the quhilk he has boucht lelely [L. quam fideliter emerit] 1415 Lennox Mun. 61.
Me … fermly, lelely and faithabilly to be oblist [etc.] c1420 Wynt. vi. 1035.
Bot ay [he] trowyd lelely … that Gode wald have mercy 1424 Acts II. 5/1.
That all maner of gudis … be lelely taxit 1456 Hay I. 88/19. Ib. II. 146/7.
To say lelely, but fenȝeing or favour [etc.] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1031.
Lelely noght to layne Ib. 1183.
Or ellis my life at the lest lelely forga a1500 Rauf C. 311.
Tell me now lelely quhat is thy richt name Ib. 941.
My treuth I thé plicht, That I sall lelely leif on thy lord ay 1506 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 109.
That na skipperis … saill … with ony merchandice … quhill the samin be lelely enterit to … our saidis customeris 1529 Red Bk. Grandtully I. 69. 1533 Boece i. vii. 50 b.
Gif we … obserue lelelie the band — 1375 Barb. iii. 176.
Men suld spek tharoff lelyly 1380 Yule Coll. (Reg. H.).
Ws … till have heicht lelily … that [etc.] 1389 Wemyss Chart. 25.
There thyngys … lelily and fermly to be fulfyllyt 1400 Maxwell Chart. 140.
[He] sal gyf … possessyoun of the fee … and thairof mak … sykyr, lelyly wyth al besynes 1409 Red Bk. Menteith II. 279.
Thai sal lelily to thair power to ger it be amandit c1420 Wynt. v. 996.
Giff [he] thare Agrippa Lelyly [C. lellely] wald hecht to ma Ib. viii. 866.
That … thai lelyly … suld declere Off that gret dystans the matere — a1568 Scott i. 100.
Thai gyde nocht ill that … Lelalie on lawtie layis thair lyne(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 5047.
Gyff … he Wald … lellely till hyre hecht(c) 1503 Reg. Cupar A. I. 259.
To wyrk leililly and profitably his craft of carweyn, and wrycht-craift(d) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 441 (M).
So lilelie scho luffit hir husband(e) 1633 Dunferm. Hammermen 63.
To be ane obedient servant to him, baith lealily and day by day(2) 1396 Scot. Ant. XIV. 218.
In wytnes of thir thingis lelely and trewly to be kepyt 1448 Acts I. 350/2.
That thai lelely and trewly … suld … put in wryt the statutis 1456 Hay I. 173/36.
Lelely and treuly to hald prisoune 1487 Wemyss Chart. 110.
Me … lelely and trewly becumis man … till … Schir Johnne of Wemys 1526–7 Selkirk B. Ct. fol. 121 b.
[They] ar biddyng lelelye and treulie … to compeir 1598 Stirling B. Rec. II. 89.
To use the same [office] lelellie & treulie — 1407 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 32.
The qwhilkis condiciouns lelyly and trewly … to be haldyn 1408 M. E. C. Bruce Bruces & Cumyns (1870) 456.
To serve the erll … lelily and trewly 1460 Peebles B. Rec. 138.
That thai suld lelili and trewly … declar thairapon 1520 Edinb. Chart. 204.
Lelielie and treulye straitlie bindis … ws 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 136.
Sworn … to lelyle and trewlie apprise the samyn gudis 1587 Montg. Suppl. 310.
To be payit … lelilie and trewlie — 1481 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 72.
Me … lelaly & trevely byndis & obles me [etc.] 1584 Grant Chart. 157.
That we sall efaldlie, lelalie, and trewlie … assist … our saidis cheif [etc.](b) 1484 Fam. Rose 150.
Lellely ande treuly bindis … ws 1490 Acta Conc. I. 168/1.
That all thir poyntis be lellyly and trewly kepit 1528 Buccleuch Mun. 155.
The quhilk to do we bind … ws … lellilie and trewlie to, and to obserue [etc.] 1533–4 Lochwinnoch Par. i.
Me … lellellie and trewlie bindis … me 1563 Lanark B. Rec. 31.
Sworn to do justis lellele and treulie 1666 (1422) Fraser Polichron. 98.
The whilk marriage lellely and truly to be kept(c) 1463 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 375 b.
The quhilke … forsaid sowmis leillily treuly to pay 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 331.
Bundin to uder leillely and trewly 1488 Reg. Paisley 406.
Sworn therto leyllily and thrwly 1551 Hamilton Cat. 98.
Craftis men, quhilk usis nocht thair awin craft leillalie and trewlie 1555 Acts II. 498/1.
To visie leililie and trewlie thair said craft 1558–9 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 31.
To minister leillielie and trewlie thairintill a1578 Pitsc. I. 21/4.
He promeissit … [he] sould stand his freind leillellie and trewlie 1581 Lanark B. Rec. 84.
To execut the said offece leillaly and trewly 1622-6 Bisset II. 88/3.
That they sall leillilie and trewilie gif up inventare 1658 Glasg. Weavers 22.
To serve his said maister faithfullie honestlie leillalie and trewlie(d) 1522–3 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 209.
Gryning of the said baxteris gristis lilelye and treulie 1576 Douglas Chart. 274.
We sall lilelie and trewly serve 1578 Ib. 279.
Lililie and trewlie 1589 Montgomery Mem. 232.
That he sall lillilie and trewlie vse … his said office 1595 Buccleuch Mun. 254.
Lilalie and treulie(e) 1578 Conv. Burghs I. 73.
[They] hes maid fayth to do the samyn lealelie and trewlie conform to thair knawlege 1582 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 171.
To vse his office leallalie and trewlie 1601 Brechin Test. I. 204.
In sa far as the samen [inventory] is leallale and treule maid 1611 Ib. II. 156.
Lealaly