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

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

Simpilly, Symply, Sempilly(e, adv. Also: simpillye, -ie, sympilly, -ie, sympylly, sympely, simply(e, -(i)e, sympli, -e, semply, -ie, sumple. [ME and e.m.E. simpleliche (1297), symply (Chaucer), symplely (Wyclif), sympelly, sympilly (both c1400), simply (1523), simplely (1559); Simpill adj.]

1. With simplicity of mind or spirit. c1420 Ratis R. 518.
Trow thus in God al sympilly; For sympill trewth is mar of mycht Than is al sciens of al slycht

2. Humbly. 1489 Lennox Mun. 130.
That thir articlis may be … considderit be our souerane lordis hienes … and gif … we be ony way, haue said or done that may be fundin contrar to his hienes … we summyt ws simpilly to the ellexcione of his hienes

3. With reference to resources available: a. Inadequately supplied with troops. Cf. Simpill adj. 6. b. Of a manner of doing something: Frugally, sparingly.a. 1375 Barb. xvii 134.
Thai that in the castell war, … That war a rycht gret cumpany, Quhen thai the baneris saw simply … standand, stuffyt with a quhone, Thar ȝattis haff thai opnyt … And ischit on thaim c1420 Wynt. vii 1660.
In Alnewyk wnwysly The kyng hym-selff rycht symply [C. seymly] Bade: and in till forray All the men … Ware welle persaywyd fra hym then c1420 Wynt. vii 1684 (W).
And in till Awnwik vnwesely The king him self richt simpilly Raid in and in till the forray Mast of his men were went that day Sa that bot few left with himb. 1375 Barb. i 331.
Sone to Parys can he ga And levyt thar full sympylly a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 333.
As the Jesuits … ar returnit not simpillie, bot accumpaneit with strayngers and furnist with money

4. Of a manner of doing something: Without elaboration, plainly; straightforwardly; directly; honestly, without dissembling.(a) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 37.
For til eschew ydilnes I hafe translatit symply Sume part as I fand in story Of Mary & hir sone Jhesu c1420 Ratis R. 259.
And Gothra ansuerd sympely, Sayand [etc.] 1545 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 560.
The remanent of the prelatis … dissassentit thirto simplé and opponit thame thairto c1575 Balfour Pract. 38.
Than aucht the serjand to call the suitaris anis simply c1575 Balfour Pract. 501.
The debtour compeirand personallie in judgment, … the creditour sall ask and clame fra him his debt simplie and without multitude of wordis 1596 Dalr. I 68/25.
A true and sincere speich is ay pure and simple: nathir … a historie or cronicle euir is funde to be furnissed with the preceptes of rhetorick. We thairfor abhorring nocht onlie frome fables and frome leisings bot frome superfluous ornament and decore, think it sufficient aneuch to sett the mater sincerelie and simpillie as in verie deid it is afor the eyne of the reidar 1611-57 Mure Hist. Rowallane 239.
In honorable memorie of the … junctor of both families in one the proper armes of both wer … given simple in one scheild(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 7601.
The Bauderane … said agane Full sempilly but affraying [F. simplement respondi sans lui point effraer] ‘Gud shir [etc.]’ a1500 Bk. Chess 349.
And sempilly thus excusit at thai spak … so this worthy kingis yr thai brak And in to sport he tuke it

5. Without addition or qualification, without more ado.(a) 1375 Barb. i 374.
But leawte may nane haiff price Quether he be wycht or he be wys, For quhar it failȝeys na wertu May be off price na off valu To mak a man sa gud that he May symply callyt gud man be 1557 Aberd. Council Lett. I 3.
Stent ȝour burgh as the support of the quenis lands suld releif the burrowis for ane feyrd part of the taxt. I beleif simplie that it suld come to ane thrid but nochtheles stent ye … as it sald come to ane feyrd part 1587 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 117.
Gif the maill makers maill be not sufficient at the sicht of the visitoris in that cais to be simplie dischargit fra handling with maill fra tyme furthe(b) 1513 Doug. i Prol. 157 (Sm.).
The thre first bukis he [sc. Caxton] hes ourhippit quyte, Salfand ane litle twiching Polidorus, … And that full sympillie [C. sempilly, Ruddim. simpilly] on his awin gyse, Virgill thame wrote al on ane wther wyse

b. No more than, just, only; merely.Quot. 1554 at (c) below has some overtones of a specif. legal usage ? in sense 10 of Simpill adj.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 44.
Fore scho rocht nocht of warldis gud Bot scho had symply hyre fud & clath, to cleth hyre honestly c1420 Wynt. v 4159.
The byschope wes a wykyd man … Off oure Lady this deffame He set, and sayd that werraly Scho bare noucht God … Bot … sympylly [C. sympli] … Off hir body scho bare bot man c1420 Wynt. viii 278.
A kyng … Noucht crownyd, noucht oyntyd, bot symply set In till a set a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 46.
The saikles gentilwoman, … sat doun in hir awin hous whare she intendit simplie, and bona fide, to have remaynit 1648 Inverness Rec. II 201.
All he obteinit … from the said Johne Kennedy wes simplie aucht hundreth merkis(b) c1590 J. Stewart 88/308.
Monie flokis making meikill beir, Sum routting loud, and sum did semplie blait 1572 St. A. Kirk S. 369.
That al thingis … salbe kepit secrete; and then being askit of ony persoun tweching the equite thairof and quhat was thair part, we sal refer us semplie to the decreit wythtout ony excuse of our awin persoun(c) 1554 Montgomery Mem. 150.
Prouiding … that geif the matrimoney above specifiit happinnis in ony tyme heirefter to [be] dissoluit or the saidis erle and ladie be ony occacion tobe diuorcit sumple fra bed and burd or vtherwys and happinnis thairefter to remane vnmariit [etc.]

c. Bot symply, scarcely. 1456 Hay I 241/7.
Bot sik privilegis ar bot symply kepit now on dais

6. For a simple, straightforward reason. c1420 Wynt. i Prol. 54.
Suppos this tretys sympylly I made at the instans of a larde

7. Of the manner of pursuing a course or action: Directly, immediately. c1420 Wynt. vii 635.
Thai turnyd … and flede And oure the Mownth rycht fast thame spede The Kyng wytht hys court symply [C. sympilly, W. solemply] Folowyd on thame rycht fersly a1500 Prestis of Peblis 977.
Vnto the Queenes chalmer come the King, And simply to hir presence can persew

8. In the legal phrase purely and simpilly: ? Without conditions, unconditionally, absolutely.For many further examples see Pur(e)ly(e adv.¹ 1.(a) 1420 Reg. Episc. Morav. App. 475 (see Pur(e)ly(e adv.¹ (1)). 1489 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 546.
To resigne vp geve and fra me & my airis … purly and symply quytcleym and frely deliuer [etc.] 1496 Douglas Chart. 161.
That he sall … resing and gif our purly and sympilly … the fe of all … the saide landis 1497 Acta Conc. II 78.
Simplye 1500 Montgomery Mem. 59.
Simpillye 1525 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 224.
Maister James Dowglas, procuratour for Maister Thomas Forbes … resignit puirlie and simple the said Maister Thomas altarage at Sanct Eloyis altar 1549–50 Cupar B. Rec. 30 Jan.
Symple(b) 1492 Foulis Chart. MS (Reg. H.) 4 Dec. (see Pur(e)ly(e adv.¹ 1 (l) (d)). c1515 Asl. MS I 244/8.
Sempillye 1504 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 145.
[He] resingnit in the sade balyeis handis purly and sempilly eftir the tenour of the condicione abonevrittin 1518 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 296.
The said Johnne Purrok purlie and semply resignit and ouirgaif be deliuering of erd and stane of the grund of the said yard in the handis of the said Williem Spittaill 1586 Linlithgow B. Ct. 28 June.
And thair in my name puirlie and semplie with all humilitie be stalf and bastoun or be vse of burgh simpliciter resigne [etc.]