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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MORTAL, adj., adv., n. Also mortial, mortyal, mortyel.

Sc. usages:

I. adj. 1. As in Eng., deadly, causing death. In Sc. combs.: (1) mortal death, death; (2) mortal end, the end of everything (I. and ne.Sc., Ags., Slk. 1963); (3) mortal pox, -pock, smallpox. Hist.(1) Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Du's gotten di mortal death.(3) Sh. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XX. 101:
The small-pox have seldom visited these parishes, but at times have made terrible havock. At the beginning of this century, the mortal-pock, as it is called, caused great devastation, carrying off whole families.Sh. 1931 J. Nicolson Tales 34:
We have it also on good authority that in 1720 the ravages wrought by the disease were so frightful that it was everywhere referred to as the “Mortal Pox.”

2. Adv. deriv. mortally, †mortallie, very, exceedingly. Gen.Sc. Colloq. or dial. in Eng.Fif. 1759 A. Laing Lindores (1876) 275:
Many become mortally drunk.Sc. 1771 Smollett Humphry Clinker I. 55:
His pupil, who seemed to be about the age of three-score, stooped mortally.Sc. 1831 J. W. Carlyle New Lett. (1903) I. 35:
It was very stormy, and I was mortally sick the whole twenty four hours.Sc. 1887 Stevenson Treas. Franchard vi.:
With swollen eyes and looking mortally sheepish.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags iv.:
He was indeed mortally fond of her girdle-cakes.

3. Extremely intoxicated, dead drunk (Cai. 1903 E.D.D.), = mortal drunk, -fou, under II. Also mortalled. Gen.Sc. Deriv. mortalous, id. (Fif., Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 255), formed after Miraculous, id. Also in n.Eng. dial.Lnk. 1824 Anon. Sc. Peasants xv.:
Maist nights in the week ye take as muckle as would make me mortal.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 54:
He was often carried home to his crue, on a hand-barrow, just mortal.Ags. 1891 Barrie Little Minister xvii.:
“He may be a wee drunk,” said Micah in his father's defence, “but he's no mortal.”Edb. 1895 J. Tweeddale “Moff” 214:
Tae fill yersel' mortal, wud only be takin' the better o' yersel'.wm.Sc. 1995 Alan Warner Morvern Callar 7:
Then she goes, since we were off for three day would I come to The Mantrap and get mortal after closedown? wm.Sc. 1998 Alan Warner The Sopranos (1999) 61:
She was feeling bad cause she heard the next Saturday, he'd thumbed it the nine mile home without a lift, mortal as a newt. Ayr. 1999:
He's mortalation fou. He's mortal. He's mortalled.. He's mortal fou. He's mortal drunk Sc. 2003 Daily Record 8 Mar 8:
By this reasoning, of course, everyone here must have been mortalled, because they lapped it right up.

II. adv. With intensive force: very, exceedingly, extremely, greatly (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.), esp. in combs. mortal-drunk, -fou, dead drunk (Sc. 1903 E.D.D.). Gen.Sc. Also in Eng. dial.Peb. 1836 J. Affleck Poet. Works 125:
Mortal fou ye came away.Dmb. 1844 W. Cross Disruption xxvi.:
The mistress of the house was “mortal drunk” in bed.Cai. 1869 M. McLennan Peasant Life 153:
She maun hae looed the Dandy mortal. She haesna gat ower it, an' ne'er will.Ayr. 1891 H. Johnston Kilmallie I. 82:
The wife is geyan carefu' wi' the crockery: . . . she is mortal grippy.Ags. 1896 Brechin Advertiser (28 Jan.) 3:
I didna like to see the three gettin' mortal drunk.Gall. 1903 E.D.D.:
Mortal weary.

III. n. The mortal part or remains, the corpse (Slk. 1963).e.Lth. 1892 J. Lumsden Sheep-Head 208:
A gowpenfu' of gray, win-strewn ase — a' that was left o' the mortal o' Auld Red.