Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Besily, Besely, adv. Also: besele, -lye, bessely, besilie, besyly, -li, -le; besaly, -lie. [ME. besi-, besyly, besely, etc., f. Besy a. See also Bissily.] Busily, diligently.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i. 301.
Petir … full besyly wes prechand Ib. vi. 76.
Richt besily he can hire pray c1420 Wynt. iv. 1017.
The Attenyens besyly He tretyde wyth his industry 14.. Acts I. 37/2.
Ane wachman … sal wache wysly and besily c1475 Wall. iv. 500.
On ilka nycht thai spoilȝeid besyle c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Tim. i. 17.
He soucht me besilie a1578 Pitsc. I. 251/12.
All the wryghtis … wroght werie bessielie on hir(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 958.
Twa … sa besely can spere c1420 Wynt. ii. 344.
Qwhare to scho wowyt hym besely c1475 Wall. i. 247.
Thai socht him beselye 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 58.
The burges … Byand bessely and bane [etc.] 1533 Bell. Livy II. 73/3.
Thay … inquirit besely quhat noyis [etc.] 1533 Boece viii. viii. 266.
This charge … besely was execute a1540 Freiris Berw. 519.
The freir … turnit our the levis full besely(c) Brus vii. 421; Ib. ix. 149; xvii. 332.
Thai thre men … had vachit so besaly 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 280.
Euirilk man … suld … ryn besaly to pennaunce c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 15.
My deathe chasis my lyfe so besalie 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xv.
Phebus … declinand besaly To dip his steidis in the occeane