A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1420, 1498-1606
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Fersly, Feirslie, adv. Also: ferslye, fers(e)lie, fercely, -lie; feirs(e)ly, feircely, -lie, fearslie. [ME. fersely, fersli (a 1300), f. Fers,a.] Fiercely, furiously, violently, vehemently.(a) 1375 Barb. xv. 458.
Than fersly schute on hym we may c1420 Wynt. vii. 636.
The Kyng wytht hys court … Folowyd on thame rycht fersly c1420 Ib. viii. 6799.
Thai … faucht furthe fersly as before a1500 Henr. Fab. 2514.
The wedder … followit ay sa ferslie on his fa a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1044.
The flude of sorow sa ferslie in me foundis 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 104.
Not so fersly the fomy ryver … Brekkis our the bankis 1513 Ib. ix. iii. 116.
Rycht fersly he Gan thame repreve a1500 Peblis to Play 188.
Sa ferslie fyr hait wes the day His face began to frekill c1590 J. Stewart 12/2.
Venus sone … Schot at this Roland ferslie … Ane feddrit flan 1596 Dalr. II. 184/3.
A muster of chosin men of weir … to hald aff the Inglismen ferslier(b) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 143.
The King … ran feirslie … amang the preis 1533 Id. Livy II. 182/7.
All the princis and nobillis … apponit thame sa feirslie aganis thir desiris 1570 Leslie 95.
The Scottis vantguard feirslie sett on with speirs & lang weaponis — 1570 Ib. 127.
The Inglis men … fyerslie set one the Scottis men 1606 Stewart Mem. 116.
Thay maist cruellie and feirslie set vpoun him(c) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 61/16.
The waik memberis of Christe, … inuadit maist feircelie to leve that haly religion a1578 Pitsc. I. 70/1.
Wpoun quhome the commons ruschit sa fercelie that they wanquist thame 15.. Clariodus ii. 920.
They … ran togiddir wonder feircelie 15.. Ib. iv. 1773.
Fearslie … the hundis … dois abraid 1596 Dalr. I. 323/19.
The king with a draune sworde … fercelie invades his faes
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"Fersly adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fersly>
