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

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

Lamentabil(l, a. Also: -abyll, -able; lementable; lametable, lamitabil; lemytable. [Late ME. (Lydgate) and F. lamentable, L. lāmentābilis.]

1. Of persons, their appearance, actions, words, song, etc.: Full of or expressing sorrow or grief; mournful, sorrowful, plaintive.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 249.
Propone thin appele, Thy lamentable langage, as lykis thé best a1500 Henr. Orph. 67 (Ch. & M.).
Quhen endit was the sangis lamentable c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 22.
Langour … With instrument full lamentable and deid 1513 Doug. ii. v. 38.
I se stand me befor … maist lamentabil Hector, With large flude of teris Ib. x. iv. 72.
The dolly tonys and lays lamentabill Ib. xi. v. 47.
The Latynys lamentabill [L. miseri] … fyris innumerabill Vpbeldit has 1533 Boece ix. xi. 313.
His corps with lamentabill pomp was convoyit to Colmkill c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1259.
Now latt ws … with ane language lamentabyll, Declare this mater miserabyll Ib. 5733.
All salbe present … With mony lamentabyll allace 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 158.
Johne Knox … maid ane lamentable sermond tuitching the said murther 1585 James VI Ess. (S.T.S.) 76/6.
Gif ȝour purpose be of tragicall materis, to use lamentable wordis, with some heich(b) a1500 Lanc. 1434.
His confessione … he maad … with lementable chere(c) Ib. 3263.
The clamore … Was lametable and petws for til her, Of knychtis wich … Wondit war(d) Ib. 2716.
Of the puple … The lemytable clamour

2. That is to be lamented; lamentable, pitiable, pitiful, deplorable.(1) 1513 Doug. i. vii. 78.
Thir lamentabyll takynnys … Our myndis aucht to compassioun steir Ib. xii. 8.
How Grekis dyd … distroy The lamentabill realm of Troy Ib. xiii. v. 58.
Ane lamentabill and wofull corps thou lyis 1533 Boece ii. vii. 70.
Of this infortunate batell the novellis to the … pepill … war na les lamentabill 1535 Stewart 40116.
He schew … How Makcobey … wyfe and barnis had slane … So lamentabill that pitie wes to heir c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus I. 581.
Luf is truthles … tressonable, Nocht lauchfull, but … lamentable 1580 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 671/2.
Twiching the lamentable infortune falling on your husband 1619 Commiss. King's Coll. in Rait Univ. Aberd. 126.
[The Commissioners found] lamentable hethenisme and sic lowsnes as is horrible to record(b) a1538 Abell 4*a.
Constantynopolis lamitabil capcyon Ib. 6*a.
Halydon hilles lamitabil batel to Scottis men(2) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 84.
It was … Maist lamentabill the pereist folk to se 15.. Clar. i. 1247.
Thay harde … ane petious cry lamentabill to heir 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 23.
Sic … confusioune as is maist lamentabill to be reheirsit