Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Lineal(l, Linial(l, adj. Also: lin-, lyneale, lyneall(e; lin-, lyniale, linyal(l, lyniall, -yal(le. [Late ME. and e.m.E. lineal(l (Trevisa), lyneal(le, liniall, lynyalle, F. lineal, L. līneālis. Cf. also Linal.]

1. Lineal as opposed to collateral, direct (descent, succession, descendant, heir etc.). Also, of persons, Lineally descended.(a) c1420 Wynt. iv. 1803.
Few persownys lynyale, Swm othir fell collaterelle Ib. vi. 1664.
Be generatyowne And lynyalle successyowne Fra that milnare discendand Ib. 1681. Ib. 2376 (W).
The x persone Be evin lyniall discencioun Wes Robert the secund 1429 Acts Jas. I in Ayr B. Ct. 85 b.
Of liniale successioune and nocht of taylȝe a1500 Henr. Orph. 3.
[A prince's] grete ancester and linyall descense [one] Suld first extoll 1533 Boece v. iii. 169.
Succedit to the crowne thre kingis liniale of the blude of Gald a1538 Abell 72 b.
Excludand Malcolme … liniall hair 1544 Acts II. 447/1.
In cais of inlaik of our souerane lady … and of hir lyniale successioun 1641 Ib. V. (1817) 573/1.
Liniall air … of … his foir grainsyr(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 300.
Twa men That cusyngis ware collateralle To the dede kyng, noucht lyneale Ib. i. 492, 502, vi. 2318, viii. Prol. 13, etc. 1535 Stewart 27.
Thair nobill deidis, and of thair ring the space, Ay lyneall descendand to his grace c 1588 Cath. Tr. 249/3.
The hail doctrein allowed be the general concils and keiped be lineal succession from tyme to tyme be our forbeares

2. quasi-adv. In a straight line, directly. 15.. Clar. v. 2067.
[Apollo] Quhill the goldin traces of his heid Men might behold straught and lyneall Abone the earth with beames colaterall