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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 since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lineal(l)ie, Linial(l)y, adv. Also: lyneal(l)y(e, -lé; liniali(e, lynial(l)ie, -ly, lynyaly(e, leneally. [Late ME. and e.m.E. lynealy (1426), lineally, liniallye, f. Lineal(la. Cf. also Linally.]

1. In a straight line, ‘as the crow flies’.Common in descriptions of boundaries.? Chiefly north-eastern, from where almost all our examples come.(a) 15.. Newbattle Chart. MS. (Reg. H.).
And fra hine lyneale descendand be ane mekill stane … to the land of Bothkenar 1540 5th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 609/1.
Fra that linealie carne be carne … to the feild stane 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 1 June.
Begynnand at the bak of the boge … assending leneally to the cott croiftis 1602 Reg. Great S. 485/2.
And thairfra eist lineallie be the sey syde to ane grit craigstane —1552 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 657; c 1571 Ib. II. 396. 1578 Aberd. Chart. 337. 1595 Aberd. B. Rec. II. iii; 1615 Ib. 324. 1595 Bamff Chart. 143. 1612 Old Ross-shire I. 347. 1650 Strathbogie Presb. 137.(b) 1456 Liber Aberbr. 89.
Throuout the myre linialy fra the est cors to the west cors 1493 Reg. Episc. Morav. 250. 1546 Fam. Innes 115. 1568 Grant Chart. 387.
And fray the said spring linially west or thairby to ane karne

2. By lineal descent, lineally as opposed to collaterally.(a) c1420 Wynt. ii. 218. b. vi. 2314.
Gentyle … come noucht discendand lynealy Fra Jacob be successiowne Ib. viii. 284.
But ayris … Nest hym till succede lynealy Ib. iv. 1803 (W).
Few personis lynealye Sum vther few collateralye c1515 Asl. MS. I. 200/9.
How thai ar lynealy cummyn dovne fra the devill c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 69, 1631 Bk. Mackay 118, etc.
Lineallie(b) c1475 Wall. i. 49.
Balȝoune clamyt of first gre lynialy 1549 Compl. 4/29.
Lynyalye 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 69.
Thai Eirlis of Orchadie iustlie, … linialie, and gre be gre, … hed succedit to the forsaid eirldome 1572 Wemyss Chart. 210.
This Earle of Southesk is lyniallie come of her bodie 1622-6 Bisset II. 204/2.