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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Memorial(l, n. (adj., adv.) Also: -i(e)al(l)e, -eall, -yal(l, -yalle, memorriall, memorall, -ell. [ME. and e.m.E. memorial(l, -yal(l, n. (1382), adj. (c 1374), preserving the memory of a person or thing, pertaining to memory, etc., OF. memorial, L. memoriālis adj. (neut. memoriāle in late L. also as n.), f. memoria Memory n.]

1. Remembrance, recollection. = Memor(e n. 2. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1866 (Bann.).
Grite fule is he that na thing hes in thocht Bot thing present. and eftir quhat may fall Nor off the end hes na memoriall Id. Test. Cress. 519.
For knichtlie pietie and memoriall Of fair Cresseid ane gyrdill can he tak, Ane purs of gold [etc.] a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 853.
With dowble dreid bere in memoriall That ferefull dome Ib. 1180.
It suld … mychtely mufe manly memoriale To breke the balefull bondage of Beliall Ib. 1237. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 243.
Bot to expreme thare panis in speciall It dois exceid all my memoriall 1530 Id. Test. Pap. 767.
All thatlyis in my memoryall I sall declare 1567 G. Ball. 32.
Quhair na myndis memoriall Can think

2. a. Something left to remind others of a person or his actions etc., a reminder, memento, souvenir. ?1438 Alex. ii. 1336.
Quha drawes thame nere of thairis sall haue Memoryall [F. memoriaus], quha lykes to craue 1572 Bann. Memor. 341.
Thair sould a memoriall of my kyndnes remaine in thair chartour kistis

b. Anything serving to commemorate a person, event, etc.; a monument; a memorial observance or custom. ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 79.
The hingand stanis Ambrosius set vp for the naneis In till ane lestand memoriall At Saxounis had ourset ȝow all 1562-3 Winȝet I. 29/2.
Gyf sic ȝeirlie memorial in blythnes and thankisgeifing wes haldin for the delyuerance of thair bodeis a1652 Dickson Psalms (1654) III. 242.
This is his stile and memorial in all ages 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 307.
I must leave my unaccomplished actiones to be performed by yow in whose persones I question not but my memoriall shall be retained as a monument of eternall fame 1691 Farther Vindication Ch. of Scotl. 13.
Partaking of the symbols of His broken body and shed blood and celebrating the memorial the leof

c. Phr. In (perpetual) memorial(e (of), as a (perpetual) reminder (of), in (perpetual) memorial (of).(1) 1500 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 83.
Ratifys … the samin … in perpetuall memoriale in tyme to cum for evirmair 1558 Glasgow Cordiners 251.
In perpetuall memoreall(2) a1578 Pitsc. I. 232/14.
He that ran the speir best, he gat ane speir … deliuerit in to him with gilt harnis thair to keip in memorieall of his pratick and ingyne thair to

d. adj. Commemorative, memorial. 1617 Jurid. Rev. XXIII. 62.
Ane … sufficient sword … to remane as ane memorial taikin of this my band of manrent

3. a. The memory of a person preserved among men; fame, posthumous reputation. a1500 Colk. Sow Proh. 36.
Ȝe men most honorable at all Quhich eternall wald haif memoriall c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4134.
The fraudfull warld gaif to thame mortall fallis For thair rewarde bot dirk memoriallis 1609 Acts IV. 434/1.
To the extreme perrell of thair saulis, infamie of thair memoriall and overthraw of thair awin and thair aduersareis houss a1652 Dickson Psalms (1653) II. 21.
The wrath of God pursueth his name and memorial Ib. 114. a1658 J. Carstares Epist. Dedic. in Durham Blessedness of the Dead (1689) 2.
The unhappy Earl of Bothwel, now extinct, and his memorial with him

b. The remembrance of an institution etc. among people; popular memory. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 12/2.
Albeit mony … hes laborit to … erd the leist memoriall thairof [idolatry] oute of the mynd of man

c. adj. Deserving of posthumous fame, worthy of memory, memorable. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 50/11.
Amang all his memoriall werkis, ane thing was maist apprisit that … he was sett na les to defend pece than [etc.]

4. An oral or (chiefly) written record; a report, relation, account.In some instances appar. = a brief or summary report or account.To mak memoriall, to make a report, to relate; also, to take note, to note.(1) c1420 Wynt. viii. 2953.
In till this memoryal Lestand to be perpetualle c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2566.
And for it [sc. Illyria] was deliuerit but battall Thairfor we mak the les memoriall c1515 Asl. MS. I. 215/1.
Heir followis ane schort memoriale of the Scottis corniklis for addicoun Ib. 299/23.
I cast to commoun ane litill memoriale as followis 1513 Doug. viii. v. 84.
The agit kyng, Quhilk teching him perordour to him tald Memorialis of seir forfaderis auld [L. virum monumenta priorum] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 40.
Declaryng thame this schort memoriall Quhow mankynd bene to miserie maid thrall 1562-3 Winȝet II. 17/35. Ib. 73h. of ch.
[I] hef preparit … this memorial quhilk pece and pece reduceing to memorie, I intend … tha thingis quhilkis I hef lerit to correct and complete(2) 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 39.
And now gif … memoriall be maid that he suld caus all sic honour … be changit in … vice 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 143.
And gif I leirne ony thing heir I will mak ȝow memoriall at euin

b. A memorandum; a writing setting out instructions or proposals concerning some matter. 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 107.
I wald nocht tak fra him na brokin compt bot as your memoriale buyr 1511 Ib. 106.
Remember your lordschipe directit with me ane memoriall chargeand me to sell your vittall 1515 Douglas Corr. 68.
And be nocht hyr lettyris obeyt in the curt of Roume, ȝe solyst evyll ȝour memoryall Ib. 69.
Nedfull it is, and that is a speciall punct of ȝour memoryall, to caus the Kyng [sc. Henry] wryte ta the Kyng of Frans heyre apone 1555 Wemyss Chart. II. 183.
This sayd memorell … to be actit in the officellis bukis of Sanctandrois 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 31.
Memoriall to be delyverit to Mr Thomas Mollesone 1622-6 Bisset II. 147/19.
I have ingrossed thir annotationis and memoriallis herein 1686 Douglas Corr. 381.
Major Whyt's memorall to your grace about the castell of Edinbrugh

c. A report in the form of a list, a register or inventory. 1555 Reg. Cupar A. II. 258.
That the compositiones of the vnlawis of courtis … is in the rolment of the samyn and in memoriallof ane roll in the hinder end of this buik in the rentale 1561 Reg. Privy C. I. 194.
To gif in befoir the Quenis Grace … ane formal and sufficient roll and memoriai 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 25 b.
In the samyn sellar … thre punscheonis of clared wyne with certane tymmer and glas vnput in the memoriall 1566 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 499. 1566 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lii.
Ane memoriall of sik necessaris as are neidfull … for my loirde prince chalmer c 1570 Maxwell Mem. II. 138.
I thocht gud to fill out ȝour memoreall in all thyngis that I hald 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 375 b.
To put in writ & mak ane memoriall of all his gudis & geir 1585 Lett. Jas. VI to Eliz. 15.
Your only memoriall tuching the horsis sent to me … hath more bound me unto you then any letteris 1597 Skene Verb. S. (1599) s.v. Responde.
He makis ane memorial of the daite of ilk precept 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. (S.R.S.) 54. 1617 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 144. 1649 Old Ross-shire I. 39.
Memorriall 1685 Scot. Ant. XIII. 40.
Copy of the memorialls given in … by Genl. Drummond … the winter quarters appointed for his majesties forces till further orders

d. adj. Of report or record, historical.

e. adv. Historically, by way of historical record.d. 1622-6 Bisset II. 264.
The Scottis lawes … war takin furth thereof … [as the] memoriallis recordis of the samin beirise. c1420 Wynt. iii. Prol. 16.
The sentence off this autoryte Suld move men to besy be, Thare statis to kene orygynalle, And thame to treyt memoryalle