A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Merciabill, -able, a. Also: mercyabile, merceabill. [ME. (Ancr. R.), e.m.E., and OF. merciable.]
1. Merciful, compassionate. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 256.
Wysmen ar … mercyabile in petwous cas 1456 Hay I. 299/20. Ib. II. 95/14.
Quhilum to do rigorous justice, quhilum merciable or favourable a1500 Henr. Fab. 929 (Bann.).
I lat ȝou wit my mycht is merceabill [Ch. merciabill] Id. Orph. 285 (Ch. & M.).
Quhat art thou, lufe … Bitter and suete, cruel and merciable c1500-c1512 Dunb. lx. 68.
Thairfoir O Prince … Be in this mater merciabill 15.. Clar. ii. 138.
The knichtis wox in heartis merciabill, And him forgave Ib. iv. 678. a1570-86 Maitl. F. lvi. 26.
2. Deserving of pity; pitiful. 1456 Hay I. 234/33.
Bot thai ar callit in the law miserable personis, that is to say personis that merci is aucht to, merciable personis
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Merciabill adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/merciabill>