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.
Quotation dates: 1375-1652
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Namely, Namly, Naimly, adv. Also: naym(e)-, neame-, nem- and -lye, -li(e, -lé. [ME. namli (Cursor M.), nam(e)ly, nameliche (c 1200), nomeliche (12th c.); nomely, unrecorded in OE., but cf. OFris. nam-, nomlik, MDu. name-, naemlike, etc., ON. nafnliga.]
1. In particular, specifically; especially; notably.At first chiefly and nam(e)ly.(1) 1375 Barb. iv. 763.
And man is in-to dreding ay Of thingis that he has herd say And namly of thingis to cum 1375 Ib. v. 393. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiii. 17.
Men of armys oft se I In til his helpe mykil affy, & namely quhen thai ar in ficht a1400 Ib. vi. 197; etc.
Namly c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2045.
Namely 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 48.
The qhwylk thyng faylȝand & namly gyf it beys nocht done wyth in the tyme of the forsayd Schyr Jon the fader 1401 Aberd. B. Rec. (S.H.S.) 210. c1450 Craft of Deyng (S.T.S.) 49.
Ilk … man suld trow as haly wryt sais and namly that his curat techis hyme 1450 Ayr B. Ct. 106 (14 Apr.).
That na lepermen na weman entercomon but a cop … & namly Boidis wif & him self 1456 Hay II. 93/6, 8. 1456 Ib. I. 36/13.
It efferis nocht till a prince and namely till a king tobe our familiare … with his lauly subjectis and namely of villaine … men that [etc.] a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1106.
Of diuers folkis and of women namlie [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. II. 76/1.
Namly c1490 Id. Asl. MS. I. 42/23.
Namlye c1500-c1512 Dunb. viii. 29.
Namelie 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 64.
Namelye 1552 Crail B. Ct. MS. Flyleaf.
And namly quher the occultatione of werity may gener predjudis [etc.] 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 135.
Namle 1572 Buch. Detect. A iiij b.
Baith to mony vther and also namely to the Regent and his mother 1572 Satirical Poems xxxv. 14.
Mar and the divelische Douglassis And namelie Mortoun and Lochlevin 1600-1610 Melvill 20.
I deteast all revenge as devillrie and namlie serpentine 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 360.
Thair is no reasone to hicht the pryce of silver … and namelie to heicht the said silver to suche ane excessive pryce as the dolloris a1652 Dickson Psalms III. 37.(b) 1453 Melville Chart. 37.
And naymly tille officiaris ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 335.
And naimly apoun the sely saulis that ar in panis of purgatory 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 371.
King Arthure sett him to repair the kirkis … and naymlie to repare the enormiteis done in Ȝork a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 161.
That his death was conspyrit be sum persons and naymelie be ane Johne Sempill(c) (a1570-86 Dunb.) Reidpeth MS. xvi. 25.
And nemlie at this Chrystis mes [etc.](2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1494 (Ch.).
Unhailsum meit is of ane sarie mous And that nainelie vntill ane strang lyoun a1578 Pitsc. I. 34/27.
The governour … past his way to Edinburgh … and that namlie be the … counsall of tua godlie … prelattis(3) 14.. Edinb. Univ. MS. La.ii.318.
For as the haly man namly sais Quhen mony gudemen togidder prays [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. II. 132/24.
All man & woman that has … discrecioun namelie in Cristianite 1490 Ib. 135/12.
That He suld nocht haue maid the man na wauld neuir haue maid him namelie to be condampnit bot for saluacioun of the man 1558-66 Knox II. 561.
Then sundry lords would have gone to fight with Bothwell, but the Lord Lindsey namely 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots 524.
To his freindis and kinsmen namelie to the Erle of Mortoun 1568 Q. Mary in Ellis Orig. Lett. i Ser. II. 253.
Y … wil lipne beter in ȝour gud delin for mi nor Y kan persuad ȝou nemli in this langasg 1577 Reg. Privy C. II. 608.
Loukand for na troubill nor oppressioun namelie in this cuntre sa neir the sait of justice 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 168/2. 1596 Dalr. I. 186/1.
Sum of the Kingis dogis … thay tuke with thame, namelie ane quhilke the King weil trett 1600-1610 Melvill 46. 1600-1610 Ib. 22, 39; etc.
Virgill and Horace, quhilk twa, namlie Virgill, was his cheiff refreschment ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 77.
Abundand in corn and girsing namelie for scheip ?1549 Ib. 48; etc. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1139.
Manie hands maks slicht wark, namelie at the meate a1652 Dickson Psalms II. 67.
But under the type namely he speaketh of the perpetuity of the kingdome of Christ(4) a1400 Legends of the Saints vii. 258.
& be His appostolis commonly & be this Jamis maste namely Gert prechinge be to thame mad(5) a1500 Henr. Fab. 371 (Harl.).
As namelie thay quhilk clymmis vp maist hie That ar not content with small possessioun 1615 Criminal Trials III. 332.
Certen temporall questions wer objected unto him, as naymlie geve the King wes heid of the Kirk 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 526.
Manie of the pryme officiars of estait who wer not ranked in that act, as namelie the Lord Stewart, the Admirall [etc.]
2. ? To wit, that is to say, videlicet. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matthew 83 marg.
This moun be sum spirituall gelding, neamely, ewin wilfull chaistite
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"Namely adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/namely>


