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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quietly, Quyetly, adv.¹ (adj.). Also: qwiet-, qwyet-, quiett-; quyat-; quyit-; quiit-; quit-, quyt-; queat-; quayt- and -lie, -lye, -lé. [f. Quiet adj., e.m.E. quietly (1494).]

1. Not openly or publicly. a. Privately, confidentially. b. Secretly, stealthily, covertly, clandestinely. c. So as not to attract notice, unobtrusively, without stir or noise.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2700.
Hermonia He staw quietlie [L. furtive] Orestes fra c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 453.
And quyetly with sic craft convoyis our materis That … no creatur kennis of our doingis Ib. (O.U.P.) 194/18. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 319.
He sett his mynde to distroye quietlie [L. clam insidiatus] all the lynage of King Constantyne 1535 Stewart 9276, 9.
The Pechtis … Richt quyetlie … Agane the Romanis … did conspyre And or sic thing wes publicc made and plane Rycht mony Roman quietlie hes slane Ib. 32844.
Rycht quyetlie tha ischit in the tyde a1538 Abell 98a.
Robert gat thare letteris of conspiratioun quietlie and callit a parliament & conwikkit thame Ib. 120a.
Ydolis of thare fathiris & mothiris at ar nocht perfitlie conuertit thir barnis sekis quietlie and bringis faithfullie to our bredir a1540 Freiris Berw. 210 (B).
And bad him lurk thair verry quyetly c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 962.
Syne quyetlie did bar the dure Ib. 942. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5115.
Greit sowmes of gold was hid richt quietlie Ib. 6538.
Vnto the ȝet come he, … knokit richt quyetlie Ib. 7689, etc. 1562-3 Winȝet II 50/10.
Quietlie and step and step [L. sensim paulatimque] to draw away … the Kirk of God … haistelie fra the auld religioun a1578 Pitsc. I 7/20.
The king … Gart bring this earle to Stiruilling quyetlie Quha in the castill was murdreist crewellie 1585 Cal. Sc. P. VIII 37.
That your lordshipe shwild have gone so qwyetlye unknowing to him 1596 Dalr. I 81/25.
Quyetlie vndir thoum [L. clanculum] 1600 Elgin Rec. II 78.
The officiaris suorne that they sall nocht gif no tokynes quyetlie c1650 Spalding I 98.
James Erll of Morray … wes quyetlie bureit … but convocatioun, pomp, or worldlie gloir Ib. 43, etc.(b) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 96.
All theiffis quhilk quyatly and wrangously takis mennis geir fra thame agane thair will 1596 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 15.
His majestie kens he [sc. the Duke of Florence] is the Kyng of Spanis … onfriend quyatlie, and luifs our kyng(c) a1568 Bann. MS 264b/23.
Quhair I may quitly lay ȝow doun(d) 1640 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. II 2.
[They came] from England quaytlie be sea(2) 1533 Bell. Livy I 41/25.
Sum men sais quietlie [L. taciti] that Romulus wes revin sindri be the faderis a1538 Abell 68a.
Quharfore part of zelois cardinalis wrait quietlie to Otho the impriour to tak sic sclandir out of halie kirk 1547–8 Corr. M. Lorraine 222.
Becaus it was schawin me qwietlye 15.. Clar. iv 354.
And scho him told all quyetlie Of [etc.] Ib. v 500.
And this full soberlie Scho said and smyllit sum deall quyetlie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8209.
Prayit me to write my minde thair quyetlie 1558-66 Knox II 286.
Sche continewed in her Messing; and dispised and quyetlie mocked all exhortationis a1578 Pitsc. I 89/5.
Nobill men that … lamented quiettlie thir dangerus callamitieis Ib. II 104/1.
Quyitlie 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 396.
And quyetlie to hir he spak 1590 Reg. Morton I 169.
Till leit it be considerit quietlie be sum indifferent men that knawis bayth 1596 Dalr. II 103/30.
Farther he insinuat to thame quyetlie a perpetual band(3) 1486 Acta Conc. I 194/2.
Or ony vthir state tane be hir of the franktennement of the saidis landis … quietly or oppinly 1508 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 114.
At thai sell nocht oppinly in the merket thair nolt heids nowmyllis [etc.] … bot quyetlie in private places 1533 Bell. Livy I 117/5.
Mony vtheris war slane opinlie … vtheris … war slane quietlie out of the ciete 1559 Tytler Hist. Scotl. (1864) III 391. 1596 Dalr. II 347/13.
Nather did sho this in publik bot quyetlie and in secreit(b) 1533 Gau 15/15.
Thay quhilk reuelis opinlie or quiitlie thair nichtburs faltis to ony oders a1578 Pitsc. I 82/16.
Albeit they durst not oppinlie ȝeit they subornit him quyitlie to dissobedience(c) 1561 Inverness Rec. I 71.
The inqueist … hes fundin … our minister fre and innocent of the brute opynlie and queatlie sklandrit be Arthour Byrnaye(4) 1535 Stewart 11026.
And quietlie, withoutin dyn or noy, To clois the Romanis betuix Forth and Tayfig. c1650 Spalding II 202.
The deposit Doctor Scrogie … preichit and … is found faultie in sum pointes. … Bot this dillit doune quyetlie without more din

d. In seclusion or solitude, out of company, with few or no companions. 1535 Stewart 16218.
This king he went … On to ane closat richt quyetlie him allane Ib. 16431. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1038. c1552 Id. Mon. 3304.
Sardanapalus … in huredome … Did keip hym self so quyetlye The princis of Asserience Off hym thay could gett no presence 15.. Clar. i 156.
Clariodus … with few in companie On his bed-syd sitting bot quyetlie Ib. ii 574.
Scho said … That scho was evill disposit, and wald ly Into hir wairdrop that nicht quyetlie a1568 Bann. MS 32a/63.
My blissit body … Within a crag wes closit quietle 1594 Charteris Wall. Pref. 168.
He apprehendit him quyetlie in ane lytle hous besyde Glasgow at his rest 1600 Crim. Trials II 151.
Haifing perswadit his hienes to gang quytlie his allane to the gallerie chalmer Ib. 172. c1650 Spalding I 166.
Bot thay war not put to it and quyetlie keipit thair roumes

2. Peacefully, docilely, obediently, in calm and restrained manner.But the two first Lyndsay quotations should possibly be assigned to sense 1. 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 143.
I mon ly doun and sleip And in myne arme se quyetly thow creip 1546 Id. Trag. Card. 178.
Than throuch my prudens, pratyke and ingyne Our gouernour I causit to consent Full quyetlie to my counsale inclyne c1552 Id. Mon. 333.
To leif in rest … And quyetlie my God to pleais And renunce curiositie a1578 Pitsc. I 90/6.
This Makclalene … wald onnawayis serue … contraire the king … bot keipit him quyetlie within his boundis doand na man na wrang c1600 Johnston MS Hist. in Crim. Trials II 295.
The king greatlie affrayit thairat quyetlie ansuerit, ‘My freind quhat guid can my blude do to ȝow?’ c1650 Spalding I 140.
Thay reconvein schortlie thair scolleris, and ilk man fell to his owne studdie and charge calmlie and quyetlie 1664 Carstairs Lett. 122.
I know their Christian … educatione lyeth as near your heart as myne. … I will therefore quyetlie lippen and trust them to you