Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rud(e)ly, Ruidlie, adv. and adj. Also: rwd-; ruyd-, rwyd-; rood-; roid-, royd(e)-; rod- and -lei, -lye. [ME and e.m.E. rudli (Cursor M.), rudely, rodely (a1400–50), roidly (c1400); Rud(e adj.¹]

A. adv. 1. With great force; violently; roughly.(1) 1375 Barb. xi 606.
The Inglis-men sa rudly [C. roydly] then Kest amang thaim suerdis and mas Ib. xii 515.
Sum of the hors that stekyt wer Ruschyt and relyt rycht rudlye [C. sturdely] a1400 Leg. S. v 294.
Al tha … Drew hym rudly … Bot he amesit tham in hy ?1438 Alex. i 1875.
That in thair cumming full rudely Stonyit the kingis company c1420 Wynt. viii 5367 (C).
Swa couythe thai withe thar fais deil That thai war rudly put agayne a1500 Seven S. 548.
Sa rudlye at the rute he ruskis a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 992 (Asl.).
His cumly cors … Thai cled with purpour silk … Syne raif it fra his ribbis richt rudlye c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 10/105.
Than rudlie come remembrance Ay rugging me withouttin rest 1535 Stewart 2362.
The men of armes rudlie ran togidder c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2684.
As Jeroboam and mony mo … War frome thare realmes rudlye rutit oute 1558-66 Knox I 175.
Thei addres thame to the myddest of the close, and immediatlie came Johnne Leslye, somewhat rudlye a1578 Pitsc. I 174/31.
Schir Robert Douglas … inquyrit who that was that knokit sa rudlie 1623 Tayler Hist. Fam. Urquhart 33.
[They] rudlie & tumultuouslie enterit in the kirk 1647 Dumfries Kirk S. 6 Dec.
Jonet McKie … did verie rudelie & barbarouslie extrude her by force(b) 1375 Barb. ii 352.
Thai … swa ruydly gan samyn ryd, That speris [al] to-fruschyt war c1420 Wynt. viii 4490.
Thai … sa rycht rwydly [C. roydly] wyth thame fure That [etc.](c) c1650 Spalding II 353.
Young Drum stayit the Marquess weill roodlie(d) 1375 Barb. xi 599 (C) (see (1) above).
Roydly Ib. xiii 31.
With mony rich … wedis Defoulit roydly vnder feit Ib. xiv 305.
That gret hoost roydly ruschit wes a1400 Leg. S. l 950.
He bad his turmentoris hir ta & harle roydly to that stede c1420 Wynt. viii 4488 (C) (see 1 (b) above).
Roydly(2) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 673.
With geir grundin ful cleir Rudly thai raid c1475 Wall. iii 143.
The Inglismen … The harnest hors about thaim rudely raide a1568 Scott ii 186.
He slippit swiftly to the slak, And rudly doun he raid it 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 15.
Syne … on our jornay [we] rudelie raid

b. ? With suffering. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1708.
Baneis frome thé that huir Sensualitie Or ellis but dowt rudly thow salt repent

c. With firmness; securely. 1596 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 16.
I have cloissit it [sc. a letter] roidlei that it be not brokin owt or kend

2. a. Qualifying the action of speaking: In a rough or unceremonious manner; forcefully; bluntly. ? b. Discourteously; uncivilly; with menace.(a) 1375 Barb. ix 755.
Bot sen yow spekys sa rudly It is gret skyll men chasty Thai proud wordis c1420 Wynt. viii 6933.
He … can arrace … a mace, And sayd rwdly, ‘How do we now? Stand still [etc.]’ c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 481.
Sum raiffis furght rudly [M. ruidlie] with riatus speche 1556 Knox IV 84.
That the things that rudely be here spoken by your grace so may be accepted(b) 1568 Anderson Collect. Mary IV ii 84.
Hir majestie … being … ruidlie and rigorouslie entreated with thame, … it was na wounder in case her majestie had gevin theme quike and scharpe answeris 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 1249.
The other ruidlie then reply'd, Let justice haue hir place(c) 1375 Barb. xi 545 (C).
For the king had said hym roydly That ane rose of his chaplet Wes faldyn a1400 Leg. S. xxx 454.
A monk … ful roydly That hayliste hyme Ib. xl 1302.
Quhen thu with me sa roydely chid

c. Roughly or rudely (clad). a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 75.
He sal cled be mar roydly, & arskare als thane wes hely

3. With harsh sound; noisily.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xli 189.
The prefet … rayrit rudly & gret fast c1450-2 Howlat 215 (A).
The ravyne rolpand rudly in a roche ran c1475 Wall. vi 554.
The rewmour rais so rudly thaim amang That all the ost was than in poynt to fle 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 21.
And landbrist rumland rudely with sik beir 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4128.
My sone … for me will rudly rair, Fra tyme he se me hangit 15.. Christis Kirk 135 (M).
The rerde rais rudlie with the rappis Quhen rungis was layd on riggis Ib. 207.
So rudlie rang the commoun bell(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 149/112.
Thai … schot ane gone That did so ruidlie rak Quhill all the aird did raird(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxxix 248.
He feld paynis … That gert hyme roydly rare & ȝel(d) a1400 Leg. S. l 1022.
Thane that tyrand can rodly rare

4. Imperfectly; in an unfinished or imprecise manner. b. Without literary graces; without ornamentation. a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 80.
Of His modire syne sad I Sume thing, tho it be rudlyb. a1578 Pitsc. I 249/8.
The hollie bischope … quho was not ane goode scollar … begane rudlie in Scottis fassieoun in this maner sayand ‘Benedicite’ c1590 J. Stewart 142 §6.
Excuise my muse quhilk ruidlie dois imbriwe 1622-6 Bisset I 18/20.
Reject me nocht althought I rin arreir Be rymeing rudlie

5. Coarsely, inelegantly; without education or (excessive) refinement. 1535 Stewart 3869.
All ȝoung childer sould rudlie nureist be In meit and drink … Quhairby tha mycht than efter … Suffer vneis and do thame litill deir 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 56.
Quharthrow drink, draf & iuggis Come rudely rinnand doun about ȝour luggis 1611 Reg. Panmure I xxxii.
He wos ane man that had beine brought vpe rudlie vithout letters

B. adj. Rough, violent. 1535 Stewart 56764.
So greit wnrest with mony rudlie rap