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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Stat(e)ly, -ie, Staitly, -ie, adj. and adv. Also: steitlie, statelyke. [ME and e.m.E. statly (Chaucer), stately (c1430), statelie (Alph. Tales); Stat(e n.]

A. adj. 1. Of a person. a. Of high rank or office or of great power. b. Haughty.a. 1554 Barry Orkney (1808) 410.
To … our prince supreme, King of Norwege, … Thomas … Bischop of Orcadie and Zetlandie, the channorrie of … Seinct Mawnis, the law-leder and others steitlie parsonisb. a1568 Scott xxi 18.
I fand hir of ane staffage kynd, Bath staitly, strange, and he. Scho wes vncurtas & vnkynd

2. Of or appropriate to a person of high rank or status, his condition of life, etc.; magnificent, splendid. Passing into a description, more generally, of a person held in high esteem, splendid; imposing; dignified. b. specif. Of poetry. 1460 Hay Alex. 231.
He was … Gracius in speiche … And till all thing he set him, passand habill Gret ene and ronde and furth set in his hed Ane staitlie luke and lordlie and litill gleyd a1500 Seven S. 633.
Ane staitly message than maid was On fra the king till Ypocras a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 153 (Asl.).
Quhen sall thow Treuth ostend thi staitlie style And thow Justice thi banere braid display 1535 Stewart 59068.
Donald of the Ylis … Ane man of gude and richt staitlie stylis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4334.
Sanct Peter stylit wes Sanctus, Bot he [sc. the Pope] is callit Sanctissimus. His style at lenth gyf thow wald knaw, Thow moste go luke the Canon law … His staitly style thare may be sene c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4662.
To compyle Off ilk ordour the staitlye style. The seilye nun wyll thynk gret schame without scho callit be Madame, … All monkrye Ar callit Denis [etc.] a1585 Maitl. Q. 245/20.
O ladye myne … Tak on … thy doulfull weid Cast of thy proud & staitlie hewis Tak blak it best becumis thy heid a1585 Polwart Flyt. 759 (T).
Thy knaverie … The feckles folie … I find so mony faultis … First, I man tell thé all thy staitlie styllis 1603 Philotus 3.
Ȝour bonynes ȝour bewtie bricht Ȝour staitly stature trym & ticht 1628 Wemyss Corr. 46.
These ar to requeist … your good lordship … to be in reddines to keip the apointed tyme of the Parleament in that statlie and decent forme, with your scarlett rob as beseemeth the dignitie of suche ane actioun 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 141.
I am greatly comforted to hear of your soldier's stately spirit, for your princely and royal Captain Jesusb. a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 75 (L).
In staitlie vers and ornate style c1590 Fowler I 62/109.
A mater swir of stately style and of heroicall verse To which no dolts nor ignorantis can yit attane

3. Imposing; majestic; impressive as to size or dignity; splendid. a. Of (a part of) a building. b. Of natural phenomena, a plant, tree, river, the firmament.a. c1515 Asl. MS I 229/2, 4.
He … biggit … ane staitlie ȝethous and brocht hame mony gud jowellis and clathis of gold siluer & silk & mony gud bukis and maid staitlie stallis a1500 Bk. Chess 320.
A clerk thar was … Two ladyes had wp in a staitlie tovr In governans a1586 Kamington in a1586 Maitland Geneal. Setoun 46.
This George he built the queir of Setoun fair, In staitlie style a1586 Kamington in a1586 Maitland Geneal. Setoun 46.
He … pendit all ȝor queir … and did yor gardings grace, With staitlie stoupis 1603 E. Melville Godlie Dreame 237.
On staitlie steps maist stoutlie I ascendit ?c1610 McKay Kilmarnock 13.
Killmernock Castell. It is a staitly faire ancient bulding 1613 Maxwell Mem. II 71.
The library of Santandrois … wilbe a very stately and magnifik hous 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i 44.
Whose brasen teeth her walls did shake asunder, And staitly turrets levell'd with the ground 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 133.
Through stately Carthage now her ghuest she guides c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 56.
The streight of the Nether Bow. Where there was erected a statelie arch c1650 Spalding II 451.
This staitlie hous weill decoirit with braue insicht and plenishingb. a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxii 2.
The lillie … vhose staitly stalk so streight vp is and stay, To vhome the laive ay lowly louts … As bund so brave a beuty to obey c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxiv 2.
The staitlie fornace of the sterrie round, The loftie wolt of wandring planettis sewin 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 943.
An ancient oake or statly pine 1632 Lithgow Trav. i 25.
This prouince is mainely watered through the middle with stately Po

4. Magnificent; splendid; sumptuous. 1456 Hay II 128/29.
Faire clething … our all grathit with precious jowalis, uchis, and besantis and stately array c1515 Asl. MS I 229/5.
He … brocht hame the staitliest tabernakle that was in all Scotland and the maist costlie c1650 Spalding II 233.
On the bair fieldis scho restit insted of statelie lodginges cled with curious tapestrie c1650 Spalding II 369.
Thay tuke out the staitlie insicht and plenishing 1708 Prince of Tartaria Voyage Cowper in Fife 7.
The bride, whose entertainment was stately, of dudds, leydocks, carlins, orgements and crowdy-moudy

B. adv. In a manner appropriate to high rank or status, passing into, in an imposing or dignified manner. c1450-2 Howlat 658 (A).
Thar was … alkyn officeris … So mekle was the multitud … Thus assemblit … For the temporalite tretit in table The stern empriouris style thus staitly restord is 1456 Hay I 302/9.
He suld be wele … avisit or he write to the pape ony maters … And quhen he wrytis, his writtis suld be wele and statelyke devisit and dytit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2299.
Sanct Eloy he doith staitly stand, Ane new hors schoo in tyll his hand