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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Trubillous, Trublous, Troubillous, adj. Also: trubulos, trublos, -us, -is, trubblus, trubleous, troubillois, troubilles, trouboulous, troubl(o)us, -is, troubleous, trowbillus, trobillis, trobollis, tribulo(u)s, trib(u)lus. [Late ME and e.m.E. troubelose (c1449), trowbelous (1463), trobelows (1465), trublys (1482), trowblous (1495), troubleous (1544), OF troubleus.]

1. Characterised by trouble or unrest; agitated, disturbed, disorderly. = Trubilsum adj. 1, Trubillit ppl. adj. 2 a.(a) 1520 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 201.
The warld is brukle and trublus 1533 Boece 57.
Trubulos 1535 Acts II 346/1.
That euery landit man … sall big ane sufficient barmkyn … for the ressett and defens of him his tennentis and thar gudis in trublous tyme 1554 Grant Chart. 114.
For defence of ws, … in this brokin and trublus warld 1562 Glasgow Merchants House 42.
Trubblus a1578 Pitsc. I 67/1.
Trublis a1605 Montg. Flyt. 5 (T).
In trubleous tyme, in boist of fortounes blast(b) 1520 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 196.
For stanching of inconuenientis that may happin within this toun this troublis tyme 1559 Maxwell Mem. II 126.
Trowbillus 1560 Soc. Ant. XXIII 55.
The lairdship and leiving of Mouswald … lies in sa troublous ane cuntre that the said umquhile Simon gat little proffite thairof a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 324/4.
Troublus a1578 Pitsc. I 28/1.
The gouernoure … retinit ane gret gward of men of weir as vsse is in Scotland in all sick troubilles tymes about him a1585 Maitl. Q. 85/4.
Trouboulous a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 84.
The tyme of reformatione being troubleous the right of kirklands wes for the most part destroyed(c) 1565 (1583) Reg. Great S. 171/2.
Trobillis 1571 Old Ross-shire I 365.
Trobollis(d) 1533 Boece 390b.
Tribulos 1557 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 156.
The tribulous tyme of weir now laitlie risin 1562-3 Winȝet I 51/15.
Tribulus c1580 Maxwell Mem. II 148.
The cumbersum and triblus warld

2. That is a source of trouble; vexatious, bothersome, distressing. 1533 Boece 33b.
Pharao … endit the hevy and trublos were contrare Ethiopes be ane licht bargane c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 997.
Faint, fatigat with trauell troubillous 1562-3 Winȝet II 53/16.
With quhou grete troublous blastis, ar thai cacheit and careit!

b. Of weather: Turbulent. c1475 Wall. (1570) vii 182 (see Trubil(l adj. b).
Trubillous

3. That causes trouble to others. = Trubilsum adj. 2. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 298.
So terribill thay ar be apperance … So troubillois full of intemperance [etc.] 1568 Reg. Privy C. I 620.
Jonete Swan, … is troublous and dois wrang be way of deid under cullour of daftnes and fatuitie

4. Alarming, disquieting, worrying. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 411 (Asl.).
Amang the plagis of Egipt … Ane was of myrknes … ane takin trublous & terrible To all Egipcianis