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

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Underly(e, v. Also: undir-, wnder-, wndir-, wndyr-, onder-, ondir-, ondyr- and -li(e, -lay, -law, wndelay. P.t. under-, wnderlyit, underlay, undirlad. P.p. underly(e)n, -lyne, -layn, -lying, undirlyne. [ME and e.m.E. underli (Cursor M.), underly (c1400), underlie (1648), OE underlicgan.] tr.

1. To submit to (something, usu. some form of discipline or penalty, more or less freely accepted), to accept (a state or situation). Also reflex. a1400 Legends of the Saints x 581.
Sa he be nocht the mare hardy To syne but repentance vndirly a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii 807.
Mony printeise that redy were Til vndirly his dyscypline a1500 Bk. Chess 970.
He had hecht to wnderlye the pane a1500 King Hart 23.
Thay him teichit All lustis for to lane and vnderly 1513 Doug. xii v 20.
Aschame ȝhe not … A sylly sawle to put in aventour, That for ȝow all sall vndirly sik cuyr? a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS 321/23.
It will not be oure sorrow That will stope Godis hand … Sens nane may it ganestand Lat ws all be content To vnderly the wand Off Godis pwneismentreflex. a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii 449.
How thane to lychory Vith al the luste folouandly I vndirlad me

2. To submit to (something inevitable, usu. a penalty); to suffer, undergo (something unpleasant or arduous). c1400 Troy-bk. i 432.
Baith lyffys and gudis behuffyt thaim tyne And of ded wndyrly the pyne c1460 Wisdom of Solomon (STS) 200.
The lyf of a man and a best … is bot all ane and thar maner of deinge … All elyk wndirlyis vanite 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 255.
I beseyk ȝow … to suffer nocht ȝow … to be takin as katyvis to vnderly thair tyrannyis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1909 (B).
Quho beis … inobedient, The kingis displesour thay sall vndirly 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 206.
He is nocht habyll to underly sic disciplyn as his demirites … deserve 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 217.
The said George declairit he … wald agrie thairto as nocht willing to vnderly the bruitt and indignatioun of the pepill 1603 Irving Dumbartonsh. II 232.
Nor the country relevit of that ignominie and sclaunder quhilk it underlay 1622 R. Bruce in Wodrow's Life of Bruce 131.
To show … how unable I am to undertake and underly such a journey and charge 1692 Rothesay Par. Rec. 87.
Persons guilty of fornication before marriage … to underly … church censure and pecunial mulct

3. To submit to (the (process of) law); to undergo (the judgment, etc. of a court or similar body); to have imposed on one (a decree, judgment, etc.), also to accept such an imposition. Also absol.pres. 1428 Acts II 16/2.
That he vnderly the statute maid agayn thaim that has money oute of the realme 1453 Aberd. B. Rec. I 403.
To ansueir and underlie the law 1492 Liber Aberbr. II 276.
To wndirlye [v.r. underlye] and abyd irreuocabile … at the decret … off certane assysowris of perambulacione 1493 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II 212.
[To] compeir … and ther undirlye and abyd as sayd is al and quhatsumevir merchis … assygnit 1501 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 114.
That Thomas Scharp wes maid ane common fechtar and j strublar and aucht nocht to wndirly na jugement forthir in this court 1501 Stirling Chart. 57.
[They] ar fully compromittit till abide and vnderly the counsale decrete [etc.] … of thir persouns vnderwrittin 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 48.
Offerrit thame to wnderly the knaulaige of the said assise upone the said actione 1564 Perth B. Ct. 180 (13 Nov.).
Vndirlie 1579–80 Inverness Rec. I 276.
To vnderlye the dynt of the said Act of Parliament 1594 Aberd. Council Lett. I 59.
To answer to sic chargis … And utherwayis to underly sic ordour as salbe takin in that behalf; under the pane of rebellioun 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 147b.
That ȝe cause summon … ȝour comburgesses … that they sal compeir before vs … to heare, treat, vnderly [etc.] … Al things quhilks suld be heard, traitit, vnderlyn, fulfilled, and determed in the said air(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 83/1.
Underlay a1578 Pitsc. I 328/11.
Wnderlay 1625 Linlithgow B. Rec. 17 March.
Wtheris articles being intimat … they band and oblissit thame to keip and wndirlay the same(c) 1522 Dundee B. Ct. I 95b (8 July).
Til vnderlaw the law for thaim(d) 1657 Balfour Ann. II 216.
Johne Elphinstone … then a prissoner … indicted … to wndelay the law criminally for the alleged being airt and pairt [etc.](e) 1491 Acts Lords of Council I. 190/2.
The saidis partiis ar … content to stand abid and onderly the sentence1492 Reg. Episc. Morav. 248.
Ondirly 1493 Liber Aberbr. II. 277. 1544 Maxwell Mem. I. 287. 1588 Events Q. Mary & Jas. VI 50.p.t. 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 75.
The bischope of Sanctandrois compeirit and wnderlyit the law for breking of the act anent the saying of mes 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 116.
William Blacader foirsaid vnderlyit ane assyise for … cruell and abhominable murtherp.p. 1515 Reg. Privy S. I 399/2.
To have underlying the law for art and part of the slauchter 1551 Treasurer's Accounts X 35.
To have underlyne the lawis for unbesetting of the said Alexander Cummyng 1597 in Montg. (Suppl. ed., STS 59) p. 334.
To haue vndirlyne tryale and pvnishment for the same 1674 Argyll Justic. Rec. 39.
Underlyen(b) 1596 Misc. Spald. C. II 131.
Vnderlaynabsol. 1521 Dundee B. Ct. I 50 (15 Oct.).
Henry Lorymer had interit in pley & aucht to vnderlaw in this court

b. transf. Of a thing: To undergo the judgment (of persons). 1558-66 Knox I 304.
We ar content that … the said interpretatioun shall underly the judgement of the most godly and most learned

4. To be subject to. 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 75.
The landis onderliis the dominion of the posteritie of thame [Earls of Orkney] till this day 1586–7 Cal. Sc. P. IX. 267.
Beand ane strangeair subject to onderlye the opinione of the dewoted

5. To answer or be responsible for (something), to be charged with.(a) 1448–9 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii 735 (31 Jan.).
Gerr the maister of the schip in propre persoune stand by and ressaue the salt … And he sal keip and vnderly the salt quhil it be deliuerit at the key 1583 Perth B. Ct. 17 Sept.
It wes assurit betuix thame be vord to mak equall payment and underly the proffeit as dispriseit therof(b) 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I. 203.
He sal ondyrly and kep our conyngar fra all scath and peryl 1565 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 495.
He onderlyis charge and expensis for the keping of the said castell 1607 Hist. Fam. Seton 908.
The weyht and importance of the burding I onderly