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

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

Sely, Silly, adj. (adv.). Also: selye, -ie, seilye, seyllie, seally, sellie, sillye, -(i)e, sylly(e, -(i)e, silie, sylie, celly, cilly. [ME and e.m.E. seli (c1200), sealy (1272), sely (c1275), cely (c1340), syly (c1425), silly (Caxton), seelie (c1540), sillie (1567), siely (1568); sylie (1570), silie (1587), OE *sǽlig, implied in gesǽlig ‘happy, prosperous, blessed, fortunate’. Also in the later Sc. and north. Eng. dials.]

1. a. Of a vision, etc.: Holy, blessed; divinely-inspired or -ordained. b. Of a time or destiny: Fortunate, auspicious, well-omened, ‘lucky’.a. a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 74.
In Pathmos als the angel brycht Schawyt hyme [sc. St. John] ful sely sychtb. ?1438 Alex. ii 8209.
Lordingis, with sely werd, [F. par bon destinement] To-morne airly with spere and swerd, I will ilkane … Vpon ȝour hors all armit be c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 185.
And eke for tham that ar noght entrit inne The dance of lufe … In gude tyme and sely to begynne Thair prentissehed a1500 Seven S. 2699.
The ald man … thankit God that sely houre That he mycht se his governour(b) 1656 Cramond Ch. Rathven 21.
Ther had bene great confluences of people at a chappell and wel commonlie caled the Ladie Chappell … thrie Saturdayes befor Lambas and thrie efter called the six silie Saturdayes

2. Of a person (esp. of a religious): Blessed, holy; saintly, ‘good’.Also used sarcastically.(a) c1460 Consail Vys Man 121.
Fore sely barnis are eith to leire, And wykyt wyll na teiching here a1500 K. Hart 415.
Dame Chastite, that selie innocent a1500 Quare Jel. 235.
With syking wailling pleynyng and prayere Thus livith ay thir sely women here(b) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4663.
The seilye nun wyll thynk gret schame Without scho callit be Madame(c) 1513 Doug. ix iv 46.
Quhiddir gif the goddis or sum spretis sylly Movys in our myndis this ardent thochtfull fyre Or [etc.] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 908.
The sillye nonnis did ȝeild thame haistelye [to Dame Riches and Sensuality] a1540 Freiris Berw. 34 (B).
Thir silly freiris with wyffis weill cowld gluder a1540 Freiris Berw. 273 (B).
Ȝone is freir Robert and silly freir Allane 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 313.
Bot farlye nocht thocht syllie freris fleche 1567 G. Ball. 205. 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. I 120.
Thow confessis that thow can heall the falling seiknes, barne bed [etc.] … be saying thir words, ‘Gif thow will leiff, leiff, and gif thow will die, die’; with sindrie vther orisonis, sic as of Sanct Johne, and of the thrie sillie brethrene a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 20.
A sillie bairne is eith to lear

3. Innocent, inoffensive; helpless, defenceless; undeservedly suffering injury or oppression; deserving of pity or compassion.(a) c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 134.
Bot there be mony of so brukill sort That … setten all thaire wittis and disport The sely innocent woman to begyle 1456 Hay I 161/15.
Na quhat honour war it to slaa a sely pure man innocent that can nocht ellis do bot sitt on the felde with his catell or his schepe and ete a sely pece of brede but ony kychyn 1456 Hay I 230/14.
A sely alde burges man of the age of ane hundreth ȝeris a1500 Henr. Fab. 684.
‘A, selie Lowrence’, quod the volf, and leuch, ‘It plesis me that ȝe ar penitent a1500 Henr. Fab. 1249.
This sentence … Quhilk dampnit hes the selie innocent c1475 Wall. ii 201.
Sely Scotland, that of helpe has gret neide 1513 Doug. ii vi 19 (Sm.).
The sely hyrd [L. inscius … pastor], seand this griselie sycht c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4712.
The uicar … wyll nocht faill to tak ane kow … Frome ane pure selye housband man a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 126/29.
Seand our saluiour efter ane pwir and simpil [MS F. seyllie] maner vse daly among theme nocht hauand … ane place till incline his hede to a1570-86 Maitl. F. 240/2.
God as thow weill can Help the selie court man(b) 1513 Doug. i vi 69.
Ane husband quhilk Sycheus hecht had sche … strangly luffit of the silly Dido [L. magno miserae dilectus amore] 1513 Doug. v xiii 53.
The ded banys and cald assys to spulȝe Of silly Troy quhilk is to rewyne brocht 1513 Doug. ix v 137.
Ane moder … quhilk silly wyfe [L. quam miseram] Me forto follow not comptand hir lyfe [etc.] 1533 Boece 70. 1562-3 Winȝet II 67/3.
Quhat sal he [sc. the Devil] do to sillie miserable men, quha assaltit be testimonie of Scriptuir the Lord self of maiestie? a1568 Bann. MS 222a/16.
Dreidfull Dispair oft syis dois me schoir And cursit Dangeir my sillie hairt to slay 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. i 344.
Miserae, sillie 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. iv 117.
Miserrima, sillie 1582 James VI in Reg. Morton I 134.
Mak me quite of this sillie auld mans cummer 1586–7 Warrender P. (SHS) I 266.
That the God of heavine of his guidnes vald divert his plaig from this sillie iland 1600-1610 Melvill 39.
Mr. Johne Dowglas … wald … say, ‘My sillie fatherles and motherles chyld’ 1600-1610 Melvill 263.
The lard … sufferit the souldiours to com a-land and ly all togidder, to the number of threttin score, for the maist part young berdles men, sillie, trauchled, and houngered 1632 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 83.
The silly stranger in an uncouth country must take with a smoky inn 1633 Rutherford Christ's Napkin 5.
The kirk is half a widow here … ilk lown round about plucks at this silly widow c1650 Spalding I 303.
Collonell Alexander … most vniustlie and vnmercifullie causit put thir sillie poor strangeris within the tolbuith c1650 Spalding II 4.
Becaus thay war bot sillie poor naikit soldiouris, burdenabill to the countrie and not meit for soldiarie c1650 Spalding II 274.
Befoir the lecture wes done, the sillie infant deceissis in the cumeris armes c1650 Spalding II 341.

b. Said of the soul.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1130 (Bann.).
Wis Salomone sais, will thow nocht see, For as thow may thy sely saull now wyne, ‘Think on thine end, thow sall nocht gladlye syn’ c1500 Fyve Bestes 46.
The wantone flesche it is the foly brothire The sely saull forsuth it is the tothire c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 13/25.
Rycht sua thi schrift and thair be oucht conselit Avalis not thi sely saule to saif c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 502.
My sely saull salbe saif quhen Sabot all jugis a1570-86 Maitl. F. 251/23. 1558-66 Knox II 389.
The seally sowll, I fear, shalbe so feable, that it can neather cary with it gold … nor pretious stanes(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 121/91.
With help, sir, of ȝour nobill grace, My sillie saule sall never be slane 1513 Doug. vi xi 54.
The flude Lythee … About the quhilk pepill onnowmerabill And silly sawlys fleys fast 1513 Doug. x ix 46.
I thé beseik … Thys silly sawle of myne, sa faynt and mayt, Thow salf 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 995.
So sillye saulis, that bene Christis scheip, Ar geuin to hungre gormande wolfis to keip 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2277.
Quhen I am deid … My silly sawle sall pas to purgatory 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1443. 1567 G. Ball. 21.
As thow hes fed the sinfull flesche … Siclyke the sillie saull refresche a1568 Bann. MS 87a/49.
Be sensuall lust thi silly saule to sla 1603 E. Melville Godlie Dreame 263.
Is this, said I, the Papists purging place? Quhair thay affirme that sillie saulles do dwell a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxv 7.
Suppose my silly saull with sin be seasde 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xii 4.
Awalk, my sillie saul, in sin quhich too securely lyes 1629 Boyd Last B. 334.
This world wherein the sillie soule, as a ball in a tenice is tossed from wall to wall 1634 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 113.
The Lord send us to the shore out of all the storms with our silly souls sound and whole c1650 Spalding I 97.
Not knowing whome to beleive for saluation of thair sillie soulles

c. Applied to (small, weak or defenceless) animals. Also in fig. context.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 204.
Quhen thay wer lugit thus, thir sely myse [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 299. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1077.
Lymmer, let vs se Giff it be suthe the selie ȝow hes said a1500 Henr. Fab. 2625.
The selie lamb wes meik and innocent a1500 Henr. Fab. 492. a1500 Henr. Fab. 905. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 413.
[A bishop] … is na hird to keip thay sely sheip 1528 Lynd. Dreme 896.
Than Lupis cumis and Lowrance … And dois but reuth the sely scheip dounthryng 1533 Boece 255b.
The sely affrayit hare ferit never the hound … sa mekle as ȝoure presens astonyis the myndis of Britouns(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 334 (Bann.).
Thus to the silly mous grit harme scho did a1500 Colk. Sow i 117.
So soir the silly pig quhrynit c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 113/18.
The silly lame wes all to small To sic ane tribbill to hald ane bace 1513 Doug. xi xiii 168.
As the happy goishalk … persewis wonder sair The silly dow 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 77 (Ruddim.).
Cilly 1528 Lynd. Dreme 92. c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 159.
The sillie raichis wald I raif; Thus for my euill deidis wes I dred 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3363.
The sillie py he put all in the wite a1585 Maitl. Q. 211/87.
[The fowler who] in ane cadge … The sillie bird full painfullie dois pyne 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 488.
Thay … Begyling and syling The eies of syllie beasts a1605 Montg. Sonn. li 7.
Ȝit thoght thou sees not, sillie, saikles thing [sc. a nightingale]! 1662 Forbes Cantus (1666) xxviii.
Let not the wolf devore the silly lamb 16.. Maidment Balfour Ballads 20.
And when our chiftains strong were all on sleep, These sillie geese God's capitall did keepfig. a1568 Scott i 94.
Sic sanctitude was Sathanis sorcereis, Christis sillie scheip and sobir flok to meir

d. Passing into: Humble, lowly, insignificant, ‘mean’. a1568 Scott vi 26.
So luvaris lair no leid suld lak, A lord to lufe a silly lass 1572 Sat. P. xxxii 34.
Thay sillie men that brocht thair butter and egges To Edinburgh Croce a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 482.
It is a sillie flock where the ȝowe bears the bell a1599 Rollock Wks. I 379.
He hes reveilit those thingis to us the sillie anis of the warld, not to the princes of the warld, bot to the sillie simple anis a1599 Rollock Wks. II 110.
He [sc. Pilate] gets a supernatural knowledge, that that silly man was God a1599 Rollock Wks. II 130.
Alas! He is little likely to be a king, a poor, miserable, silly, poor man 1600-1610 Melvill 370.
Mr. Andro [Melvill] … calling the king bot ‘God’s sillie vasall' a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 348.
Better sillie man nor nane 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix 388.
This duke, before whose face the silly ones did shine, and the proud stiffe-necked oppressours did tremble 1649 Last and Heavenly Speeches of Viscount Kenmuir 4.
I thought you had ever a love to … the poorest and sillyest who carried Christs image c1650 Spalding II 229.
Ye hard of ane Maxuell, who wes also accuisit of Brunisme, a sillie quheill wricht of his calling 1673 Lauder Notices Affairs I 72.
Being repute knaves … and abusers of the silly people

4. Foolish, lacking intelligence or sophistication, simple; besotted.(a) 1533 William Hay's Lectures on Marriage (St. S. 24) 126.
Mulierum simplicium quas vocant lingua nostra celly vichtys(b) 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 21.
Ȝour sary joys beyn bot ianglyng and iapys, And ȝour trew seruandis sylly goddis apys 1513 Doug. v vi 18.
Ewrillyus in grene ȝouth and luf sylle [Sm. sille] 15.. Christis Kirk 26 (M).
And sche of luif so sillie Thocht all hir kin suld haue bein deid Sche wald haue bot sweit Willie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5781.
Leif ȝour dissait and crafty wylis, Quhilk syllie simpyll folk begylis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2145.
The sillie hird durst neuer cum him [sc. the boar] neir 1562-3 Winȝet I 45/1.
Faithfull simplicitie and lufe and lawtie with thair seruandis be thaim wyl nocht be hard, bot repellit and schot to the dure as sillie thingis wantand craft to circumuene, flatter, and lie 1562-3 Winȝet I 61/23.
The erroneous … pleidaris quha … ithanlie labouris to subuert the sillie semple anis 1567 Calderwood II 350.
And other sillie, simple lords, Who feare their hanging into cords 1567 G. Ball. 105.
Syne sylie princes blindly tak their partis a1568 Scott xxxiv 32.
Thairfoir ȝour faithis ar fylit, To frawd thay silly aipis [sc. women] 1572 Sat. P. xxxi 112.
Bot, sillie saulis, thay are sa daft, Thay ken nathing, I trow, bot craft 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 376.
Scho [sc. a witch] hes bene On horsback on Hallow ewin, And ay in seiking, certayne nyghtis, As scho sayis, with our sillie wychtis a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 523 (W). a1599 Rollock Wks. I 435.
Sum fuilis ar sillie daft fuilis, other fuilis ar malitious fuilis … displeasing God a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1376.
Ther was never such a sillie Jockie but he gat als sillie a Jennie 1609 Acts IV 420/2.
Howbeit he be bot ane sillie auld gleyit carle I will answer for him that he sall be verie trew c1616 Hume Orthog. 2.
Schoolmasteres, quhae's sillie braine will reach no farther then the compas of their cap 1649 Cupar Presb. 136.
He hard hir say … , ‘He is but a silly druken larde’ 1681 Description of the Rebels in Fugitive Poetry I xix 5 § 7.
Bitterly they boast and crack, These silly simple sots

b. Weak of intellect, feeble-minded, imbecilic. 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 176b.
I leiff to Williame Ritchie sillie boy my blak cloik … for to be ane Sondayis cloik 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS 22 Nov.
Scho being found ane sillie simpill pure persoun … wes remittit

c. Of behaviour, a state of affairs, etc.: Characterised by or displaying foolishness. 1600-1610 Melvill 205.
Sall nocht this sillie ease be turned in sorrowfull wanrest? 1600-1610 Melvill 693.
His answer was sillie and confuseit

5. Lacking in physical strength or endurance, weak, feeble, delicate.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 717 (Bass.).
Na, schir, considder my complexioun, Selie and [Bann. And seikly] waik and off my nature tender(b) a1599 Rollock Wks. I 413.
Evin sa God be his word in the mouth of the silliest and waikest bodie in the warld, will slaie and kill the starckest man that gangis on eirth 1611 J. Melvill in McCrie Melville 508.
Ane woman with ane cumlie countenance … Ane heavie ȝock layd on hir neck and [lyre], Of reid ane scepter in hir hand sche buir In riche aray, ȝit sillie, leane and puir 1629 Boyd Last B. 424.
My sillie bodie, wee haue taken much paines together for to get a rest which wee haue looked long for, but could not finde 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 156/1.
And this is that great soveraigntie which must keepe us in the right way, without the which our sillie witts would wander in the bypaths of errour 1648 J. Hope Diary (1919) 145.
The horse being wanton and lustie, he being a sillie wake old body could not command him a1700 Mare of Colinton 487.
Often-times I wou'd them tack … Upon my sillie feeble back

b. Lacking in spirit or courage. c1650 Spalding I 307.
Quhilk for plane feit thay war forst to do, being sillie waik poor bodeis

c. Also of a ship. c1616 Hume Orthog. 2.
[I] began to fear quhat might betyed my sillie boat in the same seas quhaer sik a man's ship was sunck in the gulf of oblivion

6. Of a thing: a. Befitting a weak, poor or simple person, ‘simple’, ‘humble’, ‘poor’.(a) 1456 Hay I 161/17 (see 3 (a) above).(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 199.
As I hard say, it was ane semple wane … Ane sillie scheill vnder ane erdfast stane a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxv 2.
I grein to sie the sillie smiddy smeik

b. Of little value, importance or consequence; paltry, trifling, insignificant. a1500 Colk. Sow ii 60.
Thre silly pennyis suthly I hald the same 1540 Lynd. Sat. 212 (Ch.).
I wald nocht gif ane sillie flie For ȝour treasure 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4122 (B).
To steill a silly stump or sleve, To Kittok his awin wyfe a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 546.
Its a sillie pack that may not pay the custome a1599 Rollock Wks. i 398.
Thou quha had na thing bot darknes within thee, is maid ane schyning licht … over schaddowing sillie dark bodies 1599 Maxwell Mem. II 50.
Yf intrusion be tollerated … for a cowe, or a sylly beaste 1632 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 86.
What get they? The rich glutton's heaven. O but our Lord maketh it a silly heaven! 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 360.
Oh how silly an advantage is my deprivation to men, seeing that my Lord Jesus hath many ways to recover His own losses 1638 Beautie of the Remarkable Yeare 1638.
So doth a sillie streame ingrosse the sea 1640 Maister George Blacke His Masterlesse Men 13.
Albeit I have gotten a silly reward from my Presbyterie and parishioners, sustaining much griefe and heart-break with great travell and charges 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 163.
The spring he played (says she) was, ‘The silly bit chiken gar cast it a pickle and it will grow meikle’

7. adv. Pitiably, wretchedly. a1570-86 Maitl. F. 360/5.
Scho sychtit sely soir, Said, ‘Lord I luif thi loir’