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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.

Semely, Seimlie, adj. Also: semelye, -lie, semly, -lie, sembly, -lie, semblyche, seym(e)ly, seymlie, seem(e)ly, seemlie, seamlie, simly, symly. Compar. also semilyar. [ME and e.m.E. semliche (a1225), semli (Cursor M.), semly (a1310), sembli (c1305), semely (Wyclif), seemely (1563), seemble (1554), ON sæmiligr becoming.]

1. Of a person (also, of an animal), or his appearance or demeanour: Good-looking, handsome, attractive, pleasing.Freq. in allit. phrases.(a) ?a1450 Florimond 126.
Thay wox and worth bayth fair and wicht, And rycht semlie to se be sycht 1460 Hay Alex. 7697.
And ay him semyt baith fare and semelyare a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1355.
Before thir senyeouris in sight, semely beside a1500 Rauf C. 713.
Semelie a1500 Henr. Fab. 842, 844 (Bann.).
I sawe Ane vnicorne semely lansand our lawe … A pursevant semelye I ȝow assure c1475 Wall. i 191.
He was than semly, stark and bald c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 104/36.
Semly c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 28/91. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Twa Mar. W. 469.
Full mony semelyar sege wer service dois mak 1513 Doug. ix xi 48.
Equycoly A lusty knycht in armys rycht semly [L. pulcher Aquiculus] 1531 Bell. Boece I 11.
Thir pepill war callit Pichtis, outhir for thair semely personis or ellis for the variant colour of thair clething 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7162.
Quhat is scho this sa semelie for to se? 1567 G. Ball. 208.
Do weill is semelie, without ony gylis 1576 Crim. Trials I ii 53.
The wemene had all plaiddis round about thame, and wer verrie semelie lyke to se a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xiii 34.
Love maks a man, I mene, mair semely to be sene — 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 60 (B).
I saw thre quhyte quhailis semelie to be sene(b) 1460 Hay Alex. 11431.
Thai war richt mekill men of sembly mak c1475 Wall. viii 760.
xii thousand and ma that sembly [1570 semelie] was to sycht 1513 Doug. vi xv 37.
Eneas saw … a sembly springald [L. Egregium … iuvenem](c) c1420 Wynt. ix 2228.
A seymly persone in stature ?a1450 Florimond 232.
[He] is of limmis ane seimlie man a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 420.
Our seymly souerane hym self c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 28.
Thair faceis … Quhyt, seimlie and soft as the sweit lillies 15.. Clar. ii 1118.
He was seimlie of corpis and statur a1585 Maitl. Q. 152/9.(d) a1603 Anc. Prophecies 18.
Me thought him seemlie for to see 1604-31 Craig ii 65/11.
My dearest dame and seemlie sainct … , For whose sweet sake I daylie die and dwins(e) 15.. Clar. ii 1302.
The lustie queine … With monie ane seamlie ladie wilbe thair(f) c1475 Wall. xi 758.
Byschop Synclar … Com out off Bute with symly men to sycht 15.. Dunb. Bk. Dean Lismore p. 77.
Suppois scho haive mony simly [B. semely; M. semelie] seruitur

b. absol. as noun. A good-looking person. Also compar. and superl. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1156.
The maist seymly in sale ordanit thame sete a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1285.
Than that seymly be sight said to the gent c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 28/79.
The semeliest wes maid assege c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 146.
Quhen that the semely had said hir sentence to end c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 217.
Than think I on a semelyar [M. semilyar], the suth for to tell 1535 Stewart 4813.
The lord … of Cumbria With mony semelie schroudit wnder scheild 1535 Stewart 5065.
Mony semelie had rycht sowand syde 1535 Stewart 31031.
Semblie a1570-86 Maitl. F. 364/156.
That semlie than with sobir cheir Me of hir gudlynes forgaif

2. Of things: Pleasing in appearance, form or structure; aesthetically satisfying.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 569 (A).
The lyoun … Of siluer semely & sure a1500 Prestis of Peblis 204 (A).
A semely schipe he coft c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxviii 2.
London, … Soveraign of cities, semeliest in sight 1513 Doug. i vi 12.
Dekkit about with mony semly tre a1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlviii 10.
Stanche my fyking and stryd my lyking Ar semely hewis for sommer play a1568 Bann MS 229b/116.
The schene birdis full schill cowth schowt Into that semly schaw 1580 Hume Promine 41.
How euerie thing … Reiosit swa, with suddand semelie sicht Of that leidsterne(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 200.
Of Pallas [a] tempile … That is rytht semblyche wnto se 1460 Hay Alex. 5846.
Thare mycht men se full money sembly scheild c1475 Wall. v 178.
Twa scheipe thai tuk besid thaim of a fauld, Ordanyt to soupe in to that sembly hauld(c) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 255.
Yone is the seymliast sicht that euer couth I se a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 668.
With seymely scheildis to schew, thai set vpone seuin c1590 J. Stewart 255 § 217.
The seimlie ceder springing hie(d) 1587-99 Hume 54/83.
Sa sall be seen the figoures of the flots … Faire seemely shippes 1665 Alford Rec. 71.
They should fill the samen with seemly dasks betwixt and the feast of Lambes nixt(e) c1420 Wynt. i 947.
Mony a symly cyte fayre

3. Of things, actions, etc.: Consistent with propriety, decorous, fitting.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii 5839.
The folk reiois thame iolely, … Carralland with semely sang 1456 Hay I 180/14.
For it war fer mare semely that he had ȝow under him na ye held him under ȝow 1513 Doug. ii x 44.
And set it be nocht lovabill nor semly thocht To punys a woman 1513 Doug. v vi 98 (Sm.).
And of his ene bristene the semelie teris, [L. lacrimaeque decorae] Sched for disdene he suld swa lose his price 1560 Rolland Seven S. 630.
Heraldis of armes … Past on befoir as it was maist semelie In thair awin stait, conforme to thair degre a1578 Pitsc. (1814) xxiv.
As thoucht it war more semlie for the honest to laik then comlie by exercise of sum honest airt to gett thair liveing a1585 Maitl. Q. 225/50.
This plesant plant … Stuid on ane ruit of semelie sickernes 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI 171.
Efter thame the trumpettouris in ane semlie array, with comlie flaggis to thair trumpettis(b) c1590 Fowler I 339/4.
Since that eche liuinge thinge I see Dothe playe the semblie parte(c) 15.. Clar. ii 1676.
Everie thing aucht to be temperat. The kingis heralds larglie cryit aloud Of gold and silver and of seimlie schroud Gevin to them a1585 Maitl. Q. 156/93.
In vesture & gesture Maist seimlie & modest c1590 J. Stewart 49/46.
Hir cumlie corps … For seimlie schame reed sprinklit mycht be seine 16.. Hist. Kennedy 20.
It wes na wyis seymlie to ȝow to heff done the samin(d) a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1706) 270.
Hame is hamely, though never so seemly(e) 1560 Bk. Disc. 234.
It is not seamlie that the servand of corruptioun shall have authoritie to judge in the Churche of God(f) 1562-92 Wode's Psalter xxxiii.
It is a simly sight, That vpright men with thankfull voice Shuld praise the God of might

4. Suitable, appropriate, apt (for a particular occasion or context). 1513 Doug. ii vi 39.
So that we thocht maist semly in a feld To de feghtand, enarmyt vnder scheld 1565 Irvine Mun. I 52.
Ane semelye number of hagbittaris … to serve our saidis soveraneis 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) Adhort. 36.
With staitlie storyis aggreing to our age, With similitudis semelie he dois declair