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

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

Thankful(l)(e, adj. Also: thankeful(l, thancfull, thonkfule, -full, thankfo, thankill. [ME and e.m.E. þankful (Wyclif), thankfull (1511), thankefull (1610), thankful (1685); Thank n.]

1. Worthy of gratitude, deserving of thanks; pleasing; acceptable; satisfactory (to a person), also, once, of (= by) a payment. 1375 Barb. v 278.
He haid done mony a thankfull deid a1400 Leg. S. iii 1152
He suld haf honowringe, That sa thankful til hevynis kinge, Was fyrste and laste a1400 Leg. S. xliii 32.
God, grant that … I thole na varldis scham, Bot ay be thankful to Thi name c1400 Troy-bk. ii 189 (C).
Dyomedes seyth that it pleseth And is thonkfull [D. thonkfule] to ws 1456 Hay I 68/3.
Quhen Cayn slewe Abell, God … refusit his sacrifice, quhareby he schawis that unrychtwis offerandis ar nocht acceptable na thankfull to his godhede 1473 Holyrood Chart. 153.
Foralsmekle as a venerable fadir in Criste … has beine … all tymys thankfull till ws 1477 Exch. R. IX 94 n.
For his lele trew and thankfull service done and to be done to ws 1533 Boece 47b.
Be quhat lawis the pece was to be renewit … or gif new addiciouns war necessare quharethrow the pece suld be mare thankfull ferme and lesty 1554 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 19.
[Jonet Newton … with consent of her spouse, Rauff Haliburtoun] … rasauit hym as ane thankfo tenent to tham [as well as remitted all bygone maillis and duties owing] 1580 Fam. Rose 273.
To releif and keip skeithles … Houchone Ros … conserning his promes made at the tyme of his obteining of the ward and marriage … of Marione Dolles, … touartis the thankill handling of hir and dispositione of hir to a perte agreabill to hir esteit 1588 King Of Confession 11b.
Make o Lord, I beseike thé this my confessione, to be thankeful and pleisande in thy sight 1612 Acts IV 472/1.
If the awners get not thankfull teynding at the expyring of the saidis last aucht dayes … it salbe lauchfull to the awners of the saidis cornes to teynd and stak the same thame selffis 1632 Dumbarton B. Rec. 37.
David Glen … executioner of the witches … sall have … aucht merks money at Witsonday and Mertimas … during his thankfull services 16… Bk. Old Edinb. C. XX 109.
The … maisters ordinis that … gif the said Thomas be not ane thankfull and obedient prenteice … the said Thomas sell be puneissed according to the acts of thair buik

b. specif. Of a payment: Satisfactory, adequate, full. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 315.
I resauit … his thankfull and reddy payment 1500 Exch. R. XI 266 n.
To mak thankful payment till our lovit cosinace … of the yerlie pensioun gevin to hir of the custumez and water malis of oure said burrowis 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 21.
Patrik Erle Bothuel hes tane in hand to cause thankfull payment to be maid to George Lord Hume, of the soume of the taxt assignit to him … or ellis to deliver to my Lord Thesaurar letteres of hornying upoun thame 1567 Inverness Rec. I 157.
To … compell the said William … to mak me thankfull payment of … ij bollis aittis sawing pruiff corne, and all wther dewytie wse and wont to ane cottar to get 1596 Aberd. Chart. 98.
That ȝe reddilie ansuir, inteind, and obey, and mak thankfull payment to the saidis provest and bailleis 1599 Paisley B. Rec. 225.
The baillies … sauld … ane half akir commounland … for sevin punds to be peyit to Thomas Brown thesaurer, to pey the first of August nixt to cum and failyeing of thankful payment thairof, to pey xx merks money for the samin, for the quhilk William Stewart become souertie 1617 Aberd. Council Lett. I 143.
For his securitie of good and thankfull payment thairof [sc. his stipend] the saids provest and baillies [etc.] … ar become actit and obleist for the said Mr. William 1642 Caldwell P. 97.
We have resavit … four hunderth muskets … at ten punds the peice … we … binds and obleis us … to mak thankfull payment … of ten pundis as the liquidat pryce agried upon be us for ilk ane of the saidis … musketts 1671 Soc. Ant. XXVI 194.
Gilbert Olasone … shall cause the fewares, udallers [etc.] … to make tymeous and thankfull payment of ther duties, conforme to the rentall 1677 Kingarth Par. Rec. 110.
Quhilk day compert Charls Martin … confest his sin of fornicatioun … but denys promise of mariage. Ordains him to make thankfull payment of three pund Scots

c. Of a person: Satisfied (in respect of a payment). 1603 Aberd. Council Lett. I 93.
We will request yow to oversie him for byrunes as … ye haiff done to utheris and ye salbe verry thankfull of paymentt in tyme cuming

2. Of a person or his attitude of mind: Feeling or expressing thanks or gratitude, grateful; well-disposed.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 1451.
He thame mendyt, & cane ma Thankful to God c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1120 (C).
The dede come one and it, She seyd, thankfull sche wold admytt 1494 Loutfut MS 5a.
Gif … throw fechting the tane war victour til him that suld be his man he suld be thankful as the caus requris c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 137/72.
Great caus thow hes to thank this nobill toun That for to do the honnour did not spair … Be thankfull to this burcht of Aberdein 1528 Douglas Corr. 16.
Quhene ony materis occurris quharinto ȝour supple is commodius, we fynd ȝou euer thankfulle and hartlie to ws and our realme 1533 Boece 102.
Thereeftir regnit Metellane … in grete pece and tranquillite to nane iniurios bot to euery man thankfull 1570 Sat. P. xi 98.
All that … with thankfull mynde and hartie cheir … him met 1622 Misc. Spald. C. V 378.
[I] shall rest thankfull thairfore, as ye may haife adoe to imploye me 1693 Cromartie Corr. I 101.
The more the people ar thancfull and content, the mor others will freett and kyth(2) 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 111/5.
Ye sall kythe youre thankefull memorie of youre father a1651 Calderwood VII 620.
He sould prove verie unthankfull if ever he past by the javell doore without thankfull remembrance of the confort he found in that prison