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.
Quotation dates: 1513-1623
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S(c)ham(e)les, adj. (adv.). Also: schaim-, and -lis. [ME and e.m.E. schomeleas (Ancr. R.), schamlese (a1370), schameles (c1412), OE sc(e)amléas, sc(e)omléas; S(c)ham(e n.]
A. adj. Lacking (a sense of) shame, untouched by shame, immodest, audacious, impudent, unrepentant; that is a cause of shame, disgraceful. a. Of persons, etc. b. Of actions, sayings, states, etc.a. 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 170.
And quha schameles dowblis thar syn, ha fy! 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 2068.
Curst creature and also shameles seid Ane honest turne I can not of thé reid 1560 Ib. 7909. 1568 Haddington Corr. II 270.
The schameles boutschour, George Dowglas 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 113.
Thay blast out lyk schameles bairdis that the Pape is the cheif antichrist 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 27/144.
Ye blow abrod But shame, athort the world, your shameles god 1596 Dalr. I 68/6.
Thir schameles and finȝet goddis 1614 Forbes Defence of the Lawfull Ministers of Reformed Churches (1614) 35.
We … would laugh him to heading as a shameles lier — c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5215.
Ane maruellous potent kyng Quhilk with ane schameles face sall ryng 1562-3 Winȝet II 54/30.
Ar thai ony found sa indurat, sa inueterat, and of sa schamelis a forret?b. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 10461.
Gif ȝe will not schaw furth the veritie, Ane schameles deid … ȝe sall baith die 1562-3 Winȝet I 44/26.
The abomination of wychecraft and schameles mantening thairof in contempt of God and His law 1562-3 Ib. 52/24.
Be the quhilk schameles testimonie of thair awin toungis 1562-3 Ib. 52/34.
For na man is of ony iugement quha markis nocht thair schaimles confusioun a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitland Folio MS 53/127.
I hait all schameles gloriositie And me delyte in modest schamefastnes 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 23/72.
Frenchemen … Whose mignarde writts, but … fayned teares and shameles tales retaine a1585 Polwart Flyt. 565 (T).
The loun man lik his womeit and deny His schameles sawis 1594 Charteris Wall. Pref. 171.
Their schameles impudencie 1600 in Melvill 478.
At what tyme the Papes cam to that schamles usurpatioun of bathe the swords 1609 Elgin Rec. I 232.
The extraordinair and schameles derth of bootis and shoone
B. adv. Without (any sense of) shame. = Schameleslie adv. 1570 Satirical Poems xviii 82.
Schamt is that sort, with schame thai wilbe schent; Schamt schameles, schame hes schawin vnto this natioun
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"Shamles adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/schameles>
