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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.

Scantly, -lie, adv. Also: skant(e)-; schant-. [Late ME and e.m.E. scantly (c1440); Scant adj.]Syntactically, freq. operating as a negative adv., see the notes to 1 below.

1. Scarcely, hardly, barely.Freq., in early use chiefly, with inversion of following subject and verb.Sometimes with appar. superfluous negative.When followed by a temporal clause introduced by quhen, sometimes virtually = no sooner … (than).(1) a1400 Leg. S. v 151.
And skantly had ilkane of tha A singill clath Ib. xxvi 79.
That skantly had he the lyf-lad 1456 Hay I 39/11.
Scantly may a man trowe the grete … riches … of that toun a1500 Henr. Fab. 2754.
Scantlie may he purches by his maill To leue vpon dry breid a1500 Sir Eger 2026.
Scantly was left in him his life 1494 Loutfut MS 8b.
Of sa gret antiquite that scantly is thair memour of the lignie quhar of the descendit a1538 Abell 9b.
That scantly had he ane serwand to mak seruice to him a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun xiii.
That scantlie is left ony of thair posterite a1570-86 Maitl. F. 439/55.
Now skantlie in it may be sene Twelff gait glydis deir of a preine 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 909.
Four parische kirkis till ane preicheir Quhen skantlie may ane man gyde ane 1622-6 Bisset II 233/8.
Because the cuntrie … is sa parrallous, that skantlie may ane schip saill thereby … but cuming in dangeare [etc.](2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2374.
For he for old scantlie mycht stand Ib. 1633. a1500 Seven S. 1930.
He … scantly had bene thare ane houre Quhen the lord callit at the ȝet 1533 Boece 49b.
Britouns skantlie weill walkynnyt fra slepe 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 483.
Ȝit we myct skantly spair ane houre … to the audience of the same a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 332/39.
For thai that had gude hors … Hes skantlie now ane crukit meir Ib. 432/7. a1578 Pitsc. I 294/32.
Skantlie knawand in quhat pairt of the warld he was in 1580 Coll. Aberd. & B. 391.
The plenessing … quhilk my ladie desyiris … quhilk extendis skantlie to the half 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 143/266.
Skantelie 1605 Edinb. Test. XL 15b.
In all this scho will skantlie get hir awin scho brocht with hir(b) a1538 Abell 97b.
He answert in extremis quhen schantlie he mycht profer the word ‘Hang thame all on a gallos’(3) 1456 Hay I 166/32.
It that I tuke of ȝouris is scantly the costis of the men that I led with me c1475 Wall. ix 1630.
Wntymys thou art, for it is scantly day a1500 Seven S. 1806.
Fra the cite thai war nocht gane Twa legis bot scantly ane 1535 Stewart 37060.
Quhilk war … Scantlie the fourt part that tha brocht of toun 1631 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 77.
Thrie of the foirsaid tokins veyand skantlie [pr. skanthe] ane drope vecht(4) 1535 Stewart 33130.
That he durst nother scantlie speik nor luke 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8011.
Thay will do nocht … Nor skantlie speik without he giue hir leif a1568 Weddirburne Bann. MS 288b/95.
For butt ane staff thow may nocht skantlie stand(5) a1400 Leg. S. xix 228.
Skantly lenyt don he was, Quhen the woyce on hym can cry Ib. xxxix 136.
Scantly sad this word he had Quhene twa feyndis apperit thare a1500 Henr. Fab. 325.
Scantlie had thay drunkin anis or twyse, Quhen in come … our iolie cat a1500 K. Hart 521.
Scantlie had Age restit him thair ane quhyle Quhen Conscience come cryand [etc.] 1533 Boece 65.
Skantlie had Nothat twa ȝeris regnit quhen be sa vile seruitute he supprisit the pepill Ib. 127.
Skantlie had the herald … rehersit this charge quhen skurreouris schew [etc.] Ib. 308.
Scantly war thir wourdis endit quhen on athir party the schout was rasit a1578 Pitsc. I 54/31.
Skantlie was he turned quhene baitht the airmieiswas redy to joyne and thyk togidder Ib. 139/16.
Skantlie was he weill come hame quhen he did persaif the craftie subtilltie

Passing into: b. Not easily, with difficulty. a1400 Leg. S. xvii 111.
Scantly the todir day Fand thai quhare the body lay c1420 Wynt. iv 1356.
His nawyne nere tuk thai That scantly wan hym-self away c1460 Thewis Wysmen 104.
Thar [sc. wise men's] smylyng scantly may men ken a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 7.
Scantlie fra the cauld I micht defend a1500 Peblis to the Play 146.
His wyff come out Scantlie scho micht our hy him 1513 Doug. xii i 86.
We … now scantly within our wallit cite The hope and weill of Italy defendis c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke ix 39.
And scantlie [P. vnneth; L. vix] he gais away al to drawand him Id. Acts xiv 17.
And thai … scantlie [P. vnnethis] swaget the pepile 1533 Boece 183b.
vij wretaris successiue mycht skantlie … write with sic expedicioun as he wald indite 1535 Stewart 37820.
The sand … blindit thame that tha mycht scantlie ken Quha wes thair freind or … fa a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. 49/19.
Bot atheisme and superstitioun Hes sa me now environit about That scantlie can I find quhar to get out 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 218.
That scantlie hagbutis mycht schute for rainyn 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 75.
So fast the deir ran to his den His coulour I cud skantlie ken

c. Only just; immediately before that. 1568 Buch. Indict. 44.
As he passit in the hous the vyndois wer oppin the candillis scantlie lychtit a1578 Pitsc. I 21/6.
This message scantlie endit Erle of Douglas … ansueris him againe

2. Scantily; inadequately. b. Thinly or sparsely (inhabited). a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 918 (W).
For all the proverbs ȝe pervsit Ȝe thocht vs skantly skillitb. 1598 James VI Minor Prose 70/11 (see Scant adj. 4).