A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1644
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Brukill, Bruckle, a. Also: brukil, -yll, brokill; brukle, bruikle, broukle; brukkill, bruckill. [Northern ME. brukel (e.m.E. brukle, bruckle), OE. brucol (in combs. as ǽ-, scip-brucol), f. bruc- variant stem of brecan Brek v.]
1. Easily broken; apt to break; brittle.a1400 Legends of the Saints vi. 648.
I honoure … na metall, That brokill is & sone ma fall 1456 Hay II. 156/30.
Sen God has maid us all till semblaunce of a brukle mater 1461 Liber Pluscardensis 388.
Thaire is na thyng that ma lest euir mare, That compunde is of brukyll alymentis a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 569.
Becaus I knaw the greit vnstabilnes, Brukkill as glas 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 62.
This brukill eird … Me thocht I saw birne in ane fyrie rage 1513 Id. Æn. xii. xii. 114.
This ontrew temperit blaid … , As brukkill ice, in litill pecis lap a1568 Scott xxx. 3.
The brukle body than is wvne, And maid ane veschell new 1571 Satirical Poems xxvii. 19.
Scho is a bruikle [M. bruckill] barge, And may na bitter blastis weill abyde c1590 J. Stewart 31/60.
As bruckill glas he did aschunder bring His targe of steil 1587-99 Hume ii. 86.
The mortall … corps (a lowrd and brukill mas) 1629 Mure True Cruc. 2492.
To climbe … The bruckle braunches of vaineglorious wayes
2. Morally frail or weak; readily yielding, esp. to temptation or evil.a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxv. 4.
Thadee, that licht woman wes & richt brukil of hyre flesche a1400 Ib. l. 210.
Mekill les ȝeit suld men trew A brokill woman as is thu c1420 Wynt. v. 3694.
We … That felys the infyrmyte Off brukyll fleysch c1420 Ib. 5326.
For yhe devillys war noucht wroucht Off brukyll kynd 1456 Hay I. 291/25.
The brukle mankynde that ever is redy till excede in vicis a1500 Henr. Orph. 374.
He was on lyve brukle & lecherous c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 116.
Fawdoun … was haldyn at suspicioun; He was haldyn of brokill complexioun 1490 Irland Mir. I. 89/17.
We are maid of brukle and fragill nature anens oure body c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 7.
The flesche is brukle, the fend is sle a1570-86 Kennedy Maitland Folio MS cxxxi. 41.
O broukle ȝouth, in tyme behald 1535 Stewart 3783.
For-quhy he wes ane man of brukill fame 1551 Hamilton Catechism 263.
Sa lang as we leif in this present warld, we ar sa fragil and brukil … that [etc.] a1568 Scott iv. 33.
Thocht bruckill wemen hantis In lust to leid thair lyvis 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 165; 1567 Ib. 199.
The folie that is in mankynde, Quhilk is sa brukill and sa blind
3. Unstable, uncertain; full of hazard.a1500 Henr. Fab. 2936.
Be … ay reddie, For mannis lyfe is brukill, and ay mortall a1570-86 Kennedy Maitland Folio MS cxvii. 14.
Trusting in to this brukill lyfe and vane 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 201.
Becaus the warld is brukle and trublus 1548 Protocol Book of Sir William Corbet 7.
It is a bruckill wardill and mony perrellis occurrand a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cii. 3.
This warldis vanite, sa broukle and sa slidder 1583 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 640.
Founding them vpon the bruckle authoritie of profane wryters 1586 Douglas Chart. 289.
Quhethir remissioun salbe gevin … in respect of the bruckle and troublesum tyme bypast a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 284.
The Queene of England perceauing the effairis of Scotland to be bruckle and unstable 1623 Melrose P. 549.
The seasoun of the yeir wes suche, that it threatned a laite and bruckle haruest 1644 Baillie II. 170.
When it were so dangerous for their bruckle state
