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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nobil(l, Noble, a. Also: nobil(l)e, -yl(l, -ylle, -el(l, nobbill, nob(i)lle, noubile, -le, nowbill, -ell(e. Compar. nobillare etc. Superl. nobil(l)ast, -est, etc., noblest, etc. [ME. (Ancr. R.) and e.m.E. noble, nobil(l, etc., F. noble, L. nōbilis.]For early examples of the word as a surname see Black Surnames s.v.; also Johannis Nobil (1330 Exch. R. I. 273), Thomas Nobill (1364 Rot. Sc. 886/2).

1. Of persons: Of noble rank and character.Also ironically.For examples in collocation with king, lord, prince, see these words and also Michty a. 1 a (3). Also Nobil(l)-man n.(1) 1397 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 32.
Betwix a nobil ladi Margaret Contas of Mar [etc.] 1449–50 Glasgow Chart. I. ii. 27.
Be our nobil antecessoures 1458 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 325.
Nobille a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 664.
Schir Bedwar [etc.] … nobil to neuin a1500 Rauf C. 54.
Thow semis ane nobill fallow, thy answer is sa fyne 1503 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 72.
Bot for the nobill and honorable personis of the town c1500-c1512 Dunb. viii. 19.
The prince of knychtheid, nobill and chevilrous Id. xlii. 97.
Matremony, that nobill king 1513 Doug. i. ix. 48.
Sa nobill a queyn! Ib. v. xiv. 46.
Wald thou I lippynnyt the maist nobil Ene? 1535 Stewart 33.
Thair sall he find als nobill and als fyne As euir wes ony of the nobill nyne 1538 Crim. Trials I. i. 206.
Your nobill grace 1549 Compl. 12/32.
Nobil Scipion 1560 Rolland Seven S. 551.
Ane mayd … Nobill, courtes and plesand of visage(b) 1423 Edinb. Chart. 213.
Yhure noble depute the gouernour off your realme c1450-2 Howlat 32.
Dame Natur, that noble mastres 1456 Hay I. 17/9.
Thai noble pillaris and warreyouris of the faith a1500 Henr. Fab. 855 (Bann.).
We, noble lyoun a1500 Quare Jel. 256.
Jelousy … Quhareof eschamith euery noble wy c1490 Porteous Noblenes 176/9.
Herfor euery noble creatur suld eschew to do wrang scaith or iniure Ib. 177/24.
Worthines … is sweit … to noble & liberall men a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxvi. 1.
All wemeine ar guid, noblle and excellent(c) 1552 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 277.
Ane potent and nobel lord a1578 Pitsc. I. 114/5.
Sindrie wther nobell knychtis(d) 1464 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II. 107.
Nouble and michtie lordis, Andro Lorde Avandale [etc.] 1515 Douglas Corr. 318.
Be the advice of the great and nowbelle lordis of the realmme 1559 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 46.
Nowbill 1581 Nugae Scoticae 37.
Noubile(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 61.
This noble cunning sort Quhom of befoir I did reportAlso b. sometimes indicating illustriousness or loftiness of character as distinguished from high rank or membership of the nobility, and conversely. c1490 Porteous Noblenes 180/15.
It is folie … to ony man of noble & hie blude to … hald him self noble without that he … schewe him noble be his wertuis dedis 1533 Boece iv. v. 131 b.
Quha … fand invensiouns to caus men of substance deburs maist monye was repute maist nobill 1596 Dalr. II. 163/21.
[Albany] destributet the kirk lyuengs to ilk as he was noble, nocht conforme to his vertue

c. superl. (freq. absol.).(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 361.
The nobillest king That euer bare croun a1578 Pitsc. I. 408/19.
Gif he had ressawit goode consall … he had ben the most nobillist prince that ever rang in the realme of Scottland 1567 G. Ball. 43.
Princes ar repute nobilest, The quhilk rewlis moste awfullie(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1080.
The ȝungeste Of that land & the nobileste c1420 Wynt. iii. 158.
The nobylest [C. nobillast, W. noblest] in that cumpany c1450-2 Howlat 887.
Dame Natur the nobillest nechit in ane a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 227.
Of the nobillest be-name, noumerit of nyne a1497, 15.. Gray MS. vi. 16. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 102/37. 1528 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 97.
With certane of the nobyllest of our communite a1578 Pitsc. I. 127/11.
Ane of the nobllist of they dayis 1605 Melvill 606.
That the most nobillest and hightest hes joynit thame selvis

d. With the defining phrases of lignie (see Ligne(e n. a), of blud. a1568 Bann. MS. 238 b/19.
Rycht nobill of blud 1596 Dalr. I. 91/9.
The gretter of digrie and the nobiller of blude that ony of thame war, in the weiris he was formest

e. Of birth, lineage, etc.See also Birth n. 1 c, Kin n. 5 (2) and Ligne(e n. c for examples with these words. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 53.
Ane madin of nobill blude 1535 Stewart 20635.

f. Of attributes, actions or reputation of persons: Pertaining to, or befitting, a noble person; illustrious, distinguished, admirable.Passing into sense 3 a. c1400 Troy-bk. i. 386.
Ressauit with hym with noble fare 1424 Edinb. Chart. 213.
At ȝhour noble comandement 1447 Ib. 68.
Oure progenitouris of noble mynde c1450-2 Howlat 453.
Ȝour hart nobillast 1456 Hay II. 58/32.
Alexander … had sa noble a curage that he dispisit avarice and covatise Ib. 67/36.
And that he be lovit for his noble dedis of worthynes c1466-80 Letter from Lord Hamilton.
At ȝour nobil hartis desyr a1500 Henr. Fab. 150 (Ch.).
Science and cunning … Quhilk is sa nobill, sa precious and sa ding c1475 Wall. i. 2. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 67/17, 18.
The man jn this nobile state of jnnocence had thire hie and nobile wertuis befor spokin Ib. 69/28.
The nobillare natur and wertu has the mare nobile operacioune 1491 Acta Conc. I. 168/2.
His trew liegis sulde … desire to prefer the noble estate of his excellence c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 119.
[The lion] Quhois noble yre is parcere [pr. proceir] prostratis Id. lxxxiii. 9. 1535 Stewart 73.
Ane Hector Boyis … of nobill fame 1549 Compl. 153/21.
Thou hes nocht dune sic ane nobil act as to genner ane nobil prince c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4943.
Thare nobyll name 1567 G. Ball. 115.
Thy nobill actis a1570-86 Maitl. F. clvii. 13.
Becaus he is of nobill spreit a1605 Montg. Misc. P. lii. 19.

2. Distinguished for ability or learning; gifted, expert; (of fighting men,) valorous.Also Nobil(l)-man n. 1375 Barb. ix. 481.
This Schir Eduard … Wes of his handis a nobill knycht 1456 Hay I. 22/33.
A woman, the quhilk … a noble clerges was Ib. 37/23.
The noble doctour Orosius Ib. II. 35/33.
Gif thou will wale worthyast and maist noble man of curage a1500 Henr. Orph. 422 (Ch. & M.).
Doctour Nicholas Quhilk … a noble theolog was c1475 Wall. iv. 543.
Twenty he had that nobill archaris war 1531 Bell. Boece I. 112.
About this time was mony nobill clerkis as Persius [etc.] 1535 Stewart 7503. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 807.
Ane nobill leiche the squyer had a1568 Bann. MS. 144 a/8.
Becaus he is in cumpany Ane noble gyd a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xvii. 30. 1567 Sat. P. iii. 51.
Nobill him self and nobill of ingyne 1596 Dalr. I. 3/11.
Thay being sa noble seymen and sa expert in sayling

3. Distinguished in quality or appearance; excellent, fine; admirable; illustrious; splendid, magnificent.a. Of non-material things. Cf. sense 1 f. Also (a) nobill thing.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 4019.
At the nobill renouned iorne c 1420 Liber Calchou 448.
Her begynnys a nobyl tretyse c1475 Wall. viii. 483. 1492 Myll Spect. 288/16.
I sall to thé schaw sum nobbill examplis & historys c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 99.
Thair Quene so clere Quham of thair nobill norising thay thonk Id. Tua Mar. W. 248.
God … send me sentence to say, substantious & noble Ib. 511. a1568 Bann. MS. 141 a/12.
Ane agnus day with nobill nott 1562-3 Winȝet II. 36/1.
That noble and large werk, of na les than of thretty buikis 1596 Dalr. I. 349/4
A noble victorie he obteynet(2) 1375 Barb. i. 225.
Fredome is a noble thing ?1438 Alex. ii. 290.
The worship and the nobill thing Of the nobill duke Ib. 356.
Of douchty man is nobill thing That alwayes gangs with mening 1456 Hay II. 23/3.
It is a noble thing quhen knychthede and clergy is assemblit togedir

b. Of places, esp. towns, and of institutions. c1400 Troy-bk. i. 213.
In Colkas the nobile ile ?1438 Alex. i. 17.
To tak the nobill toun of Tyre Ib. ii. 470. 1456 Hay I. 55/33. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2538. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 33.
Fra Papis come that nobill towne within 1562-3 Winȝet I. 33/32. 1596 Dalr. I. 19/13.
A noble toune [Peebles] c1650 Spalding I. 150.
The nobill brughe of Abirdein — 1456 Hay II. 48/37.
To … manetene the poyntis of his maist hye and noble temporale ordre 1490 Irland Mir. I. 11/28.
[The Emperor] foundit many noble abbayis and the noble and worthi vniuersite of Paris

c. Of material things. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 982.
A ryche and nobile sepultur c1420 Wynt. i. 1385.
Ane land of nobyl ayre Ib. vii. 51. 1456 Hay I. 228/7.
And I had hecht a man a noble suerd Ib. 282/10.
The quhilk armes ar the maist noblez Ib. 290/7.
Sen he is maist noble of princis, it sittis wele he have croune of the nobilast of all metallis a1500 Henr. Fab. 367 (Ch.).
As fitchis myngit ar with nobill seid c1475 Wall. ii. 398.
His suerd that wes of nobill hew 1490 Irland Mir. I. 46/7.
Maist noble jowell Ib. 76/3.
A place noble and worthi for his estait Ib. 154/11.
The ark … maid of the noble and precius burdis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 228/21.
He … held ane noble hous and was ay wele purvait 1513 Doug. i. iv. 98.
Nobill auld wyne Ib. ii. vi. 26. 1535–6 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 209 b (24 Mar.).
To by ane nobyll lok and put it vpone the dvr 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4555. c1550 Id. Meldrum 887.
With nobill confeittis, bran and geill 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2155.
This tre was laidin fow Of nobill frute 1596 Dalr. I. 204/36.
In fair ornamentis and noble decore 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 114.
Thow … drew ane acher furth of the laid [of barley] and said, That is nobill geir

d. Of horses and of dogs.(1) ?1438 Alex. i. 1431.
He sat vpon the nobillest steid That ony lord mycht haif at neid 1456 Hay II. 93/19. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3196.
Ane nobill steid 1596 Dalr. I. 14/7.
Nathir thay mekle gret horse … ar haldne sa nobil with our cuntrey men … as horse of midway stature(2) 1596 Dalr. I. 20/13.
The secund kynde of hunting dog is … mair couragious … and nobilar of kynde

e. Noble part, one of those bodily organs which are essential to the continuance of life.Also e.m.E. (1632) and mod. Eng. 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 13.
The hart and nobillest interioure partis of the body 1612 Crim. Trials III. 237.
Vpone the diaphragma or midreid, quhilk is ane noble pairt 1613 Ib. 263.
His haill nobill pairtis inwardlie consumeing 1626 Justiciary Cases I. 37.
Bruiseing and breking his intrall and noble partis uithin him