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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.

S(c)hortly, adv. Also: -li(e, -lye, s(c)hortely, schoirtlie; scortly. [ME and e.m.E. shorrtlike (Orm), scortlike, scortli (both Cursor M.), schortliche (a1300), shortly (Manning), OE scortlice, f. sceort S(c)hort adj.]

1. In few words, briefly; without much, or excessive, detail; succinctly; without lengthy additions. Passing into: b. Brusquely, curtly, sharply.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii 749.
I lat it schortly pas for-by For thar wes done na chevalry a1400 Leg. S. vi 531.
The apostil … Infowrmyt al that var thare Schortly of thre [things] c1420 Wynt. iv 1150 (C).
I now schortly to mak ende, Thynkis for to set thar date 1456 Hay II 127/26.
Oure entencioun is … to trete schortly here of the four sesonis of the ȝere a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1034.
The tothir ansuerit schortly, ‘Me think farar to dee Than [etc.]’ c1475 Wall. v 122.
Fra this questioun now schortlye will I pas c1515 Asl. MS I 153/2.
Heir followis the diuisioun of all the warld callit the cart schortly drawyn in Ynglis Ib. 326/6.
Sa I end schortlie my breuiate trety c1500 Fyve Bestes 405.
Now be this wolf schortly be myne awys Is wnderstand the syn of covatis 1513 Doug. i xii 20.
Bot sen thou … schortly the last end tharof [sc. Troy] wald heir 1533 Gau 7/9.
This is sa weil and schortlie contenit in few wordis in the same x commandis … that [etc.] c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 3.
For ane may discrive it schortlie and with few wordis and ane vthir may discribe it at lenthe 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 55.
Scho … schortlie tuke hir leif, and left thame all a1540 Freiris Berw. 255 (M).
The gudwyf said richt schortlie ȝe me trow Heir is no meit that ganeand is for ȝow 1551 Hamilton Cat. 26.
Ane catechisme, that is ane common instruction contenand schortly and plainly thai thingis quhilk ar necessary to thame to ken and keip 1567 G. Ball. 42.
Followis the principall pointis of the Passioun schortlie correctit 1581 Burne Disput. 28b.
I sall schortlie be induction proue that [etc.] c1590 Fowler II 43/17.
Shortely 1591 Aberd. B. Rec. I ix.
Onlie suittis and actionis … weray schortlie and compendiouslie wretin, quhilk is not now vsit 1596 Dalr. I 124/4.
Now haue we schortlie past ouer quhat we thocht necessar to be said of the lawis 1600-1610 Melvill 49.
He teachit the Hebrew grammar, first schortlie, and syne mor accuratlie 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 490.
To speak to you particularly and shortly 1662 Crim. Trials III 613.
All my owin coven gott notice of it werie schortlie(b) 1531 Vaus (1531) iii.
I haue collekit als scortly as I ma … generale notionis of the aucht partis of orisonecompar. 1456 Hay I 135/2.
I will pas mare schortly, and ane othir tyme speke tharof 1563 Ferg. Answer in 1563-72 Tracts 35.
These same wordes in affect, shortlyer sumwhat collected, hath Thomas Aquino in his book called Cathena Aurea(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2051.
Schortlie to say, this Egestus Slew him c1450-2 Howlat 944 (A).
Ilk fowle tuke the flicht, schortly to schawin 1460 Hay Alex. 2169.
To say schortlie, thair was bot few left haill a1500 Henr. Fab. 611.
For thy as now schortlie to conclude Thir twa sinnis … Ar vennomous a1500 Lanc. 1176.
Ne wor his worschip, shortly to conclud, Our folk of help had ben al destitud c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 136.
And schortly for to speke, be lufis quene I was aspyit(3) a1400 Leg. S. ii 979.
&, schortly, he was hym allane A commowne man till euirilkane a1500 Henr. Fab. 1195.
And schortlie, of this court ȝe memberis all … To me and myne ar ennemies mortall a1500 Seven S. 1169.
And schortly scho wald byde na langare [etc.] 1492 Myll Spect. 291/8.
Schortlye he inducit hyr swa that scho agreit to him c1515 Asl. MS I 238/5.
And schortlie the Erll of Huntlie wan the feld 1513 Doug. i Prol. 334.
And schortly [Ruddim. schortely] Virgill left na thing behynd That mycht hys volume … crafty mak 1533 Bell. Livy I 18/29.
Schortlie … thay had exercitioun als wele in merynes as in vther more ernyst gammyn 1562-3 Winȝet II 43/22.
Nocht, schortlie, that mot ceis with the præsenting, bot [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 139/28.
Schortlie it was manfullie fauchin on baitht the sydis(b) 1553–4 Corr. M. Lorraine 382.
Madam, scortly, ye may and sall us me to your plesour and servyce Ib.
Madam, scortly to concluid [etc.]b. c1530-40 Stewart Maitl. F. 396/21.
He aw me not that schortlie sayis me nay 1612 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 6b (23 Sept.).
With the aduertisement fra the sessioun that … the partie complenit vpon sould be schortlie tane ordour with

c. ? Irritably; in a bad-tempered manner. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. (1591) Sig. D. 6b.
Gif he [sc. Jonah] had vnderstood that the mind of God was not to cast off a sinner, he had not taking it so schortlie. But being ignorant of this, he falleth in this fuming & fretting against God

2. After a short time; before long; soon. b. specif. A little later in the text. 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 33.
Quhill schortly … Furth of hys palyce ryall ischit Phebus 1533 Boece 95b.
That schortlie that nobill realme … suld suffir grete harme c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4992.
And thynk on foure extremeties Quhilkis ar to cum, and that schortlye 1553–4 Corr. M. Lorraine 369.
Besekand your grace to send me advertisment gif ye intend to be heir schortlie or nocht 1562-3 Winȝet I 58/4.
It suld hef bene layng or now, as it sal be, God willing, schortlie 1568 Q. Mary in Facs. Nat. MSS III lvii.
Y am in gud hop ther is an imbassadeur to com out off France schortli 1575 Douglas Corr. 201.
Vpoun my awin aganecuming, quhilk salbe sa schortlie as possible I can a1578 Pitsc. I 156/32.
Bot schortlie about the peace heireftir the Scoittis … come vnto Ingland 1586–7 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 151.
He vil go the get his mother is gone or schortly to go 1596 Dalr. I 47/27.
Excepte … it [sc. water] schortlie had beine outtakne, incontinent the coue it had fillit full 1600 Facs. Nat. MSS III lxxvi.
Ye know the kingis hwnting vill be schortly c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 84.
The finell end of all is neir, And schortlie will insew 1633 Orkney Witch Trial in Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. V 546.
Scho … did say … that scho should loss alse mikill schortlie, and aught dayis after that his best cow dieit c1650 Spalding II 390.
And schortlie, with ane maiden, he wes heidit(b) 1558-66 Knox II 426.
Schoirtlieb. a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 133/7.
The vordes of S. Augustine schortlye folouand

c. Quickly, rapidly. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 372, 374.
Up throuch the walter schortlie we intendit Quhilk inuirons the erth … Syne throw the air schortlie we ascendit 1570 Sat. P. xviii 38.
Sen he was keipar of ȝour commoun weill, Cleik on his quarrell, and schortly ȝow dispone Ib. 383/1.
Sum abbates … thinkand suirlie that this herisie wald spred, excepte schortlie sum remeid war fund [etc.] 1622-6 Bisset II 257/7.
[Seamen] aucht to haist thame schortlie to buird agane, that the maister loise nocht the houre of the schipcompar. 1596 Dalr. II 216/33.
[They] fled til another place, and the shortlier tha fled, that tha vndirstude surlie, the king to be neir

d. Syne schortly, schortly (thair-, heir-)eftir, not long afterwards. a1540 Freiris Berw. 153 (B).
Syne schortly did this freir knok at the ȝett a1578 Pitsc. II 163/22.
Schortlie heirefter quene regent … come to Edinburgh 1596 Dalr. II 165/28.
Dauid Carr … clensit of al cryme, shortlie efter is delyuirit Ib. 332/16.
Shortlie efter gaid … til Ingland M. Lord Erskine 1614 Crim. Trials III 270.
The bairne deit schortlie efter the beiring 1621 Dumbarton Kirk S. 3.
Being convict of bitter … speechis, … and that schortlie after they had beine at the tabille of the Lord 1629 Justiciary Cases I 133.
Scho schortlie thaireftir meiting uith the said Margaret [etc.] Ib. 137.
And schortlie thaireftir … his wyfe … drownit hirselff 1654 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 330.
Ather the nick of my reteirement or shortlie eftir

e. Suddenly, abruptly. 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 54 (M).
Schortlie I slaid and fell on baith my hippis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4531.
I sair repent, that I sa schortlie rais

f. Immediately. 15.. Clar. i 1131.
And brocht the best [supra leiches] [that] men did of reherse, Quhilk schortlie hes taine in [ed. him into their] cuire c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 220.
Nixt to the secund, schortlie I proceid c1650 Spalding II 466.
Maior Hurry … causit schortlie cleith his soldiouris and pay thair dewis

g. A short while ago, recently. 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 753.
As schortly in Fyfe micht bene sene Quhat hubbilschow thair maist haue bene 1659 Dumfries Kirk S. 30 June.
The said Agnes hath had ane chyld shortly 1678 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 26 Nov.
I … being … shortlie maried to Margaret Edgar [etc.] 1700 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 19 March.
Throw ane accidental fyre that happened there shortly

h. In the course of a short time. 1562-3 Winȝet II 42/2.
The playng places, quhare a man schortlie plays the partis of sindry persones

3. In a small space or area. 1567 Sat. P. iii 30.
Dartis about him swyftlie could he fling, And rin ane rais and shortlie turne ane steid