Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

Devil, Dewil, Divil, n. Also: devyl(l, devill, -ile, devel(l, deivell, deavill; dewyll, -ill, -ell, dewle; divill, -ell, dyvill, duvill, diwil, diwell. [ME. devel(l, -ill, etc. (e.m.E. also divel), early deovel, deofel, OE. déofol. See also Deil(l n.¹]

1. The Devil; the evil spirit.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xix. 84.
Be thi spek I wat now The dewil is mare master than thu a1400 Ib. xxvii. 620.
Sympil men … [he] Dissawis thru the dewylis mycht c1420 Wynt. v. 3404.
In lyklyness off a spayman Off cas the dewyll spak wyth hym than 1533 Gau 48/23.
Jesus Christ the quhilk … distroyit the kingdome of the dewil 1557 Inverness B. Rec. I. ii.
Saiand … scho wes yet with the dewyllis kap on hyr hed on hycht of the Kirk of Elgyn a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xxxiv. 22.
Perswading him [Adam] for to accord Wnto the dewillis report 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 115.
Becaws the Dewill playit nocht so melodiousle and weill as thow crewit, thow tuik his instrument owt of his mouth(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 4706.
Hale hys purpos he set than For to becum the Devillis man c1420 Ib. 4710.
The Devyll and he togyddyr met 1456 Hay I. 12/3.
The devill … sett him at all his power to debate agayne the lawis c1450 Craft of Deyng 136.
Quhen the deuill seis that he may nocht dyseff a man in the faith of the kirk 1490 Irland Mir. I. 36/27.
In our bapteme we renunce the deuill a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 448.
I sall send the blak Deuill for to bak thé 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 142.
It has na thing ado tharwith, … Ne na mair lyke than the devill and Sanct Austyne 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 3550.
Thow art the Deuillis dam 1562-3 Winȝet I. 26/26.
For not assisting … in gainsaying leis, the father thairof the deuyll, and all his memberis a1578 Pitsc. II. 63/25.
Thairfor the bischope of Breichin curssit thé and deliuerit thé in the devillis handis 1596 Dalr. II. 174/17.
Seing a possest persone with the deuil … rinn throuch gaites … and streits frilie 1638 Bk. Pasquils 87.
The Lord … hes awen worke he hes to you intrusted To prosecute, mauger the deivell's despyte(c) a1568 (Dunb.) Bannatyne MS 132 b/39.
The dyvill luche and on him qwoth nod a1568 (Kennedy) Ib. 151 a/296.
Scho … merreit with the diuill for dignite 1604 Misc. Hist. Soc. II. 246.
The divill is not sua ivill as he is cald 1640 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 245.
Me thinks … the Divell Had got his reynes, the actor of this evill 1661 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XXII. 251.
Shoe confesses that … the divill came to them at the bleachin grien hard by the toune of Forfar 1669 Reg. Privy C. 3rd Ser. II. 614.
The crymes of witchcraft, charmeing and compacting with the divell

b. In the possessive as a term of execration.1375 Barb. vii. 23.
For war ȝon deuillis hund avay, I roucht nocht of the layff, perfay a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 454.
The firmament na firth was newir cler, Quhill thou, Deulbere, deuillis birth, was on the see 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 2695.
Quha can excuse this dowbill Deuillis lim? a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xxvi. 7.
Sum … with grit wrang ar planelie reft With dewillis lymmis that neuer docht

c. In imprecations (direct or reported).a1500 Henr. Fab. 731.
Better that I had biddin at hame Nor bene ane fischar in the Deuillis name a1500 Ib. 822.
To the Deuill he gaif his banis to keip c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 432.
Quha menys it maist, the dewyll of hell him droun c1475 Ib. ii. 93.
Go hens thé, Scot, the mekill dewill thé speid a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1453.
Scho said, lat him ga to the devill 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 240.]
[A twenty devill may fall hys wark atanys 1551 Acts II. 485/1.
The blasphematioun of the name of God sweirand … be … Deuill stick, cummer, gor, … and vthers vgsume aithis 1560 St. A. Kirk S. 36.
William granttes thir wordes, ‘The Devill cayre the Kirk’ 1571 Satirical Poems xxviii. 158.
Dunbartane Castell — Deuill mot ding the doun! a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxxxiii. 48.
Fairweill, the deuill of hell go with 1624 Peebles B. Rec. 365.
Charles Porteous … grantis he said: The devill be amang the provest and bailȝeis or I be thair burges 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 139.
Ȝe gaue baith aill and barme to the divell 1632 Dundonald Par. Rec. 343.
Scho said, Deavill be in the Sessioune that scho came into 1649 Cupar Presb. 147.
Elspet replyed, Their is milk bewest me, and milk be-east, … and a hungry heart can gett none of it. The diwell put his foot among itellipt. 1646 Kinghorn Kirk S. 61.
A complaint … bearing that she said devill nor Montrose were here & that ilk ane had a essay of him as she had

d. As an expletive after quha, quhat, quhair, etc.c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 216.
Quha dewill thé grathis in so gay a gyde a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 95.
Quhy Deuill makis thow na dule for this euill day? 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1958 (B).
Quhat diuill a(i)llis the cowid carle 1540 Ib. 2772 (Ch).
Quhair Devil gat we this ill-fairde blaitie bum? 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 6696.
Quhat deuill (said I) me think thow schaipis to ride

e. Used as a negative, or in phrases of negation.a1500 Henr. Fab. 2339.
The deuill ane stirk taill thairfoir sall ȝe haif a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 441.
Haltane harlot, the deuill a gude thou hais! c1530-40 Stewart Maitl. F. lxxxii. 19.
I gat na les na dewill a thing For larges of this new ȝeir day a1540 Freiris Berw. 266.
Dame, eit with me, and drink, gif that ȝe may. Said the gudwyf, ‘Devill inche cun may I’ a1568 Bannatyne MS 158 a/44.
The divill a thing of his geir is reddy then to ryd a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xlix. 212.
The dewill a wourde that scho micht speik 1603 Philotus cv.
For that deuyse deuill haid it dowis 1623 Elgin Rec. II. 180.
Dewill a bitt of hir sittis heir a1650 Row 287.
Mr James said plainlie, … I thank my God I got none of it. Whereupon a friend said mirrilie to him, They say that ye got Devill be-lickit at this Assemblie

2. An evil spirit; a fiend or demon.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiii. 415.
Thu … wykitly Callis our goddis al dewilis now c1420 Wynt. v. 663.
The dewyllys that in the ydolys ware c1420 Ib. 2108.
Tyll a dewyll yhoure serwys [to] mak a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 982.
Ȝe sall fynd all ewill That for my son brocht me a dewill 1533 Gau 26/19.
The dewillis trowis and tremlis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 118/19.
Ane terribill cumpany of dewlis … apperand to him a1570-86 Dunb.) Maitland Folio MS xi. 101. (
The dewellis gawe thame hat leid to lape a1570-86 Ib. xii. 20.
Misgydit memberis off the dewellis 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. Pr. 4.
Sic dewils but dout sall in our dayis appeir(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 404.
In this Symon dwellis ay Twa substance, … Of devel and man c1420 Wynt. v. 4864.
Makand to deuelys offt sacryfy ?1438 Alex. ii. 4629.
The carlis … said that thay war deuils or dragouns 1456 Hay I. 271/22.
Men sais commonly that word is as wynd, bot dynt is as devill a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 248.
Now schawis wele Ȝour callit son is bot a devill a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 527.
Deuill, dampnit dog a1508 Ib. 551.
Induellar wyth the deuillis 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xix.
This Albyne, with hir fiftie sisteris … conversit with devillis in forme of men c1568 Lauder Minor P. ii. 34.
Now mony vsis sosserie, Doand the deuylis of Hell coniure 1603 Philotus cxlviii.
Supponing mee ane deuill of Hell(c) a1568 (Dunb.) Bannatyne MS 35 a/5.
The diuillis trymmillis with hiddous vocea1568 (Dunb.) Bannatyne MS 164 b/52.
All the diuillis of hell

3. An evil or fiendish person.c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 407.
This is fer war than ony payn of hell, At thus with wrang thir dewillis suld bruk our land a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 961.
This samyn sample beis on ȝow sene, Ȝone devill ȝour son bot ȝe put dovne