A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Grisly, Grysly, -lie, a. and adv. Also: grise-, gryis-, and Greislie. [ME. grys(e-, grise-, griss(e)-, grisly, grissliȝ, OE. grislic. Only in verse: very common in Douglas.]
1. adj. Grisly; horrible or terrible to behold or to hear. In various contexts.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 617.
The rouch wodwys wyld … Our growin grysly and growe, grym in effeir a1500 Henr. Orph. 276 (A).
A wounder grysly flude, Drowbly and depe Ib. 296.
Ane grysly grype c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 163.
To luk vpoun thy gryslie peteous port 1513 Doug. iii. i. 51.
A grysly takyn, feirful to tell, I se Ib. iv. xii. 91.
The grysly wound Deip in hir breist gapis wydeabsol. 1513 Doug. iv. ix. 76.
Herebus, the grysly of the deyp hellys see(b) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 191.
With red visage and grislie glowrand ene 1513 Doug. i. v. 117.
Tharin the furyous rage Set apon grisly armour Ib. vi. iv. 4.
A hieduus hoill, deip gapand and grisly(c) 1528 Lynd. Dreme 16.
The gryisly gaist of Gye(2) c1475 Wall. vii. 459.
The peple … Rewmyd in reuth, with mony grysly grayne 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 108.
I … did aspy The grym Ciclopes, and oft thar grysly cry … maid me trymmyl Ib. vi. xvi. 38.
Gret figuris of wolffis … , Ȝowland with ȝammering grisly forto here c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5545.
Gretand with mony gryslie grone(3) 1513 Doug. ii. x. 1.
Fyrst than the grysly dreid about me start Ib. iv. viii. 99.
A grisly thing to tell, scho gan behald
2. adv. So as to inspire terror, horribly.c1450-2 Howlat 53.
He grat grysly grym, and gaif a gret ȝowle a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 692.
Gomys grisly on the grund granis on the grene
