A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Hel(l, n. Also: hale. [ME. hel(l, helle, OE. hel(l.]
1. Hell; the Christian Hell, or the Greek and Latin Underworld. a. As a proper name, without article.(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 708.
Rycht as thai doune till hell wald draw a1400 Leg. S. vi. 660.
Than al the prestis gef a ȝell, As thai had bene fendis of hell c1420 Wynt. iv. 1202.
Throuch a ryfft men mycht se hell Ib. v. 5793.
He speryd … off his kyn Quhethir ma in hell wes or in hewyn 1456 Hay I. 30/31.
Thai, wenand wele to do, … wan mony of thame hell to thair mede a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 225.
In hell of corporale fyre is huge heit c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxviii. 3.
The ȝettis of hell ar brokin with a crak 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 43.
I giue ȝour counsale to the feynd of hell 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 206.
The infernal pit of hel(b) a1568 (Henr.) Bann. MS. 324 b/607.
Fra ill to war ale thus to hale gois dountransf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 215.
[Thou] gart ane hell my paradise appere(2) a1500 Henr. Orph. 393.
Pluto com anon And vnto hell agayn with hir is gone c1515 Asl. MS. I. 324/25.
Proserpina, goddes of hell 1513 Doug. vii. i. 151.
In Achyron, the depest pyt of hell
b. With the definite article.1533 Gau 19/17.
Supos he … hes seruit [= deserved] the hel Ib. 44/16.
His saul passit dune to the hel 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3461.
In thirlage to the hel 1579, 1617 Despaut. Gram. Sig. C. ii b (J).
Tartarus, idem est quod Infernus, the Hell
c. pl. Usually with the definite article.Appar. suggested by the Latin (acc.) plural in the Creed, ‘descendit ad inferos’.1551 Hamilton Cat. 106 h.
His diuinitie remanit … with his saule descendand to the hellis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 72/6. Ib. 77/10.
Christe descendit to the hellis c1590 Fowler I. 132/164.
Wicked men sall haist to hellis 1590-1 R. Bruce Eleven Serm. Sig. S. 1 b (J).
Greater vnquietnesse is not out of the hels 1587-99 Hume 39/165.
O ye accurst into the hels ye gotransf. c1620 Z. Boyd Fl. Zion (1855) 148.
The tossed ship from hells goes to the skye
2. Attrib. and comb. a. In the uninflected form, with caa, cruke, furnes.See also Hell-hound n.a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 521.
Conspiratour, cursit cokatrice, hell caa c1500 Rowll Cursing 107 (B).
Thair sall thay kary … , Sum libberlais, and sum hell crukis 1570 Sat. P. xxii. 100.
Or thow depart to hell furnes, Repent
b. In the possess. hellis, of hell, infernal.a1500 Henr. Fab. 590.
The Feyndis Infernall Quhilk houndit doun wes … To hellis hole Id. Orph. 137.
Quhen he beheld that vgly hellis hund Id. Bludy Serk 27.
His nailis wes lyk ane hellis cruk c1475 Wall. ii. 185.
[Thou] that … Fra hellis presoune with thi blud ws bocht c1500 Rowll Cursing 163 (M).
In hellis hole quhair never is lycht c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxvi. 29.
At hellis ȝettis he gaf hyme na succour 1513 Doug. iv. ix. 76.
Herebus, the grysly of the deyp hellys see Ib. vi. v. 2.
Deip onto hellis flude of Acherone c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1341.
I had rather be in hellis pane 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1709.
Thow art … ane hiddeous helles hyrd a1585 Maitl. Q. l. 35.
Tormentit soir In hellis fyire
