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.
Quotation dates: 1490, 1551-1605
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Indifferentlie, Indeferently, adv. Also: indefferentlie, -antlie. [ME. indifferently (c 1374), -lie.]
1. Without bias, impartially. 1490 Acts Lords of Council 156/1.
Johne lord Glammis and Robert lord Lile … in a voce indeferently chosin be baith the saidis partiis 1559 Knox II. 28.
Gif the tyme of my wretting be indifferentlie considdered 1568 Diurnal of Occurrents 140.
That my lord regent … salbe sworne … to behave himself vprightlie and indifferentlie to thame, … without particularitie a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS clxxiii. 46.
Indefferentlie c1590 Fowler II. 150/17.
Incace euerye man sa frelie and indifferentlye sal speik vnto thé
2. Without distinction, uniformly, alike. 1551 Acts II. 483/2.
That they put the samin [wine] in thair commoun tauernis … to be sauld indifferentlie to our Souerane Ladyis liegis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 85/20.
Quhy tech ȝe that thai are all indifferentlie of ane efficacitie and actual strenthe? 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 33.
It is the blude first of ȝour innocent king, … nixt the blude of all his seruandis and subjectis indifferentlie a1605 Montg. Flyt. 309 (T).
The doyt and the dysmell, indifferentlie [H. indefferantlie] delt
3. Not completely, to some extent. 1596 Dalr. I. 128/6.
The forme of Scotland, quhilke heir I indifferentlie [L. utcunque] haue adumbrat
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"Indifferentlie adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/indifferentlie>
