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: 1450-1619
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Lamentabil(l, a. Also: -abyll, -able; lementable; lametable, lamitabil; lemytable. [Late ME. (Lydgate) and F. lamentable, L. lāmentābilis.]
1. Of persons, their appearance, actions, words, song, etc.: Full of or expressing sorrow or grief; mournful, sorrowful, plaintive.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 249.
Propone thin appele, Thy lamentable langage, as lykis thé best a1500 Henr. Orph. 67 (Ch. & M.).
Quhen endit was the sangis lamentable c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 22.
Langour … With instrument full lamentable and deid 1513 Doug. ii. v. 38.
I se stand me befor … maist lamentabil Hector, With large flude of teris 1513 Ib. x. iv. 72.
The dolly tonys and lays lamentabill 1513 Ib. xi. v. 47.
The Latynys lamentabill [L. miseri] … fyris innumerabill Vpbeldit has 1533 Boece ix. xi. 313.
His corps with lamentabill pomp was convoyit to Colmkill c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1259.
Now latt ws … with ane language lamentabyll, Declare this mater miserabyll c1552 Ib. 5733.
All salbe present … With mony lamentabyll allace 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 158.
Johne Knox … maid ane lamentable sermond tuitching the said murther 1585 James VI Ess. (S.T.S.) 76/6.
Gif ȝour purpose be of tragicall materis, to use lamentable wordis, with some heich(b) a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 1434.
His confessione … he maad … with lementable chere(c) a1500 Ib. 3263.
The clamore … Was lametable and petws for til her, Of knychtis wich … Wondit war(d) a1500 Ib. 2716.
Of the puple … The lemytable clamour
2. That is to be lamented; lamentable, pitiable, pitiful, deplorable.(1) 1513 Doug. i. vii. 78.
Thir lamentabyll takynnys … Our myndis aucht to compassioun steir 1513 Ib. xii. 8.
How Grekis dyd … distroy The lamentabill realm of Troy 1513 Ib. xiii. v. 58.
Ane lamentabill and wofull corps thou lyis 1533 Boece ii. vii. 70.
Of this infortunate batell the novellis to the … pepill … war na les lamentabill 1535 Stewart 40116.
He schew … How Makcobey … wyfe and barnis had slane … So lamentabill that pitie wes to heir c1550 Rolland Court of Venus I. 581.
Luf is truthles … tressonable, Nocht lauchfull, but … lamentable 1580 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 671/2.
Twiching the lamentable infortune falling on your husband 1619 Commiss. King's Coll. in Rait Univ. Aberd. 126.
[The Commissioners found] lamentable hethenisme and sic lowsnes as is horrible to record(b) a1538 Abell 4*a.
Constantynopolis lamitabil capcyon a1538 Ib. 6*a.
Halydon hilles lamitabil batel to Scottis men(2) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 84.
It was … Maist lamentabill the pereist folk to se 15.. Clariodus i. 1247.
Thay harde … ane petious cry lamentabill to heir 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 23.
Sic … confusioune as is maist lamentabill to be reheirsit
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"Lamentabil adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/lamentabill>
