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: 1450-1626
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Lawly, a. Also: lau(e)- and -lie, -lé. Also anglicized variant: louly.[North. ME. lawly (Rolle), midl. and south. louly (Chaucer), louelich (Langland), lowly, f. Law a.: cf. Lawly adv.]
1. Lowly or humble in rank.1456 Hay II. 21/23.
Forthy dois a king … grete wrang … quhen he makis othir schereffis, baillies, or provostis of other lawlyar men na knychtis 1456 Ib. 51/32.
[Cowardly knights are] mare to be blamyt na othir lawlyar folk, suppose thai had done mys c1460 Thewis Wysmen 225.
For our-hamly to folk lawly Causis disspising comonly
2. Humble in spirit or disposition, or in demeanour or speech(1) c1450 Craft of Deyng 144.
Sykirly, ay the bettyr man, ay the mar lawly c1460 Thewis Wysmen 227.
Mek and lauly in gudlynes 1490 Irland Mir. I. 138/2.
[Mary] callis hire his humyll, his lauly seruand and mayde a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2601.
This child … wox … Sa meike sa sweit & sa lawly 1518 Douglas Corr. 75.
[Sent] Be ȝoure gude and laulye frendis, ambassadouris of Scoctlaund 1533 Boece vi. i. 184 b.
He schew him humane plesand & laulie in presence a1538 Abell 7 b.
Saule … wes gude laulie and dewote in his begynnyng bot eftirwert he wes inobedient to God 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 19.
Vrytin … be your grace mast hwmill, mast lawle and mast obedient servitour a1568 Bannatyne MS 256 a /20.
Be scho haltand and he Rycht swa sall scho fynd me: Be scho lawly and fre [etc.] a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xiv. 66.
Be gentill, lawlie, and meik in thyn estait 1588 King Catechism 23.
O God mak me lauly without feignednes(2) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1664.
Wallace on kne, with lawly obeysance a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 915.
To his lady passit hee In lawly wys besiching hir [etc.] 1519 Douglas Corr. 75.
In the maist humyll and lawlye manere, I recommend [etc.] 1526 Angus in Douglas Corr. 115.
In my maist humble and louly maner I commend [etc.]1528 Douglas Corr. 130.
We commend ws unto ȝour hienes in our maist lauelie and hertlie maner 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 18.
Efter mast humill, mast lawle recommendatioun … of my sympill servis 1543 Ib. 51.
Eftir humill commendatioun of my maist lawly service 15.. Clariodus iii. 2313.
Scho … welcumit hir fair on lawlie wayis 1551 Hamilton Catechism fol. 155 b (J).
This lawly and meik submissioun in the confessioun … is ane part of satisfactioun 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 75.
Hartlie thankfulnes … We offer thé, God, with lawlie humilnes 1622-6 Bisset I. 27/3.
Lawlie humilitie … overthrew … dissaitfull pryde(3) 1535 Stewart 14154.
His wordis meik, rycht laulie and bening c1550 Rolland Court of Venus iv. 110.
With humbill hart … Lawlie langage, and fassounis fauorous 1551 Hamilton Catechism 264.
We suld … with ane humil and lawly hart ask at God … remissioun of all our synnis
