A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1578
[0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Mercy-, Merciful(l, a. Also: mercie-, marcy-, marci(e)- and -fow. [ME. (a 1300) and e.m.E. mercifulle, mercyful(l.] Merciful, forbearing, forgiving.a. Of persons. b. Of God, Christ or the Virgin. c. Of actions, intentions, etc.a. (a) 1456 Hay II. 95/30.
Bot be ay mercifull and pitous apon thame that [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 501.
I am so mercifull in mynd c1500-c1512 Id. xiii. 55.
All mercyfull wemen 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 12/1.
[He] schew him mercyfull and had reuth [etc.] 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 162/28.
Na mair gracius, curtas nor mercifulto thé … nor [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I. 128/16.
Thinkand weill that the King was so merciefull to the Earle of Crafurd that he wald be no les mercifull to him(b) 1533 Gau 60/12.
Be marciful to me a1578 Pitsc. I. 109/14.
Maist marciefull princeb. a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 92.
Merciful … Jhesu, In this disease helpe now! a1500 Henr. Fab. 1139 (Bann.). 1490 Irland Mir. I. 154/9. c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 1. c1500-c1512 Id. xxxviii. 14. 1533 Gau 63/17.
Lord God, thou quhilk is marciful 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 2542.
God of his grace is to vs mercyfow 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 7. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 44/29.
To our maist mercyfull God 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 36. a1578 Pitsc. II. 314/32.
Except the Lord of His mercie be mercyfull and forgive himc. c1420 Ratis Raving 1320.
Ewyne rychtwisnes in jugment And vmquhill mercyfull intent 1456 Hay II. 102/10.
Thai gude mercifull dedis 1490 Irland Mir. I. 118 h. of ch.
The mercifull sentens of the hevinly wisdome c1490 Id. Asl. MS. I. 57/25.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Merciful adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mercifull>
