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: 1558-1661
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0]
Mischantly, -lie, adv. Also: mischeant-, mischent-, mishant-, -ent-, myschant-; meschant-; mischortlie (? erroneous form). [e.m.E. myschauntly (Caxton), thereafter appar. only Sc.]
1. Wickedly, villainously, mischievously, wrongfully, foully. 1568 Calderwood II. 463.
Falselie tratorouslie and mischantlie 1570 Satirical Poems xiii. 131.
His fatheris murther also ȝe cleirly knew, Myschantly hangit 1571 Bann. Memor. 142, 143.
Ony person … that hes … vsed sic unhonest language of me … hes vnhonestlie … and mischantlie lyed in his throat; … thow hes falslie … and mischentlie lieth in thyne throate 1572 Satirical Poems xxx. 106. 1573 Davidson 1573 Ib. xl. 205. 1581 Burne Disput. 91 b.
He vrittis that Zosimus … maist mischantlie and impudentlie cited the Concile of Sardis for the Concile of Nice 1588 Moysie 70.
Certane schipis … defeat thame mischantly 1596 Dalr. I. 236/8.
Kirkes and castelis quhilkes the Saxonis mishantlie had wraked 1596–7 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. II. 331.
Thay schamefullie, mischeantlie and unhonestlie with rungis, forkis and uther wise straik … the said messinger 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI. 97. 1611 Criminal Trials III. 210.
Taking upone him falselie and mischantlie the name and personage of the said Johnne Alschunder 1613 Maxwell Mem. II. 68.
He behaued him self very mishantlie 1613 Lanark B. Rec. 120.
Being mischortlie [? read mischantlie] droukin 1616 Macritchie Gypsies 95.
Thay do shamefullie and mischantlie abuse the … people by telling of fortunes 1623 Criminal Trials III. 549.1623 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 243. a 1660 J. Sempill in Sempill P. 12/167.
But this your Pope doth mishently maintain 1661 Baillie III. 468.
Mr Blair, Mr Dickson and Mr Hutcheson were, without all cause, mischantly abused by his pen
2. Miserably, wretchedly; feebly, spinelessly, without spirit or energy, cowardly. 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 152.
He wes sua mischeantlie subject to the unressonable desyre of his subjectis 1562-3 Winȝet II. 48 marg.
Quharefor mair mischeantlie wes the feble of fayth vincust c1590 J. Stewart II. 241 § 165.
Dispair doung doune in doungeon duill did drie Quhair meschantlie scho vrakit with the lawe 1597 Calderwood V. 667.
Sall we suffer mischeantlie to see our owne lawfull prince, as it were, murthered? 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 34.
A great number … hes … mischantlie … abandouned thair cullours and runne away
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Mischantly adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mischantly>
