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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Opin-, Oppin-, Openly, adv. Also: opyn-, oping-, oppen-, oppine-, oppyn- and -lye, -lie, -le(y, and Apinlie. [ME. and e.m.E. openly, OE. openlice.]

1. Open to public view or knowledge; in public, publicly; without concealment or secrecy.See also 2 b, c, with which there is ambiguity in some instances.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xix. 302.
Be-cause that he mycht cowertly Mare helpe thame thane opynly a1400 Ib. iii. 241. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2805.
Scho come opinly To Menonis graif and apertly [etc.] 1424 Acts II. 3/1.
That na man opinly … rebell aganis the Kyngis persone 1456 Hay I. 163/15.
Bot all thing that he did he did opinly in playne audience 1456 Ib. 278/20.
Gif a gentill man … had tane ane armes … and borne it lang tyme opynly a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1976.
Bot scho pertly Denyit and swor opynly That [etc.] 1509–10 Peebles B. Rec. I. 43.
Opynlye c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2585.
Opinlye 1557 Inverness Rec. I. 15.
Opynle 1564 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. 91.
Opinglie 1558-66 Knox II. 394.
As opinlie to do against the law 1566 Inverness Rec. I. 137.
Opynlie proclamit at the tolbuyth stayr 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. iii. 235.
Edico, I command opinlie a1578 Pitsc. II. 70/6.
Hath he nocht opinlie heir spokin blasphemie? c1650 Spalding I. 85.
[They] protestit opinlie that thes samen suld not draw them wnder the compass of law(b) 1375 Barb. xi. 633.
The Erll of Murref oppynly Takis playne feld with his menȝhe 1375 Ib. xvii. 881.
Till pas his way sa oppinly c1420 Wynt. v. 1939.
Swa that thai [the apostles] Oppynly spak in all langage c1420 Ib. 5634. 1494 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 52.
The aldirmane, balȝeis … oppinly schew that tha wald ayfaldly defende thair landis 1517 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 171.
That nane of the said craftismen send any lads … oppinlie vpoun the hie gaitt 1529 Ib. II. 7.
At na nychtbowr … by fra the strangeris priualie or oppinlie a1540 Freiris Berw. 529.
And vnto ws thow schaw thé oppinlie 1562-3 Winȝet I. 52/21. 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 106.
Wyliam Mortoun of Cambo oppinlie in the public essemble … injurit the said minister 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 84.
Margaret Wethirspune … careit the barne being deid oppinlie and in semblable maner as gif [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I. 82/16.
Albeit they durst not oppinlie ȝeit they subornit him quyitlie 1608 Criminal Trials III. 49.
Oppinley 1622-6 Bisset I. 70/5.
Quhilkis statutis … ilk schireff suld be haldin to publeis oppynlie in the cheifes places [etc.] 1635 Dumbarton B. Rec. 47. 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 268. 1670 Boyd Fam. P. 9 June.(c) 1490 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 46.
Openly glammerand him 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I. 542.
So that Christ Jesus be not … openlie troden under the feitt of the ungodlie(d) a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 11.
James, Earle of Bothwell … thoght expedient … to put himselff to the cognition of a jure oppenlie 1665 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II. 31.
Severall leud persons … who oppenly boast and vaunt not only [etc.]

b. (Known) to all, as common knowledge. 1424 Grey Friars II. 167.
I … makis it opynly kende that I wayt … that [etc.] 1425 Liber Melros II. 545.
And this … we make opynly knawyn be thir our present letteris 1456 Hay I. 162/9.
And quhen the weris ar jugit openly to be rychtwis 1456 Ib. 265/26.
Bataill particulere is ay for hid caus that may nocht be kyd opynly 1456 Ib. II. 29/8. 1517 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 43.
Within xl daye [after] the brekyn be opynle knawn 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 8.
Adulteraris, manifest and oppinlie knawin c1590 Fowler II. 32/1.

c. In public, outwardly. 1570 Leslie 135.
The King wes nacht content of [etc.] … albeit oppinely he bure uther contenance and discimblit with thame

2. In a way easy to see or understand. a. Evidently, manifestly; indubitably. 1375 Barb. xii. 257 (E).
That happyn thaim … That thai wyn ws opynly 1456 Hay I. 287/19.
Gif he dois he jugis again the lawis writtin opynly ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert iii. a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2755.
For it sall opynly be previt [etc.] a1586 Lindsay MS. 78.
That is oppinlie fals knychtis that adionis fayth to diuinouris

b. (To make known, reveal, tell, indicate) clearly, plainly, unambiguously. c. (To speak) candidly, frankly, freely.In some instances there is ambiguity with sense i. 1375 Barb. x. 511.
As I Tald ȝow befor all oppynly 1375 Ib. xx. 498. 1375 Ib. 548.
Oppenly a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 27.
That opinly wald nocht discouere Till his discipulis that tratoure a1400 Ib. xxxvi. 448.
As he [John the Baptist] of Criste sa opynly Mad schewand with his hand a1400 Ib. 453.
As quhen he arguit opynly Kink Herrod of his adultery ?1438 Alex. i. 2313.
Gif I spak heir our opinly c1420 Wynt. vi. 1493. a1500 Bk. Chess 926.
Before the king this knycht was callit sone And openlye confessit him that [etc.] a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1669. 1519 Fife Sheriff Ct. 162.
Like as scho confessit & grantit opinly 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 103.
Ay and quhill the verite var opynly schawin quha had rycht to it 1533 Gau 42/6.
His deid and passione wes opinlie reuelit lang befor or [etc.] a1568 Bannatyne MS 286 b/20.
Bot oppinly thair lufe proclame 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 181 (G). 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 5426.
This nobill Quene … Callit hir lord fals befor his ene, said oppinlie That he of falset was not clene 1573 Tyrie in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 28/7.
Oppinlie

d. (To see or understand) clearly. a1400 Legends of the Saints vii. 288.
Thare wes sene in that regione … syndry Cartys & wanys opynly In-to the ayre pase to & fra a1400 Ib. xvi. 828.
& lete hym se manifestly Vith fleschly ene opynly Hou that [etc.] c1420 Wynt. v. 5449.
Till wndyrstand oppynly The wordys that Job spak mystyly 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 7497.