A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1499-1568
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Pungitive, Pungetyve, adj. (adv.) Also: -iwe, ywe, -yfe. [med. L. pungitivus (c 1190 in Latham), pungent, poignant, prickly, irreg. f. L. pungere to prick, Punge v.; e.m.E. pungitiue (1586), F. pongitif (16th c. in Littré).] Having the quality of pricking, in various non-material applications.In early use, appar. only Sc.
1. Of non-material things: Hurtful to the mind or spirit; painfully sharp. a1500 Henr. III 166/29 (Bann.).
Suppois our syn be to Thé pungityve [Bann. Dr. pungetyfe] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1147.
Syne ȝaild the spreit, with panes pungityue 1531 Bell. Boece I xv.
The pane and dolour ar sa pungitive, No medicine the pacient avalis a1561 Norvell Meroure 51b.
The end of cair and thoght, most pungetyfe a1568 Bannatyne Bannatyne MS 231a/40.
With sichis soir and cairis pungetyve
b. Of words: Sharp, stinging, trenchant. 1533 Bell. Livy II 10/25.
Specially sic wourdis that ar maist pungitive be … womanlie doloure 1535 Stewart 47972.
In lichtlie langage and richt pungetywe 1535 Ib. 5219. c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i 635.
c. adv. Sharply, keenly. 1535 Stewart 60143.
Quhen this ansuer to the lord wes rehersit, So pungitiwe out-throw the hart it persit, Quaikand for dreid he wist nocht quhat till do
2. Of weather: Sharp, penetrative. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 39.
The dasy and the maryguld … lay with thair leuis happit Thame to reserue fra rewmes pungitiue c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i 21.
The wedder than is sumpart pungitiue
3. Of a person. a. Sharp-tongued, quick to reprove or scold. b. Extremely fierce, savagely hostile. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 229.
Under smyling scho was … Angrie as ony serpent vennemous Richt pungitiue with wordis odious 1535 Stewart 19692.
Lyke wod wolffis rampand in ane rage, So pungitiue wes euirilk man and paige Vpoune the Romanis … , Lyke brutell beistis [etc.]
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Pungitive adj., adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/pungitive>
