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

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Sclender, Slender, -ir, adj. Also: sclendir, sklender, -ir; sclinder, sklinder; sclander; slindir. [ME sclendre (Chaucer), slendre (13..), AF esclendre (MED).‘The alleged F. esclendre (Palsgrave, 1530) and early Flem. slinder (Kilian, 1599) are of doubtful authenticity’ (ODEE).]

1. Of a person, or (a part of) his body, also of an animal: Thin; slim; not fleshy. 1456 Hay II 118/19.
His body is dry and sclender and lignye 1456 Ib. 118/23.
Quhen a persone is of small and ligny quantitee and sclender, than ar the wayis of the naturalle conduytis smaller 1456 Ib. 119/22.
And oft tymis in lygny men and sclender ar gude stomakis a1500 Henr. Fab. 223.
Thir wydderit peis and nuttis … Wil … mak my wame ful sklender a1500 Ib. 718.
Lo, will ȝe se, I am baith lene and sklender c1500 Interl. Droich 44.
The lass was na thing sklendir

b. Skinny; scraggy. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 113/24.
The lame … wes ane morsall of delyte He [sc. the fox] lovit na ȝowis auld, tuch and sklender

c. Of a thing: Small; paltry, insignificant. c1650-1700 Descr. Zetland 20.
Here are few mills … their ploughs, socks & coulters slender and little

2. Consisting of, attended by, or done by few people; poorly attended; under-manned.(a) 1558-66 Knox I 223.
The soldartis, Englishmen, war all a sleape, exceapt the watch, the which was sklender(b) 1637 Saltoun Kirk S. in Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 152.
In respect of the slender meittings and conventiounes upon the Sabboth day in tym of divine service 1638 Dumfries Kirk S. 15 Feb.
The sessione resenting … the slak & slender resorting to the house of God by sundry tradesmen [etc.]

3. Of the human mind or its powers, also of a person's ability to do something: Limited; moderate; slight.(1) 1542 Misc. Bann. C. I 15.
A thousand tymes bettir set fourthe, then my sclendir capacitie and witt is able to … declair heir 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 99.
Efter my sklinder and sobir jugement 1563 Ferg. Answer in 1563-72 Tracts 36.
Men of sklender judgement(2) 1565 Cal. Sc. P. II 204.
The conditions to be gevin us be our adversaryes hawing the full upperhand salbe found werray hard, in for securitie of the keipping thairof, it salbe weray sklender c1590 J. Stewart 141/3.
My sclender skill and indeuoir debeats c1590 Ib. 143 §3. 1626 Garden Worthies 79.
My muse waike wings & too too sklender skill(b) 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 612.
Forsamekill as upoun licht and slendir occasioun … thair wes divers slauchteris committit betuix [etc.]

4. Deficient in strength, power or substance; not profound; unconvincing.(a) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 21.
Be fenȝeing certane fond and sclender causis 1572 Ib. 74.
That scho culd not find in him sa mekle as ony sclender suspicioun of adulterie 1579 Reg. Privy C. III 220.
Seing the langsumnes of proces and slender executioun of decreittis 1587 Acts III 450/1.
Seing the commoun armes maid be messingeris in tymes bipast wer sa slender and guid chaip that [etc.] 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI 523.
And his heynes evir contentit himselff with maist sclender and frivolous excuissis of thair absence 1608 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 108.
Being laith that ȝour maiesteis lieutennent upoun sa sclender a warrand sould hasaird his awne credite 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 76/18.
Sklender reasonis, mixt with grosse ignorance 1650 Short Reply Unto Declaration of the Army of England 14.
Durst they upon so sclender grounds hazard to come [etc.](b) 1562-3 Winȝet I 52/9.
Considering the first part of thair titill to this thair supreme auctoritie, I fand it nocht only sclinder and licht, bot planelie inglorius 1620 Aberd. Council Lett. I 184.
The … inhabitantis of Turreff being thairwith chargit upoun ane sklinder narrative and ane onlie reasoun(c) 1564–5 Reg. Privy C. I 318.
Finding the commoun ordour observit … within burgh owir slindir for punissing and dounsetting of this disordour

b. Less than is due; inadequate. 1588 King Catechism App. 32b.
O Lord … I giue thankes to thé, … albeit nocht sua great as thy benefites, … albeit sclender [etc.]

c. ? Weak in doctrine. 1589 Lothian and Tweeddale Synod 12.
The presbiterie … to call Mr. Johnn Ker before thame and to try the sclender sermon preichit be him at the mariadg of the lard of Bas 1589 Ib. 6.
Sclander

5. Of minor, or no, importance; trifling; small, petty.(a) 1588 King Catechism 156.
Sic sclender sinnes, as ar … idill talk, immoderat laughter … quhilk ar callit the veniall sinnes(b) 1653 Binning Wks. 64.
For it is men's overly, and common and slender apprehensions of them [sc. mysteries of religion] which make them look so commonly upon them 1694 Melville Corr. 171.
The king hath had a slender fitt or two of an ague

6. Humble; unpretentious.(a) 1616 Criminal Trials III 586.
Sua, it befallis vnto these, quha of maist sklender begynning, by mad merriement and sport of Fortoun, ar cayreid vp to the heichest top(b) 1622-6 Bisset II 357/7.
How base, slender and humill He [sc. Christ] semed in utwarde appeirance