A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Spedely, -lie, adv. Also: spedellie, spedyly, spedilie, -ly, spedalie, -ly(e, spedallie, speddely, speidely, -lie, speidilie, speadelye, speedilie, -ly, spidilie, spedly, speidlie. [ME and e.m.E sped(i)li (Cursor M.), spedly (Wyclif), spedily, spedely (c1400), spedelie (1512), speedilie (1563), OE ᵹespédliᵹlíce, spédlíce; Spedie adj., Sped(e n.] With reference to a. Speed of movement (from one place to another): Quickly, at a fast pace. b. Promptness of action: Quickly; expeditiously; at once.a., b. 1375 Barb. vi 303.
The kingis men … full spedyly [C. spedaly] Come to the furd 1375 Barb. xx 467.
With spuris spedely Thai strak the hors and in gret hy Amang the Sarazynys thai raid a1400 Leg. S. xix 510. ?1438 Alex. i 3275.
Spedely c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2544.
A mekile hart, Richt spedely rynnand c1420 Wynt. v 4956.
[They] past agayne hame spedely [C. speddely] c1450-2 Howlat 99 (A).
The pape … him bad That he suld spedely speike, and spair nocht to spell 1460 Hay Alex. 3357.
Spedaly a1500 Henr. Fab. 2082.
Spedilie a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 25.
With spurris spedely thai speid Our fellis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 629.
Thai hewit on hard steil, Quhil the … sparkis spedely out sprang a1500 K. Hart 507.
Spedellie c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 40.
They wauchtit at the wicht wyne … And syn thai spak more spedelie and sparit no materis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 367.
Glaid to eschaip those places parrelous, We haistit ws, rycht wounder spedalye a1540 Freiris Berw. 213 (B).
Spedyly c1552 Lynd. Mon. 287.
Those dulce … strandis Quhilk on the croce did spedalie out spryng, Frome His … feit and … handis 1568 Buch. Indict. 36. 1572 Reg. Morton I 75.
The declairit traitouris … mynding … to … continew thair reif … gif the same be not spedalie [Reg. Privy C. II 146, spedallie] resistit c1590 Fowler II 24/4.
Our countrey men … neglectit na tyme, bot thair hail wittis spedely imploiit, to [etc.] 1596 Dalr. II 395/12.
Spedilie with al diligence tha prepare this jornay 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI 552.
That we may be so happie as spedallie to injoy the comfortable presence of your Hienes … among us 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 131.
Spedely and easalie he appeased all the tumults 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 420.
The rumour of this unhappie accident did spedelie spread itself thorowout the whole kingdom 1663 Strathendrick 81.
Spedely c1683 National Reg. Archives (Scotl.) Rep. (Ewart Lib., Dumfries) 24.
It is not fitt I cum to Uigtoun so speedilie as you mark(b) 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 180 (Sm.).
I sprent speidely on fut [Ruddim. spedily] 1531 Bell. Boece I xxxi.
Scho fled speidlie to the loch 1611 Crim. Trials III 157.
This discours … sould haue soner cum to your lo. handis, had not this tyme of vaicance impeded me to find, so speidelie as I did wish, the helpis of sum scrollis of the lawers [etc.] 1633 Breadalbane Lett. (Reg. H.) No. 498.
That it [sc. venison] may be speidilie carried for keiping it callour and fresche 1650 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 249.
To goe speidilie about the provyding of trees … for skaffolding the wallis of this toun 1668 Glasgow Merchants House 36.
That … the samyne [sc. fire] may be moir speidilie quenched … they appoynt [etc.](c) 1590 Warrender P. (SHS) II 140.
That the legatioun be speadelye directed … to Spayne and all celeritye be used 1592 Warrender P. (SHS) II 176.
Als speadelye as may be(d) 1640 Baillie I 263.
Our generall mynds to lift speedilie from Newcastle, and draw nearer to Yorke 1663 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 222.
[If the school were] not helped speedily the roofe of the schoole was like to be lost(e) 1645 Inverness Rec. II 188.
To the effect the samen may be spidilie doune [etc.]
