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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Suddanly, Suddandly, adv. Also: suddanlye, -lie, suddanely, -lie, -le, suddenly, -lie, suddainlie, suddeinlie, sudanly(e, -lie, swdanly, sudanely(e, sudaynly, sudenly, -lie, suidenlie, suddandlye, -lie, suddendly, sudandly(e, -lie, sudanedly, sudendly, suddantly(e, -lie, -lyie, suddentlie, sudant-, swdantlie, subdantlie, sodanly(e, -li(e, -le, sodenly, -lie, sodenely, sodainely, sodaynly(e, sodeinly, sodeynly, -li, sodandly(e, sodendly, sodendely, sodantlie, sodentlie, soudan-, soudainly, sowdandly, soudantlie. [ME and e.m.E. sodeinli(che (c1290), sodanli (Cursor M.), sodeinli (Gower), sodenly (Malory), suddenly (1544); Suddan(e adj.]

1. All of a sudden; without warning, unexpectedly.(a) 1375 Barb. ii 290.
Quhen thai se ws … Cummand on thaim sa sudanly, Thai sall affrayit be gretumly 1375 Barb. vii 505.
Suddanly 1375 Barb. xv 119, etc.
Suddanely a1400 Leg. S. vii 112.
Bot thane in the tempil in hy, A gret menȝe com swdanly a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 262.
Sudenly ?1438 Alex. ii 8732, etc. c1420 Wynt. v 5713.
That man wes blynd than suddanly, And cryit on kneys, ‘Lord, mercy,’ c1420 Wynt. vii 776.
Erddyn gret in Ytaly And hugsum fell all suddanly ?14.. Ship Laws c. 25 (B).
It fallys that ivil cummys suddanly to schipmen doand thair serviis c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 41.
Sudaynly 1456 Hay II 136/19.
He suld nocht leve it at anys sudaynly, bot he sulde leve it lytill and lytill, in the begynnyng fra stark wyne to wayke wyne a1500 Henr. Fab. 1545.
And suddanlie it come in till hir mynd That it suld be the lyoun did hir grace 1490 Irland Mir. II 39/16.
Sudanly he turnit agane to lif and raisit him-self a1500 Seven S. 2145.
Sudanlye c1490 Irland Asl. MS 9/14.
Sudanely c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 232.
And sudaynly in the space of a luke All was hyne went c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxiv 17.
The lustiast ladie … Thocht scho have mony semelie scheruitour, Ȝit se ȝe hir full suddanelie incleine To tak a crippill 1513 Doug. ii vii 29.
Suddanly and onone, He felt hym self happynnyt amyd his foyn a1568 Bann. MS I p. 34/18.
The syn[fu]ll flesch that heir wes cumly cled Sall suddanly be closit in to clay 1535 Stewart 29351.
Richt suddanelie it will, … Evome agane all that it tuik befoir a1568 Bann. MS I p. 40/30.
This bird … sang suddanly ‘Quhat awailis thé man [etc.]' a1568 Bann. MS 74b/5.
Quho hiest clymmis most suddanly discendis 1568 Buch. Indict. 33.
To enter into the declaratioun of … how suddanele sche alterit hir affectioun after the mariage with hym a1578 Pitsc. I 8/2.
Suddainlie a1578 Pitsc. I 48/28.
Suddenlie a1578 Pitsc. I 329/17.
Sudenlie 1596 Dalr. I 186/27.
Suddanlie 1603 Moysie 146.
Suddeinlie 1629 Justiciary Cases I 111.
Thair haill hors and cattell sudanlie schote to deid(b) 1375 Barb. vi 419.
Thai that enbuschit war Yschit till him … And rasit suddandly the cry a1400 Leg. S. ii 749.
Thai, … But persawinge sudandly A padok gert hym drink in hy a1400 Leg. S. xxiii 131.
Sudanedly a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 769.
Sudendly a1400 Leg. S. xlii 175.
Sudendly a1500 Rauf C. 736.
Vpon the mure quhair we met, Baith all suddandly set a1500 Henr. Fab. 479.
And suddandlie be he had crawin ane note The foxe wes war c1490 Irland Asl. MS 5/18.
Sudandlye 1558-66 Knox II 134.
The said king … was suddandlie strikkin with ane aposthume(c) 1535 Stewart 19618.
Suddantlie that tyme he kest him fra His coit armour, and … enterit in the feild 1535 Stewart 44603, etc.
Quhen that tha saw sa sone and suddantly That ȝoung virgin restorit to hir heill 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 248.
Suddantlyie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5526.
Christ sall cum so suddantlye, That no man sall the tyme espye 15.. Clar. iii 2190.
Sudantlie 1570 Leslie 221.
And suddantlie he and his servant … departed at ane back duire of the ludgeing 1622-6 Bisset II 373/4.
He … demanded … quhat incurabill meladie it wes that had fallin on him sa schortlie and suddantlie c1650 Spalding I 31.
Patrik Bischop of Abirdein, sitting in his awin chear … wes … suddantlie strikin in ane apoplexie c1650 Spalding I 231.
The eist quarter of Colledge Marschall suddantlie took fyre 1668 Rothesay B. Rec. 159.
He then suddentlie up lap on John Campbell(d) a1600 Misc. Spald. C. IV 108.
Our synnes hes prouokit the wraith of God, the quhilk is alredy kendlit, his plaigis ar to be pourit vpone vs subdantlie, except we preif [sic; ? for prevene] the same vith spedy repentance(e) 1375 Barb. ii 295.
Sum man for erynes will trymbill, Quhen he assayit is sodanly, That with awisement is douchty a1400 Leg. S. xxx 799.
In wrak of hyr fals plicht [the accuser] Deit sodanely in thare sicht a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 727.
Sodenly a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 377.
Sodenely c1400 Troy-bk. ii 143.
A ferlyfull sowne sodeynly Among hem maid was hydwisly c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 11.
Sodaynlye 1456 Hay I 23/7.
In the nycht sodaynly, the fende weryit him in his bed c1475 Wall. i 197.
Sodanlye c1475 Wall. ii 100.
Sodanle [McD. sodanli] c1475 Wall. viii 240.
Byschope Beik full sodeynly thai se; And Robert Bruce, contrar his natiff men c1475 Wall. viii 1195.
He croyssit him, syne sodeynli wp rais c1500 Fyve Bestes 402.
So sodanely this court went out of sicht That all was gone in twynkling of ane e 1565 Knox VI 265.
If they feare any enimy to pursue them they wil shut their dores to the ende that sodainely the enemie shall not have entry 1571 Cal. Sc. P. III 576.
[The Spanish ambassador did not remember the receipt of that letter] in speciale being so sodanlie inquyred thairof(f) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 216.
Venand it a spyrit had bene, That he sa soudanly had sene ?1438 Alex. ii 6735.
Fortune dissauis ȝow, wit ȝe weill, And turnis sa soudanly hir quheill(g) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 915.
Sodendly the geste scho ȝalde, That God resawit in his halde a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 424.
Sodendely c1475 Wall. xi 620.
‘Quhat menys this?’ rycht sodandly he said c1515 Asl. MS I 202/11.
Sa he endit … sodandlye … be a schot of ane arrow(h) c1475 Wall. vii 115 (McD.).
Sowdandly(i) 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 167.
Boreas … blew hir, sodantlie, Doun to the ground

2. Without delay, promptly; immediately, at once; without premeditation, on impulse.(a) 1375 Barb. viii 244.
Gif the formast egirly Be met, ȝhe sall se suddanly The henmast sall abasit be ?1438 Alex. i 1532.
Emynedus … maid sa mekill wa, That all … Wenit he sould die thair suddanly c1450-2 Howlat 120 (A).
I can nocht say sudanelye, so me Crist saif 1456 Hay II 155/23.
That in grete weris and paysand materis, he be wele avisit, and nocht sudaynly geve ansuere a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 191 (Harl.).
And in sic sercheing be he fund negligent (Ane cunnyng king may knaw thame suddanlie) 1535 Stewart 5169.
Suddanelie, withoutin ony baid, The king to him this ilk ansuer hes maid a1540 Freiris Berw. 423 (B).
I mervell mikill how … In till schort tyme that ȝe sa suddanlye Hes brocht to ws samony denteis deir 15.. Clar. iv 2571.
Thair horse thay gart be grathed suddenly 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary I 102.
Thairwithall make oure excuse for that we sa suddainlie procedit to the consummation of our mariage a1578 Pitsc. I 43/12.
This realme sould be at greattar tranquilietie gif the Earle of Douglas and his brother had bene cutted of sudenlie a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 14.
That the partie convict be not suddenlie execuit bot continued till the nixt day or longer at the discretion of the judge(b) 1375 Barb. vi 11.
All forvounderit was, How ony man sa suddandly Micht do sa gret a cheuelry 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 141.
The woman … is haldyn sudandly quhil the trespas … is fresch & new till ga to the toune & thar to schaw … the iniur til hir done 1569 Ordour Excomm. (1st Printing) 18.
The danger heirof is greater then man can sudandlie espy(c) 1460 Hay Alex. 1147.
With that he buskit him rycht suddantlie And passit with Samsone to his company 1535 Stewart 16538.
Donald … Decernit hes … richt suddantlie To gif battell or he gat moir supple 1535 Stewart 22967.
But ony mour, richt sone and suddantlie, Tha tuke the feild c1650 Spalding I 82.
Thay proudlie disobeyit, quhairvpone the counsall left the packet onbrokin wp and suddantlie went home to thair houssis(d) a1578 Pitsc. II 58/7.
The … ansueris of Mr. George maid to thame suidenlie withtout all feir(e) 1375 Barb. i 324.
He … sodanly in hart has tane, That he wald trawaile our the se a1400 Leg. S. v 313.
Thane Sancte Johne mad his vrisone To God … And sodanly to erd can fall The tempil & the idolis all 1558-66 Knox II 420.
The Quene … commandit to waird … the Erle of Kaithnes … he wes sodentlie relevit; for [etc.] 1565 Knox VI 265.
If we shall consider how sodainely our spirites are caryed away from our God … as sone as anye great temptation doth apprehend us(f) ?1438 Alex. i 2694.
And Gaudifere sic ane rout him rocht That soudainly to erd he socht(g) 1375 Barb. xii 462.
Withdrawys ȝow hyne sodandly

b. ? Hastily, hurriedly. c1490 Irland Asl. MS 60/16.
This volome and the buke follovand sudanly compilit for the honour of God and proffet of the peple

3. After a brief lapse of time; very soon, shortly ((there)after). 1570 Leslie 221.
He chansed opinlie to say thir wordis quhilkis he suddantlie repented thaireftir 1570 Leslie 221.
Suddantlie eftir his departing furth of his chalmer … he was missed 1589 St. A. B. Ct. 12 Sept.
Thei ar schortlie to pas furth of the cuntrie to thair said viage and not sudenlie to returne 1596 Dalr. II 33/19.
Sche, as was reported, suddenlie thairefter dies