Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

Untym(e)ous, adj. Also: untymouse, -us, untim(e)ous, -timus, wntymous, -eows, wntymys, -timeous, ontym(e)ous. [17th c. Eng. vntimous (1634); Tymous adj.] Inappropriate or inopportune in respect of timing; unduly early or late; premature: a. Of an action, also, a time. Also const. to do (something). Also proverb. = Untymely adj. b. Of a person, in respect of an action. Also proverb.a. (1) c1460 Consail Vys Man 188.
Tak na delyt in … Wntymus eting na drynkynge 1531 Bell. Boece II 408.
He … was prevenit be untimus deith 1533 Boece 147b.
[The King of the Scots] detesting the vntymous sedicioun of Pichtis [sc. against the Romans] 1533 Boece 597a.
Vntymus 1571 Cal. Sc. P. III 687.
Sa be the disordre of thame that ran of the spoylȝe and the lord of Bucleuchis untymous kindnes shawne to Mortoun [the whole fruit of that journey was lost] 1574 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 301.
Untimeous 1596 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 874.
Cruell oppressioun of the poore tennents … be … halding out of thair cornes by vntymeous teinding 1600 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 953.
The vntymeous marriage of ȝoung and tender persons 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 19/15.
Their great concurrence in curiositie … hath enforced the vn-tymous divulgating of this booke 1608 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 1064.
Untimous 1614 Stirling Kirk S. 453.
The brethrein understanding the importun and untymus suitis of the compleiting of mariagis suited … at tymes nocht decent for that purpois 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS 27 April.
For nichtwaiking and wntymous drinking 1622 Reg. Privy C. XIII 28.
The infective weade callit tabacco, whilk wes the occasioun of unnecessair and untymous spending of a grite deale of moneyis 1641 Acts V 718/2.
The late … King of Swedin, whose wntimeous deith … hath nereby ruined your petitioners estate 1673 Craig-Brown Selkirkshire I 497.
The untymous and unseemly recreations of several … wives and maides under cloud of night, to wit, the wyffes in running of races, and the maids in putting of the cannon-stone(b) 1597–8 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne I (24 Feb.).
This dayis liveray of aill rebattit for non sufficience and ontymus furnesyng 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne II (16 Aug.).
Ontymeous 1614 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 6 March.
The said Isabell Jak cumbarit all the auditour about hir at hir ontymeous incuming and be hir onrewlie behaviour 1639 Baillie I 239.
Ontymous(2) a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 369.
All the people war perturbit from their nocturnall sleap, then undegestit at that untymous hour in the night, whilk was about twa of the clock(3) 1643 Baillie II 70.
When we came to Edinburgh, we fand it untymous to make any clamour(4) proverb. 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 3b.
Halde wntymeows speiche thy fa a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 383 (W).
Vntymeous [L. Vntymous, Wr. Vntimous] spurring spillis the speid [W.² steid, Wr. stead] a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 606.
God keip us fra untymouse kitchingb. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix 1630.
‘This hour,’ he said, ‘thow mycht haiff beyn away, Wntymys thow art, for it is scantly day’ c1625 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 380.
My wyff wes ay vntymous to haif left her house in mercat tyme 1642 Baillie II 4.
He gott himself weell expedit to their small contentment, who had been his untymous troublers 1646 Lanark Presb. 50.
Shee is a persone most scandalous, and … vntimous seller of drink 1659 Rothesay Par. Rec. 13.
The child was untymeousproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 450.
Of untymous persons [it is said] He is as welcome as water in a rivin ship