A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Vile, Vyle, Vyld(e, Vyll, adj. Also: wil(e, wyle, uyle, vyill, vyile, vild(e, wild, vyled, (vylie), wyld(e, uylde, vyild(e, wyild, vill(e, will(e, viele, veile. [ME and e.m.E. vil (c1290), vyl (1297), vile (Cursor M.), vyle (Manning), wyl (Lydgate), vyld(e (1568), AF, OF vil, vile, L. vīlis.]There is some possibility of ambiguity with Wild adj.
1. Despicable, loathsome, shameful, morally reprehensible, dishonest, foul, base. a. Of actions, practices or events. b. Of writings or verbal expression. c. Of states. Also in fig. context.a. 1380 Leg. S. iii 124.
I that synnyt as wekit man … I turne agane to that sine wyle a1400 Leg. S. xviii 933.
Lychery Vile c1420 Wynt. vii 1409.
The pepill … led [thame] all be fretis wyle [C. wille, W. will] Nowcht be the lauche off the Ewangyle c1450-2 Howlat 226 (A).
His vyle deidis Lyand in lichory [etc.] 1533 Boece 415a.
The king … was gevin to infamite … horribill and vile 1533 Bell. Livy II 8/26.
Becaus the mater is sa vile and inhonest, I find nathing writtin that soundis to ony forme of decrete 1542 Mill Mediæv. Plays 148.
To anser for hir deidis for the hawy strublens & vyill myspersoning of Alexander Gray [etc.] … sayand commound beggaris … with mony vder iniurious vordis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6554.
We … sall die The maist vyle deid that can imaginit be 1569 Sc. Hist. Rev. I 40.
Sik a vyle & execrable mourther a1585 Maitl. Q. 188/69.
The vyile and filthie blot of tressoun(b) 1572 Sat. P. xxxvi 68.
Fals mischeant … Thy wretchit hairt could neuer schame eschew How could so small ane sowme have movit ȝour mind Be this vyild act auld tressounis to renew? 1581 Bann. Memor. 320.
God forbid that that vild practise of poysoning sould enter amonges vs! 1585 Inverness Rec. I 299.
In committing of the fyilthie wyild and vnhonest chryme 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 48/4.
Can anie be so vnhappie as to giue their willing consent to the Deuilles vilde abusing of them in this forme?(c) 1629 Mure Psalmes l 21.
I will … bring thy sins to light, And sett them, (vylie as they are,) … in thy sight(d) 1664 Lamont Diary 169.
This veile deidb. 1533 Bell. Livy I 207/11.
To the more schame and blasphemacioun of Romane lynnage thay rehersit mony vile & abhominabil wordis c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 162.
This is no bourdis, To wryte sic vyle and filthy wordis a1570-86 J. Maitland in Maitl. F. 436/85.
The wyld [Maitl. Q. 139/85, vyilde] witupour and the wage Off vntreuthe tresoune and of tyranie 1571 Bann. Memor. 142.
Sum wicked personis … hes taken libertie to vtter the venome of thair poysoned hartis … be lettres … brutes and reportes … fals and vntrue taillis of me … Gif I knew who wer the authoris or sawaris of sic vild brutes [etc.] 1579 St. A. Kirk S. 442.
The said Johne said to him thir wordis ‘will ye pas ower to Edinburgh before the saidis commissaris and thar tak upone yow and afferme that ye lay with my wyff?’ … Quhilk petition the said Thomas, thinking maest vyld and ungodlie refusit 1650 Culross I 244.
Hir viele and synful blasphemous language 1657 Argyll Synod II 158.
To take order with the vile and odious letter of Archibald Campbell 1662 Dunferm. Hammermen MS 66.
Many ville and proud speichesc. 1490 Irland Mir. I 103/29.
That all vthir was of wile linage, consauit in syn—kingis, emperouris and quenis. Bot this lady was … consauit without syn 1513 Doug. vii vii 73.
O ald dame, thy vile onweldy age … voyd is of all treuth and verite 1531 Bell. Boece I 165.
Fidlaris, bordellaris, makerellis, and gestouris, and siclike men of vile estimatioun 1531 Bell. Boece II 212.
King Culine … throw his surfet and unbridillit lust, fel in ane maist vile and schamful infirmite a1538 Abell 109b.
Thare is na wis wyler na perditioun 1549 Compl. 102/29.
Thai [sc. the Romans] var compellit to pas … vndir that ȝoik … quhar thai [sc. the Saminites] … scornit the sillie Romans that var in that gryt vile perplexite 1567 G. Ball. 24.
Had nocht Christ bene send, Cled in our vylde nature 1567 G. Ball. 197.
Preistis, mend ȝour lyfe, And leif ȝour foule sensualitie, And vylde stinkand chaistitie 1567 Sat. P. iv 91.
Quhat sall I wryte of ȝoure wyle vanitie? c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 431.
The godlie aucht nocht to hald vile pryde in pryce, Seing it is the mother of all vyce c1590 Fowler I 256/12.
Baser spreited lords … liuis in slothe to die in vyld disgrace 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 23/35.
How by moste vilde and vnlawfull meanes, they may obtain gaine a1599 Rollock Wks. I 406.
Amangis all thingis in the warld, this ministerie is the vyldest, it is the bassest thing under the sunnefig. c1475 Wall. xi 287.
Inwy thaim brocht … till a sodand end Lordis, behald, invy the wyle dragoun
2. Of a person, human nature, etc.: Base, depraved, degraded Also transf. and absol.(a) c1420 Wynt. ii 725.
For thai … War sottys wyle [C. wylde, W. vile] off na walu c1450-2 Howlat 88 (A).
The howlet wylest in wyce Raikit vnder the rys c1552 Lynd. Mon. 467.
Jesu … cled His heych diuynitie With our pure vyle humanytie 1553–4 Reg. Privy C. I 153.
The party brekand this assurance never to be reput … ane honest man … bot to be haldin vyle and abhominabill 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3510.
Gluttoun … Thow art ane veschell vyle 1562-3 Winȝet II 79/27.
He mot lichtlie, as wyle and contemptibil, the vniuersal Kirk of Christe 1621 Perth Kirk S. MS 11 Jan.
The foirsaid Mege Bell for his foirsaid wyle factor as ane pandorus to allure hir dochter to so abuse hir body 1628 Justiciary Cases I 96.
The said George was ane vyle and filthie liever(b) ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 52.
Quhen the fals tratour Jowis … kest ȝow vnder thair wile feit c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 15/17.
I wrachit synnar vile, and full of vice 1531 Bell. Boece I 176.
He … gave braid landis and riches to maist vile and diffamit creaturis 1533 Bell. Livy II 26/19.
Is it semand … that the begynnare of the samyn lawis … salbe presonit amang vile and nycht thevis? a1538 Abell 69b.
Wile personis at reft wirginis with wiolence 1649 Culross 234.
Bessie Mackie, a vile, wicked, godless limmer 1653 Binning Wks. 111.
To hold out a glass to men, to see their own vile faces into(c) c1420 Wynt. ii 731 (C).
Wille c1590 J. Stewart 221 § 87.
No liar vyll nor theif behold me dar 1600 Crim. Trials II 253.
The Master of Gaurie, a vyll tratour! 1600-1610 Melvill 422.
[Sa guid a man left in the hands of sa vyll lowns!] I knew the innocencie and gudnes of the man sa weill, the vylnes of his maist wicked enemies c1610 Melville Mem. 66.
A vill hurmester(d) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 204/14.
In cumpany cheis honorable feiris And fra vyld folkis draw thé far on syd 1540 Lynd. Sat. 39 (Ch.).
Vylde trompouris 1572 Sat. P. xxxvi 100.
Andro Bell, that wicked vyld outlaw c1590 Fowler I 296/31.
A harlot whome none vylder is 1603 Philotus 665.
Uylde 1608 Crim. Trials II 566.
A dissolute and vyld personetransf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 145/137.
Lat no nettill vyle and full of vyce Hir fallow to the gudly flour delyceabsol. c1590 Fowler I 48/20.
Ptolome that vyld 1638 Johnston Diary I 299.
Bot among men quhat am I? the vyledest, filthiest, … of mankynd
3. Physically repulsive, foul, filthy; diseased; producing or seeking out corruption.a1400 Leg. S. ii 773.
A fowle padow … He keste that wes laythe to se Than … askit he, Quhar-for his birth wes sa wile, sa foule, and sa horribyle c1420 Wynt. ii 578.
In thare bleddyris boldnyt bylys And alkyn bruke and scab that vyle [C. wile, W. wyle] is a1500 Henr. Fab. 2635.
How durst thow … with thy foull lippis wyle, To glar my drink c1515 Asl. MS I 323/1.
Ȝesterday all princis & peple … desyrit to se Alexanderis knychtlie wictorius persoun. This day all folkis abhorris to se his wyle dedly carioun a1508 Kennedy Flyt. (OUP) 288.
Tigiris, serpentis and taidis will remane In Dumbar wallis, todis, wolffis and beistis vyle c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 202/36.
Tailȝouris, soutteris, and craftis vyll The fairest of ȝour streittis dois fyll 1512–13 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 140.
That ye caus all vile and suspect beistis, as doggis, swyn, and cattis … to be slane … within your said boundis the tyme of pestilence 1525 St. A. Formulare I 271.
Thare bodeys … to be erdit … in myddinis myris and uthire wile and foull places a1538 Abell 51b.
Ane will lippir man a1538 Abell 53a.
He fell in a will seiknes. Wil worsum passit fra his wound … His secret membris rottet and fra thame passit wil wormes 1572 Crail B. Ct. 6 Oct.
[That no persons presume] to lay thair fylthy myddyngis and wyle fuilȝie befoir thair duris 1587 Edinb. Test. XVIII 204a.
Nocht as corruptable … vaik and wild body … bot ane incorruptable … strang … bodie c1590 Fowler I 160/3.
Whils this vyld pest in distance heth vs driven 1580-92 James VI Lusus Reg. 25.
Uuild 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 142/2.
Uyle
4. Lowly, mean, base, of little value, ignominious, demeaning.There is some ambiguity with senses 1 and 2 above.a1500 Henr. Fab. 1427.
Than spak the lyoun to that cairfull mous Thow catiue wretche and vile vnworthie thing c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 399.
He that wantis riches, And valȝeandnes in Venus play, is ful vile haldin 1518 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 177.
That the seruandis of the gild … keip the queir of the said kirk fra all vile personis … and thole na maner beggares to cum within the said kirk 1531 Bell. Boece I 25.
The more riche thay ar, the more schame redoundis to thaim, and the more glore to us; sen thay ar vincust be us, quhome thay held maist vile and febill 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 47.
Quhen thai saw thair frendis wexit with irrecouerabill maledyis, to eschew wile dede of thair beddis, thai slew thame be the swerd 1531 Bell. Boece II 339.
Limmaris of vile and obscure lignage 1533 Boece 80b.
Nobill wemen … be … violent dede … evadit ignomynyos and vile seruitute a1538 Abell 38b.
The Pichtis … wexit with the seruitut of the Romanis in will office hes bering of stanis in quarell or siklik a1538 Abell 41b.
In presens of his nobillis he schew neuir blythnes bot amang ȝugluris bardis & will personis 1559 Cal. Sc. P. I 251.
[Our soldiers are few & it were no small discomfort to hasard our nobility, barons etc. on their walls and] wyle [soldiers] 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 539.
Certane soldiours pynouris and vtheris vile personis 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 27.
Without ony funerall honour, in the nicht-tyme, be commoun caryeris of deid bodyis upon ane vyle beir a1585 Maitl. Q. 281/55.
Wer Jhone Bocace callit again to lyif And syne had nocht forȝet his former style In painted termes [etc.] … Ȝit gentil men houbeid my ryme be vyle 1609 Garden Garden 46.
Not tyrants … can retein The vildest worme from dying once the death
