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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Waful, Woful(l, adj. Also: wofule, voful. [ME and e.m.E. waful (Cursor M.), woful (Chaucer), wofull (Gower).]

1. Of a person, his attributes, etc.: Afflicted with sorrow or misfortune, unfortunate, sorrowful, sad, miserable.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 470.
‘Allace’, he sad … 'Werch & waful, quhat sal thou do?' a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 501.
As waful wedow … Euir my sorow groys, alace(b) c1450-2 Howlat 955.
He welterit, … That he was wrocht in this warld wofull in weir a1500 Henr. Fab. 1423.
Now am I tane ane wofull presonair a1500 Henr. Orph. 114.
Hir madin wepit with a wofull cheir a1500 Henr. Orph. 215.
Wyth wofull hert than passit he doun fro thens a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 69.
The lamentatioun And wofull end of this lustie Creisseid c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 16/36.
To ignorant nocht gaif I my teiching, … Nor unto wofull wrachis conforting 1513 Doug. ii Prol. 14.
Saturn, thou auld fader of malancoly, Thyne is the cuyr my wofull pen to gy 1513 Doug. xi v 71.
The wofull moderis and matronys wepis 1549 Compl. 68/17.
It aperit be hyr voful contenens, that sche vas in grite dout ande dreddour c1590 J. Stewart 48/24.
Fair Angelique vas linckit … till ane rock hir vofull lyf to end c1650 Spalding II 390.
The six gentlemen keppit his heid with wofull hairtis

2. Of a thing, occurrence, state of affairs or occasion: Fraught with affliction, sorrow or misery, miserable; terrible. a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 213.
In care bed scho lay … In mol & hayre & woful fude c1400 Troy-bk. ii 10.
Of tratorye the wycked wyles Of Athenor … Inne-to that wofull [D. wofule] wycked case a1500 Henr. Fab. 311.
Till hir hart straik mony wofull stound a1508 Want of Wyse Men 7 (Ch. & M.).
Now sele is sorow, this is a wofull werde, Sen want of wyse men makis fulis to sit on binkis 1513 Doug. xiii ii 76.
Fury of weirfar … wynteris blastis … And all that horribill was, or ȝit hevy, Wofull, hydduus [etc.] 1513 Doug. xiii vi 200.
And lat ws byrn the bodeis, … eft, Quham the hard wofull rage hes ws byreft c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3517.
Lott … His douchteris boith he gat with chylde … In the quhilk scripture thow may se Att lenth this wofull misarie a1568 Bann. MS 224a/6.
Gif that … My souerane lady lest to dedene To rew vpoun my wofull eventure a1578 Pitsc. II 1/10.
King Harie sighit sair and said, ‘Allace, thir ar wofull tydingis to me’ 1614 Highland P. III 163.
This my fwlische adwyss wiche I be vofull experiens hes lernit 1643 Baillie II 109.
Much of their way is good … only their longsomenesse is wofull at this time when their … kingdome lyes under a most lamentable anarchy and confusion. They see the hurt of their length but cannot get it helped 1678 Wodrow Hist. IV (1830) 502.
Things look very break-like; we look like the voful day

3. Expressive of sorrow. c1475 Wall. 1131.
Off his men … Quhat sorow rais … ? The cruell payn, the wofull complenyng 1513 Doug. xi i 87.
So lowd thar wofull bewalyng habundis Arundel MS 2557.
My ene for doloure wofull teris ranis