A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Wil(l)ful(l, Wyl(l)full, adj. Also: vilfull, uillfull, (wiffull), wylful, we(i)lfull, wolfoll, volful. [ME and e.m.E. wilfulle (c1200), wilful (c1250), wilfull (Manning), welefull (Chaucer), wylfull (1529).]
1. Willing, ready, eager, keen, of a mind (to do (something). b. Voluntary, by one's free will or consent.(1) 1375 Barb. ii 348.
Thai saw cumand Thar fayis ridand … Willfull to do chewalry 1375 Barb. ix 630.
He gan chas That wilfull [C. vilfull] to distroy thaim was ?1438 Alex. ii 3875.
Ȝe ar our wilfull [F. hastiue] for to say Ȝour will in ernest or in play ?1438 Alex. ii 8370.
Porrus … Come wonder wilfull to fulfill His avow with gude hart and will c1420 Wynt. i Prol. 80.
I than … Wylfull is my det to pay c1420 Wynt. viii 6590.
Willame … off Dowglas That willfull and all besy was Till bryng till [the] Scottis fay Landis, that lang had bene away, Gaddryd hym a gret menyhe 1456 Hay I 207/25.
Gif thai lordis of the justice defendis maliciously the ref, and is nocht wilfull to mak reformacioun c1460 Thewis Wysmen 255.
Wysmen ar wylfull to do gracee, & mercyabile in petwous cas 1513 Doug. ii xi 117.
To town agane I sped … Wilful al aventuris newlyngis to assay 1543 Douglas Corr. 153.
As ȝe luif to declaire ȝour self wilful to do ȝour dewite to the Quenis grace(2) 1513 Doug. ix ii 88.
Hys feris, quhilkis wilfull war and glaid c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Cor. viii 3.
I bere witnessing to thame, eftire mycht and abone mycht thai ware wilfull, with mekile exhortatioun besekand vs the grace [etc.] 1533 Bell. Livy I 284/4.
The Romanis … be wilfull eruptiouns fra thare statiouns … effrayit the Equis 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 296.
God be thanked that my Bridegroom tireth not of wooing. … He is a wilful suitor of my soulb. 1472 Lennox Mun. 86.
The said Lord Dernlee has, of his awn pure fre and wilfull will … giffyn to me [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 794.
Do wilfull pennance here, and ȝe sall wend, Eftir ȝour deid, to ioy withouttin end a1500 Henr. Fab. 1116 (Bann.).
As monkis … Abstrackit fra this warldlis wretchidnes, In wilfull pouertee c1475 Wall. x 218.
Wyllfull wow he maid c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 13/2.
O synfull man, thir ar the fourty dayis That every man sulde wilfull pennence dre c1520-c1535 Nisbet Ep. Ald Test. xxxvi 3.
Do the will of Him with gret hart and wilfull inwitt 1528 Lynd. Dreme 231.
Wylfull 1622-6 Bisset II 361/14.
Paip Johne … ordaned thame [sc. monks] … thrie wowes viz. chaistitie, wilfull povertie and obediens
2. Deriving from the will unrestricted by reason or from the selfish will. a. Deceitful, false. b. Stubborn, self-willed, perverse, unreasonable. Passing into c. Without control, unrestrained, foolhardy; fierce, ferocious. Also proverb.d. Deriving from passion rather than reason.a. c1420 Ratis R. 1509.
Thow lufyt al wordys to gar men fall, With wylful [L. dolosa] twngb., c. c1420 Wynt. vii 2318.
This kyng Jhon … For hys wylfull contwmacy [etc.] a1500 Henr. Thre Deid Pollis 33.
O wilfull pryd, the rute of all distres c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 205/30.
Wilfull men … Quhome no ressone may seis nor pacify 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 513.
Nocht be the vertew of Inglis ordina[n]ce, Bot be his awin wylfull mysgouernance 1533 Bell. Livy I 201/7.
The faderis, beleving the pepill to haue yneuch … of wilfull furie, wald nocht suffir thame to reiose ony largitionis … that mycht persuade thame to folie 1533 Bell. Livy II 24/13.
Quhidder wilfull empire or public liberte be erast establist be thir lawis [L. utrum novis legibus dominatio an libertas firmata sit] 1562-3 Winȝet I 4/8.
To schaw mair plane demonstratioun of strenthiar reasonis … or tobe iugeit wylfull and led be sum phrenesie 1562-3 Winȝet I 37/20.
Ȝit the wylfull blyndnes and obstinat arrogance leidand all peruersit erroneus men as captiuis … haldis him … fetterit 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. vii 592.
Saevae, wilfull a1578 Pitsc. I 9/15.
Vilfull a1578 Pitsc. I 108/23.
Willfull and foolehardie interpryse 1578 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 89.
They ordane the saidis wilfull possessouris to be removit 1594 Misc. Bann. C. III 168.
The Stewart of Bute … abaid & faucht it … to their vtter destruction Wallace in the meane time with his folkis throw maist wilfull furour only lukand on it 1605 Glasgow Merchants House 94.
The misbehavior of sundrie persounis … falling furt with vtheris in cumlie languag & wiffull terms 1606 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 1042.
Their insolent and wilfull misreguarding of these acts c1630 Scot Narr. 210.
And in case the said presbyterie prove willfull, that another letter to the same effect … be sent to the Commissioners 1662 Crim. Trials III 613.
He will be … werie wilfull in carnall cowpulatioun at all tyms c1682 Louis de France Music Bk. 48.
I'le marry a maid, for widowes are wilfull … and most be obey'd(b) a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 22/23.
With weilfull [Maitl Q. wilful] men to argoun is folie c1600 Montg. Suppl. vi 13.
Sum mair welfull ar nor wys, Thatt for thair lufis saik wald be slene(c) 1601 Dundee Shipping P. 74.
He was sa wolfoll that he refosit resoneproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 141.
Ane wilful man should be verie wised. 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 245.
Gif your subiect be of love to use wilfull reasonis proceeding rather from passioun nor reasoun
3. a. Of an action, etc.: Done willingly, intentional, deliberate, esp. wilfull errour, a mistake made in a court judgment. Also personified. b. Of a person: Deliberately or knowingly committing a crime.a. 1516 Reg. Privy S. I 422/2.
For errour that thai … being apone the inqueist in serving of ane breif of inqueist … war convict of … the king … rehablis the saidis [etc.] … to … use all lefull dedis … siclyk in all thingis as thai mycht have done of before thai war convict of the said wilfull errour 1534 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 114.
The said … clayme for wilfull error and ramaid of law 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 348.
Maister Alexander … allegit that in respect thairof thai culd nocht serve the persewar as tutour to the pupill quhilk gif thai did protestit for wilfull errour 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 107.
Sall enter on pannell this day, clenge the said persounis of the murther of the king, that it salbe wilfull error and not ignorance 1575 Reg. Privy S. VII 51/1.
The said umquhile Robertis crewell and wilfull drowning of himself in ane peitpott 1579 Acts III 138/1.
Wilfull remaning fra the paroche kirk in tyme of sermone 1581 Burne Disput. 91b.
Ȝour Maister Caluine, quha … hes brocht ȝou in sua greit darknes of volful ignorance 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 139.
The haill assise, … acquyttis … Jonet Leysk [etc.] … And Patrik Crukschank protestis for wilfull errour 1597–8 Reg. Privy C. V 440.
Thair wilfull remaning … undir the proces of horne to the contempt of his majestie 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 64/8.
Horribill crymes … sicc as uichecrafte, uillfull murther, inceste [etc.] a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 43.
Willfull burneing is ane of the pleyes of the crounepersonified c1530-40 Stewart in Maitl. F. 354/41.
First wilfull wrang mon in ane woddie waiffb. a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 288.
Willfull hearers of mess … should be execuit to death a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 293.
Albeit the principall offender be not tryed, it shall be laufull to persew the complices or willfull recepters 1666 Galloway Synod 54.
Severall ministers … gave in a list of their willfull withdrawers and Conventicle keepers
