A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1578
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Besily, Besely, adv. Also: besele, -lye, bessely, besilie, besyly, -li, -le; besaly, -lie. [ME. besi-, besyly, besely, etc., f. Besy a. See also Bissily.] Busily, diligently.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 301.
Petir … full besyly wes prechand a1400 Ib. vi. 76.
Richt besily he can hire pray c1420 Wynt. iv. 1017.
The Attenyens besyly He tretyde wyth his industry 14.. Acts I. 37/2.
Ane wachman … sal wache wysly and besily c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 500.
On ilka nycht thai spoilȝeid besyle c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Tim. i. 17.
He soucht me besilie a1578 Pitsc. I. 251/12.
All the wryghtis … wroght werie bessielie on hir(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 958.
Twa … sa besely can spere c1420 Wynt. ii. 344.
Qwhare to scho wowyt hym besely c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 247.
Thai socht him beselye 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 58.
The burges … Byand bessely and bane [etc.] 1533 Bell. Livy II. 73/3.
Thay … inquirit besely quhat noyis [etc.] 1533 Boece viii. viii. 266.
This charge … besely was execute a1540 Freiris Berw. 519.
The freir … turnit our the levis full besely(c) 1487 Brus vii. 421 (C).
Thai thre men … had vachit so besaly1487 Ib. ix. 1491487 Ib. xvii. 332.1490 Irland Mir. MS. 280.
Euirilk man … suld … ryn besaly to pennaunce c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 15.
My deathe chasis my lyfe so besalie 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xv.
Phebus … declinand besaly To dip his steidis in the occeane
