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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Bustuous, Busteous, a. Also: buustwys, bustuos, -uus; bustus; bustewous, buisteous, bustious, -ius; boustous, -eous, -ious, -ius; bostous, bost-, boist-, boasteous. [Northern ME. bost-, bustwys, boustous, bustus, ME. boyst-, buystous, -uous, -yous, -eous, etc. , of uncertain origin.]The dating of the forms in Sc. is not quite clear, owing to the late sources for some of the early examples, but those in -ous, -u(o)us, precede those in -eous, -ious.

1. Of words or sounds: Rough, rude, harsh, violent. Also of conduct.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1384.
Pirrus … agane schir Ulixes Boustuous wordis … Spak 1459 Rep. Hist. MSS., Var. Coll. V. 82.
Rob Gyrdut is in the lordis wyl for … his buustwys langagis for the lordis tenandis c1475 Wall. x. 593.
Thar salusyng was bot boustous and thrawin a1500 Henr. Fab. 831 (B).
This tod … herd a bustuous bugill brymly blawe 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 7.
So bustuus grew the noys and furyus fray 1533 Boece vi. iv. 192.
Donald of the Ilis … be ane bustuous proclamacion chargit that nane except his servandis suld bere wapynnis a1578 Pitsc. II. 58/9.
Nocht haueing respect to thair glorieous manassingis and bostous [threates](b) 1535 Stewart 7147.
The brasin bugulis maid sic busteous beir c1550 Rolland C. Venus iii. 341.
Blaw furth ȝour boist busteous c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5597.
That boustious blast thay sall obey c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 34 (B).
So busteous ar the blastis of his horne a1500 Henr. Fab. 832 (Ch).
He harde ane buisteous [H. boustious] bugill blaw c1590 J. Stewart 14/66.
Lyk … boustius bombards, quhan thay keinlie crak 1596 Dalr. II. 205/23.
His conscience was neuir quyet quhil the bishop he constraynet be busteous lettres to rander it 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 235.
Commanding him after a boasteous manner to go [etc.] Ib. 597.
He … in a verie bousteous and threatning maner upbraidit thame

2. Of wind, weather, blows, etc.: Violent, blustering. 1513 Doug. ii. vii. 97.
All thre [winds] Contrarius blaw thar bustuus bubbys with byr Ib. iv. Prol. 63.
Na brydill may hym dant nor bustuus dynt Ib. v. vii. 12; etc.
With bustuus fors c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 998.
Ourset with snaw and blastis busteous 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 654.
Vnto the nimphe I maid a busteous braid a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxviii. 39.
The busteous blast he byds c1590 Fowler 166/2.
O boreas, assuage the bosteous wynde

3. Of persons or animals: Characterized by size and rude strength, or roughness of disposition.(a) a1500 Henr. Orph. 97 (A).
A bustuos herd … Kepand his bestis, lay wnder a bus Id. Fab. 393 (B).
The bair bustuous c1500 Crying of Play 26.
Quha is cummyn heir bot I, A bauld bustuos bellamy? 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 64.
The bustuus bullys … wyrkis other mony a wound Ib. x. vi. 71.
The bustuus Gyas strang Ib. xii. 53.
The bustuus swyne weil fed 1533 Boece x. xiij. 381.
Constantyne the king was bot dolf, austere, bustuos 1535 Stewart 1812.
His counsall that bald wer and bustus(b) 1535 Stewart 5273.
To walk and fast, and for to thoill greit cald, Bustious thai ar Ib. 6052.
This Claudeous, That bellicois wes, bald and busteous 1528 Lynd. Dreme 919.
We saw a boustius berne cum ouir the bent 1542 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 498.
Oure Souerane Lordis lettres … agains Johnne Forbes alias Bousteous Johnne c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 247.
Judas Machabeus … , Ane birnand beirne, ane busteous and bald Id. Seven S. 217/1.
Thay [sc. women] be bauld and busteous, So cummersum and malitious a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxv. 157.
That bousteous bairne, proud Oliphern c1590 J. Stewart 27/435.
Ȝon is the … dochtie steid, The bralling bustius Bayard

4. Of things: Large and strong; stout or massive. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 166 (Th).
A boustous bowe within his honde he bor c1475 Wall. vii. 563.
A boustous staill betuix ws sone mon be c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 110 (B).
No bowgle with his busteous hornis 1513 Doug. i. ix. 100.
Ane hundreth bustuus bowkis of swyne Ib. v. ii. 55.
With bustuus baston Ib. iii. 31; etc.
The bustuus barge

5. Of ground: Strong, rich, fertile. a1500 Henr. Fab. Prol. 10 (Makc.).
As throw a bustewous [B. bustvous, Ch. busteous] erd … Springys the flowris & the corne