Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ded(e)ly, Deidly, a. Also: dedlé, -lie; dedelé, -lie; deydly, deidlye, -lie, -lé; deedeli, deedlie, -ly, deadlie, daidlie. [ME. dedely, dedly, -li, early dedlich, OE. déadlic. Cf. Ded(e)like a.]

1. Liable to death; mortal. c1420 Wynt. iv. 2580.
A dedly man sen he was wroucht, Off hym he had a creatoure a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1230.
O dedly lyf full of mortalite 1509 Misc. Spald. C. IV. 195.
Oblessand me … to honnour … and serue the said noble lord … aganis all lewand and deidlie personis 1533 Gau 67/33.
This deidlie body sal be cled with immortalitie 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 412.
Forsamekill as … all men ar livelie and deidlie 1584 Ib. XIV. 177 b.
That all creatour is deidlie and that the hour of deith is incertane 1589 Misc. Spald. C. IV. 243.
To … serue the said nobill lord … aganis all lewand and deidly personis quhatsumeuer

b. absol. in pl. in the phrase agayne(s) al dedely, against all persons.(a) 1423 Edinb. Chart. 56.
The saide Dene Iohne sal warand … the saide tak … agaynes al deedeli but fraude & ghile 1450 Reg. Great S. 84/2.
Quhilkis said balyery and set … I … oblise me … to the said Thomas … aganis al dedeli to warand 1539 Reg. Cupar A. II. 12.
We … the saidis abbot and convent … sall warand and defend the said takkis, … aganis all dedely 1567 Reg. Morton I. 19.
We … sall … defend him in all his … actions quhatsumeuer in all tyme herefter aganis all dedelie 1685 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XII. 189.
Thir presents to be good and valid … to the saids Magistrats … at all hands & against all deedly(b) 1461 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 362.
To the forsaide Robert … in all thingis … agayne all dedly we sall warand [etc.] 1490 Rec. Earld. Orkney 200.
To warand and defend the forsaid land agane all dedly 1526 Liber Aberbr. 456.
We sall warrand to the sayd Allexander the tak of the saydis teynd schawys aganys all dedle 1552 Reg. Cupar A. II. 107.
To defend this our letter of tak … , aganis all dedlie, as law will 1602 Ayr Chart. 138.
To warrand to the saidis provest, bailleis … in all tyme cuming aganis all dedlie(c) c 1400 Newbattle Chart. (Reg. H.).
The for-said abbot … sall varrand … the said pece of land to the said Ranald & his airis contrar all deidly 1488 Rec. Earld. Orkney 197.
To warrand and defend the said … land … aganis all leifand or deidle 1506 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 693.
We … sall geiff him or thaim our leill & trew consall … abone all deidly excepand oure allegance to … the king 1544 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 19.
Schyr Patrick becam bound man and servant to the said … Erl and his ayres … to ryde and gang with tham in pace and weir agains al deidly 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 142.
For defence of my honore, which I will menteane against all deidly 1594 Douglas Chart. (Reg. H.) 23 Jan.
I … sall warrand acquyet and defend this present tak … aganis all deidlye(d) 1590 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 771.
I forsooth, so long as I brooke my life and croun, shall maintain the same against all deadly 1647 Burnett Fam. P. MS.
I … bindis & obleiges me … to warrant this my present sett contrare all deadlie 1681 Stirling B. Rec. II. 35.
I shall, with my utmost pouer, … mantain his Majesties jurisdictione forsaid againest all deadlie

2. Of sin: Entailing spiritual death.(1) a1400 Leg. S. l. 1211.
That I ma twyne Owt of this lyf but dedly syne 1456 Hay I. 155/28.
I may … nocht lefully tak his gere … but dedely syn Ib. 197/16.
A bonde suld nocht do for his lord thing that is dedely syn c1450 Cr. Deyng 188.
He … makis satisfaccioune, nocht alanerly of the vaneall synys, bot als … for mony dedly synis c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 19/27.
The confessour suld have sciens and discrecoun to discerne betwix veniale and dedly syn c1500 Rowll Cursing 138 (B).
All thair saulis salbe transformit … For vengence of thair deidly sin 1560 Rolland Seven S. 50.
For thay wald … gar the hippis of ane deid ȝow or skin Assolȝe ȝow of all ȝour deidly sin 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 379.
Sa sune as thay commit ony daidlie sinne thay losse thair faith(2) 1456 Hay I. 242/4.
Committing of all the sevin dedely synnis c1420 Ratis R. 721.
Thai ar the dedly synis sewyne, With al thar branchis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 329/19.
The vij dedly synnis with braunchis and spycis of thaim c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 14.
With that the fowll sevin deidly synnis Begowth to leip at anis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1442.
Seuin vertewis Fechtand contrair seuin deidlie sinnis

3. Causing death; fatal. a1400 Leg. S. v. 344.
He gert thame drynk dedly poysone ?1438 Alex. i. 1242.
He … mony deidly dynt thame gaif a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 822.
Quha may ymagin the grevand gravite Of dedlie dome a1500 Bk. Chess 14.
This dedlie passioun malancoly c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxviii. 9.
Dungin is the deidly dragon Lucifer 1513 Doug. iii. ii. 144.
A dedly ȝeir … Fell on our membris with sik infectioun Ib. xi. x. 9.
Hys dedly brand he beltis by his syde 1533 Boece viii. vii. 263 b.
To Scottis and Pichtis this day was sare and dedelie 1562-3 Winȝet I. 3/7.
We … can esteme it to na thing mair lyke than to ane schip in ane dedely storme 1571 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 166.
Our foirfatheris Adamis deidlie wound a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 754.
His deidly drouth, Quhilk pynis him, and dwynis him To deid 1622-6 Bisset II. 178/22.
His phisitians war of opinioun that it wes nocht deidlie

4. Hostile or implacable in the extreme.Common with enemy and feid (feud).(1) a1500 Bernardus 132.
Geff that it happynnis throw rancor or inwy Thé for to haf a dedly inimy 1522 Douglas Corr. 83.
The Duke of Albany … is capitalle and dedelie inimye to me a1578 Pitsc. I. 85/13.
The Earle of Douglas … haittit the kingis counsallouris as his deidlie enemies 1615 Highland P. III. 243.
Sir James and his rebelles ar deedlie enemies to Mackclene and his name(b) 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 351/1.
Forsamekle as it is knawin … that thair is dedlie feid … betwixt our lovit cosing [etc.] 1532 Ib. II. 204/1.
Understanding that … William Cokburn of Scraling is undir deidlie feid with our bordouraris 1555 Acts II. 494/2.
That na aduocatioun of causis be takin be the Lordis fra the Juge Ordinar except it be for deidlie feid 1570 Sat. P. xv. 113.
Now wald ȝe change and chaisson that, And bring on deidly feidis 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV. 299.
Throw the multitude of deidlie feidis and unsure passage, nather dar the complenaris … pas thair to persew justice 1603 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 249.
Gryt numeris of his Maiestie's liegis … amangis quhome thair being sindrie querrellis and deidlie feidis standing vnreconcelit [etc.](3) 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 258/1.
It is notourly knawin that thare is dedely inimitye betuix thaim c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2704.
Quhilk … hes ane deidly indignatioun At thame [etc.] 1568 Buch. Indict. 33.
Sche begouth … to mak ane dedlie hetrand betuix the King and the Lordis 1596 Highland P. I. 153.
Iohn Campbell of Ardkinglass … conceivit ane privie deidlie hatred and malice against the said umquhill Iohn Campbell of Cadell

5. Connected with, suggestive of, death; deathlike, dismal. a1500 Henr. Orph. 109.
Scho annone fellin a dedly swoun c1515 Asl. MS. I. 323/2.
This day all folkis abhorris to se his wyle dedly carioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 17.
Sic deidlie dwawmes … Ane hundrithe tymes hes my hairt ouirpast Ib. 29.
Behald my deidlie passioun dolorous 1513 Doug. ii. Prol. 3.
Till compyle this dedly tragedy Ib. iii. i. 122.
The blaiknyt cypres dedly bewis Ib. ix. xi. 78.
The blaknyt dedly blude 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. vi.
Morpheus … his sleuth and deidlie contenance 15.. Clar. iii. 161.
The paill and deidlie man Ib. 565.
In swouning cauld, and with ane deidlie face 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1868.
Scho … fell to the ground, Without mair space into ane deidlie sound a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 253.
With deadlie visage, paill and wan 1611-57 Mure Dido i. 393.
With visage wan, pale looks, and deidly hew

b. Funeral. 1533 Boece ix. xi. 313 b.
Eftir the dedelie lykis of the king war endit, ane convencioun … was made

c. Of fear: Intense, extreme. 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 249.
Thay ar all in deidly feyr and wald randyr bagsaif and livis and nocht to be haldin as presonaris