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

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

Evil(l, Ewil(l, adv. Also: evyll, eveill, evile, evle; ewyl, ewall; eivell, ivell, ywill. [ME. evill(e, evyle, evele, etc., OE. yfele.]

1. Wickedly, viciously, with bad intent. 1456 Hay II. 24/28.
Gif it be evill done, to gerr a knycht be misgovernyt Ib. 40/4.
Evill set knychtis … gerris mony ruggaris and revaris … destroy the commouns c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 62/8.
Gif thai leve evill, and deis sa in thair ȝouthhed, thai ar seker of perpetuale dampnacoun 1533 Gau 3/5.
Fals doctrine vith the quhilk the pepil hes ben … euil and ongodlie techit 1535 Stewart 57562.
Ane evill asposit man, … Far moir inclynit ay to ill no gude 1571 Bann. Memor. 127.
I did verie euill and vngodly in the vpsetting of the kingis authoritie 1626 Ann. Banff I. 54.
Resaiweing … geir thifteouslie fra thair serwands … sic as ewill inclynit serwands can affourd to them

2. Wrongly, wrongfully, unjustly. a1400 Leg. S. xxii. 740.
Quhene we wald in skale put don His ewil consawit suspicione, That he had of his wyf but skil 1456 Hay I. 263/29.
Gif … the tothir had evill and falsly put him furth of his possessioun 1476 Acta Aud. 57/2.
That the dome gevin in the Justis ayer … was evil gevin c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 109.
Preysing my self, and evill my nichtbouris deming 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. I.191.
The vittell byaris of the merkat scattis thame grytlie in taking of sampillis … and sic oder ewill vsit custum 1572 Maitl. Q. lxii. 143.
Euill gottin gaine is ane vngratious ground Quhairon to found ane welth 1593 Acts IV. 14/2.
The said sentence … wes wrangouslie, raschelie, and euill gevin 1622-6 Bisset I. 281/6.
Thir ar the ressonis … quhy the dome … wes evill gevin and weill agane sayd

3. With severity, harshness, or violence. (Usually with past pples.) c1475 Wall. vi. 754.
Raboytit ewill, on to thar king thai rid a1500 Doug. K. Hart 889.
Ressoun forfochtin [was] and ewill drest 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 191.
Prayand your graice to haif e to my mater that I am ewill done to 1567 G. Ball. 153.
I was … as ane fule mockit, Euill tocheit and rockit 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 143.
He wes constranit to … pas vpoun the bordaris of France, quhair he wes euill treatit be the king thairof 1584 Gray Lett. & P. 32.
I esteeme myseife very evill handeled

4. Severely, in respect of injury, hurt, or damage. (Usually with past. pples.) a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk 60.
Sa evill wondit was the knycht That he behuvit to die a1500 Rauf C. 835.
The … men out of the renk past, Forwrocht with thair wapnis, and euill rent with all 1513 Doug. v. v. 52.
Quhen from the scharp rolk, … Sergestus gan vpwreil hys schyp evill dycht 1531 Bell. Boece I. 42.
Ferquhard, evill woundit, eschapit Ib. II. 104.
Thir preistis returnit, evill doung c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 665.
Sum wes euill hurt, and sum wes slane c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1447.
The fyschis thocht thame euyll begyld, Quhen thay swame throuch the woddis wyld 1580 Inverness B. Rec. I. 281.
Ane greit tempest … dang the said boit on the craggis, quhilk hurt the said boit rycht ewill 1603 Moysie 13.
The drum wes brokin and the drummer evill dung 1623 Elgin Rec. II. 179.
Mariorie Crichtoun … patt the lass from her seat and raif hir plaid 1636 Edinb. Test. LVII. 327.
Twa fedder bedis … and twa codis being all auld & evill worne 1651 Wemyss Corr. 95.
The Erle Callendar sonn ewill hurt vith ane bred surd in the hade

b. To an extreme degree. c1500 Rowll Cursing 80.
Confessand thame to thair curatt, That in thair hairtis is evill indurat c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvii. 76.
The beist that frayit wes rycht evill, Ran with the sowtar to the Devill 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 106.
I ame rycht evill taryit to get men to threis the cornne

5. Badly, improperly, poorly. ?1438 Alex. ii. 2137.
He begouth euill his senȝeory, That with strenth wald haue Fesony 1456 Hay I. 26/17.
This fyft angel, the quhilk trompit nocht evill with his beme c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 4/6.
The werray letter beand translatit … quhilis soundis evill c1500-c1512 Dunb. xix. 28.
Than twa and twa sayis thame betwene, That evill he gydis ȝone man trewlie

b. With past pples., freq. attributive.(1) c1420 Wynt. vi. 1472.
Gregor … twa yhere held that se. Bot ywill arayid than fand it he ?1438 Alex. ii. 2872.
But I thame warne, it war euill done Ib. 3456.
I am … Lytill and ewill made 1456 Hay I. 113/4.
A man that is outhir unarmyt, or evill armyt may nocht hald felde in bataill place 1492 Myll Spect. 294/17.
A man of weir … quhilk in his ȝoutheid had bene folich and evill gydit a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 493.
Evill schryvin, wan-thryvin, not clene na curius 1513 Doug. i. vii. 93.
The quhite tentis of king Rhesus, evill kepe [= kept] 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 140.
Becaus the prouest and baillies hes bene euill seruit in tymes past quhen they had ado with assyssis or inqueistis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 12.
The saige was laid to the said castell, … bot it was still haldin and evill done (1614) Chron. Perth 15.
The … bow of the brige fell doun, being eveill biggit, fillit onlie with clay and ȝeard 1641 Baillie I. 356.
Our ship fell leek, it was verie evill ballast, and heiled much 1663 Edinb. Test. LXXI. 189 b.
Followes the goodes & geir evill appreciat(2) 1456 Hay II. 28/17.
To … byg and mak reparacioun of evill biggit placis a1500 Doug. K. Hart 868.
At the last thai wantit thame dispence, Ewill purvayit folk for weir c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxviii. 10 (M).
Ȝe mend the faltis of ewill maid [B. ill maid] fete 1573 Cath. Tr. 3/16.
The euill foundet fortres my aduersar hes builded aganis the veritie 1606 Haddington Mem. II. 117.
Ane ewill choysine word vnadwysedlye spokene 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 125.
Followis the evill appretiat guids 1660 Misc. Spald. C. V. 231.
He was oft … reprowed for presenting to the tabill of ewill baikin bread

6. Badly, not well: a. In respect of fitness. c1420 Wynt. vi. 2129.
He cowth iwyll [W. euill; C. noucht weil] be a kyng, He sayd, that oysyd swylk lyvyng

b. In respect of being pleased or contented. a1500 Rauf C. 40.
Euill lykand was the King it nichtit him sa lait a1500 Prestis of Peblis 959.
Sir, I pray ȝou be not euill payit nor wraith c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 70/20.
Beand evill content in my hert of the prosperite of other personis 1533 Bell. Livy II. 77/33.
The Felischis, … mycht evil [L. ægre] sustene lang dilatioun of batall

c. In respect of health, state, or reputation. 1535 Stewart 49549.
This king Robert … Quhilk in his bed richt evill asposit la a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxv. 60.
The first word that scho spak, Scho said, ewill mot ȝe fair 1651 Gen. Assembly III. 387.
Lett it not … abate your courage that your way by some is ewill spokin of