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.
Quotation dates: 1375-1645
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Fell, Fel, a. Also: felle, feile, feill. [ME. fell(e, fel, OF. fel. Before 1560 only in verse.]
1. Of a fierce or cruel disposition; ruthless. a. Of persons.1375 Barb. ii, 193.
Thar wes nane off lyff sa fell, Sa pautener, na sa cruell a1400 Legends of the Saints iv. 306.
Thocht he was bath fel and bawld, Ȝet hym forthocht his mysdede a1400 Ib. vii. 114, etc.
O ȝe fel folk of Israel, quhat do ȝe now? c1420 Wynt. i. 304.
In tyll this tyme … Was geawndys walkand fers and fell c1420 Ib. iii. 852, etc.
Thare the Medys war so felle, … That mony douchty thai gert de c1450-2 Howlat 598.
Thire armes of eld Bure the erll of Murray … His fell fais till affray c1450-2 Ib. 741.
Now … make ws fre Fro fendes that fell is a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 877.
Fie on thy fechting! fell hes thow bene c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 5.
Me thocht amangis the feyndis fell Mahoun gart cry ane dance 1535 Stewart 34966.
Ane fellar freik wes nane that mycht be foud a1568 Scott ii. 4.
The grit debait … Betuix twa freikis fell c1590 J. Stewart 46/121.
Through fellest fois that fumit fast in feild … he gois
b. Of animals.a1400 Legends of the Saints iv. 344.
A fel dragon com tham till Blawand fel fyre one tham a1400 Ib. xxxvii. 371; etc.
It suld … be eteyne of fel bestis thare c1420 Wynt. vi. 323.
A serpent all wgly … Fell apperand and venenows c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace xi. 96.
A fell lyoun the king has gert be brocht Within a barrace c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 57.
That scorpioun fell 1513 Doug. iii. iv. 53.
[To] bargane … Agane the cruell pepill, or byrdis fell 15.. Clariodus i. 1113.
The King … thankit him … For slauchter of the lyoun wode and fell a1568 Bannatyne MS 145 a.
Foxis ar fell at crawing cokkis
2. Of character or acts: Marked by ferocity, anger, or violence.1375 Barb. xix. 6.
Covatis … Gert lordis of full gret renoune Mak a fell coniuracioune Agane Robert c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2152.
Sche tuke so cruell hart and fell Aganis this Diomede c1420 Wynt. ii. 1130.
Quhen Josue full wyttyng gat That he dissawyd wes, … He arguyt thame on fel manere a1500 Golagros and Gawane 570.
Thus thai faught vpone fold, with ane fel fair 1513 Doug. ix. xii. 99.
Lynceus … Resistys, as he myght, with fell afferis 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 104.
Thay now conspyre with cruell hart and fell 1572 Satirical Poems xxv. 26.
Thai … accused hir With serpent wordis fell
b. Of battle or fighting.1375 Barb. xv. 10.
Thai yschit out … till assale Thair fois in-to fell battale 1375 Ib. 486.
Quhen that the fichting fellest was c1420 Wynt. ii. 1210.
A fell were ras … And a dispetews in thai dayis c1420 Ib. iv. 721.
Than ras the fycht bath fers and felle c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 109.
Erle Patrik then, quhen fechtyng was fellast, Till our fa turnd c1475 Ib.v. 834.
Hardy and hate contenyt the fell mellé 1513 Doug. xii. xiii. 33.
Thou mycht alsso … A fell ontellabill batal rays 1535 Stewart 2869.
Fell wes the faucht, and rycht strang wes the stour c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3646.
Allexander … In battell fell and furious Vincuste the mychtie Darious
3. Of pains, illness, mishaps, etc.: Severe, grievous, painful.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 211.
Of the panis fers and fell, That thai sall hawe that ar in hell a1400 Ib. xv. iii.
Thymone the fel fewire sa Trawalyt c1420 Wynt. vi. 1442.
Till a lord hapnyd a fell chans; … Wyth myis he wes swa wmbesete a1500 Henr. III. 120/60.
The feveris fell & eild sall gar thé fald a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 995.
Ȝour misfortoun sall be als fell As did a burges I herd tell 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 41.
Thou art mair forcy than the ded sa fell 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 157.
Scho tuke ane fell passioun And ane lang space scho lay in deidly swoun c1590 J. Stewart 73/26.
Vith feuir new and fell … assoupit dois scho smart(2) 1375 Barb. ii. 364.
Thai … swa fell strakys gave and tuk a1400 Legends of the Saints iv. 113.
Of God the angel … Band vs with chenȝeis fel & sar a1400 Ib. xxxiii. 520.
The wiche thane … a fere fellare poysone made c1420 Ratis Raving 299.
Outrag[e] … is in rutis fals and fell c1475 Wall. ii. 244.
The flux he tuk in to thar presoune fell c1475 Ib. iv. 100.
Fell tithingis was brocht Persie beforn c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 78.
With ane poysone that was fell 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 25.
Athir serpent … with thar cruell byt and stangis fell … tuke mony sary morcell 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 17.
Christ, … with his bludie woundis fell
4. Of natural forces: Violent, strong. Esp. of the weather: Severe, inclement.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xlix. 133.
The vedir is fel & il c1420 Wynt. ii. 403.
Ranys … Fowrty dayis wytht forsys fell Schot out thare schowrys 1456 Hay I. 58/3.
The frost and snaw was sa fell, and sa stark weder a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 74.
The wedderis ar sa fell, that fallis on the feild a1500 Ib. 731.
How the frostis war sa fell 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 140.
I … Schupe with hayt flambe to fleym the fresyng fell 1513 Ib. xii. viii. 23.
Lyke as the bub or plaig of fell tempest 1535 Stewart 53358.
Ane greit tempest thair hapnit in the se, Of wynd and wall the fellest that micht be c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 392.
Mont Caucasus … Quhilk montane is … all excandidate With snawis fell(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1735.
And tharwith all the fell fyre-flaucht Come frome the hewine c1420 Wynt. iv. 1409.
A fell subversyowne and suddayne Had hale the cyte nere ouretane c1420 Ib. vii. 2988.
A fell fyre hym to colys brynt 1513 Doug. ix. ii. 99.
Myxt with reik the fell sparkis of fyre Heich in the air vpglydis 1567 Satirical Poems iii. 119.
Quhome Josua in flambis fell did burne
5. Extreme in degree or intensity. In later use: Great, considerable.a1400 Legends of the Saints xxii. 225.
Thi fel frawardnes do away c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2276.
I gat a fell fray c1420 Wynt. iii. 56.
Fra thai had bade lang tyme wyth out Thai ware in to the fellare dout c1420 Ib. viii. 7009.
Wyth that takyn he gave hym state Off his fell presumptyown c1450-2 Howlat 875.
To reforme the howlot of faltis full fell a1500 Henr. Fab. 2557.
To set ȝour maister in sa fell effray c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 203.
The defendouris was off so fell defens, Kepyt thar toun a1500 Doug. King Hart 81.
Feistis fell and full of jolitee 1562-3 Winȝet I. 99.
At this place … Iohne Knox maid a fel farde 1574 Satirical Poems xlii. 771.
Ȝe haue ressounis fell 1645 Baillie II. 310.
Savill's business made a fell sturr among us
