A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1661
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Ill, n. Also: il(e, ille, yll(e, hil, hill, hyl(l. [ME. (chiefly north. and north midl.) yl(le, il(l (a 1300), absol. use of the adj.Like the adj. and adv., this was appar. often regarded as a variant or reduced form of the synonymous (but unrelated) Evill, Ivil(l.]
1. Moral evil, wickedness, wrong-doing.1375 Barb. iv. 735.
That men, kyndly to ill giffin, … avay has driffin Thair ewill [C. ill] a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 505.
Myn master alswa me taucht For to do gud agan hyla1400 Ib. ii. 800.
In yll the tyrand had sic joy c1420 Wynt. v. 1033.
All the dedys … done throucht Domytyane … ware fundyn all off ylle a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2742.
Wikit woman, fulfillit of ill 1535 Stewart 3672.
The lustie ladeis … war so wild, wist nother of ill nor gude 1567 Satirical Poems vii. 102.
Gif that a freind with fayis away war led Be wickit craft, syne tystit war till ill a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xxx. 106.
Thocht the warld be haly set on yll
b. An evil deed, a wickedness.c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 864.
Among illes so mony Quhilkis thw done has wikkitly That thw this litill gud wolde do c1420 Ratis Raving 476.
Till fle al lyklynes Of yllis
2. Wrong, mischief, or harm, done to or suffered by one.1375 Barb. v. 100.
To wenge the angir and the ill That thai … had to thaim vrocht 1375 Ib. xii. 227. 1375 Ib. v. 216.
The Persy … went … his castell till Vithout distrowbilling or ill a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 582.
That man has done gret il ay To thamea1400 Ib. x. 105.
He vnhid the hill, That thai twa ded the puple tilla1400 Ib. xl. 62.
With wemene wald he nocht conuerse Na of na man il rehersec1420 Wynt. viii. 4462.
Qwha till Haly Kyrk doys ille c1460 Wisdom of Solomon 723.
Gret lordis ar quhilum hafand powar … & mar for thar ill na for thar gud 1535 Stewart 40565.
The Inglismen … In tyme to cum tha war quyte of his ill 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1392.
In faith I fand bot ill and war a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cxxx. 91.
Sen that I neuer did ȝow ill It wer no skill ȝe did me skaith 1588 Misc. Spald. C. II. 61.
I him saifitt frome her ill
b. To take in ill, to take offence or be displeased at. For na(ne) ill, with no bad intention. To think yll, to be displeased or annoyed.(1)a1400 Legends of the Saints xix. 366.
Gud sir, takis nocht in hil c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxx. 20.
Sweit confessor, thow tak it nocht in ill a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cxxx. 133.
For God, sir, tak in none ill(2) a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 53.
‘Sa mot I thrife’, said the King, ‘I speir for nane ill’ c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 373.
‘Schyr, I sper nocht for nane ille … ’ c1515 Asloan MS I. 224/5.
Thai … said that thai come for na ill of him ne his childer(3)1566-70 Buch. Comm. Virgil Georgics iv. 332.
Si piget te gloriæ meæ, gif ȝe think sa gryt yll
3. Misfortune or adversity. b. A misfortune, a calamity, a disaster.1375 Barb. ii. 161.
He boune wes … To tak with him the gud and ill 1375 Ib. iii. 302.
His caus ȝeid fra ill to wer c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1606.
Thai Suld haue gret ill be mony way Or that thai come in thare cuntre c1420 Wynt. vi. 2054.
Fayre on thi waye, Owthire welle or ill as happyne may ?1438 Alex. ii. 2639.
Great ill fallis of villanes speik And gude of courtes c1460 Wisdom of Solomon 714.
Quha sa dois biding, felis na ill eftire c1460 Consail Vys Man 91.
Gud cumpany gud men makis And of the ill oft men ill takis1661 Forfar Witches in Soc. Ant. XXII. 257.
That hir mother caist ill one Robert Dogb. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 788.
Quhair twa illis dois appeir Lat vs that tak quhairin lyis leist dangeir 1560 Ib. 9218. a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) 16.
Of twa ills choose the least a1598 Ib. 16 b.
Of ane ill comes many
4. A disease, sickness, illness.Common in the names of specific diseases, as Child-ill, Dede-ill, falland ill (Falland ppl. a. a), foul ill (Foul a 1 d), Land-ill, Lever-ill, etc.1375 Barb. ix. 61.
Till that thair capitane War couerit of his mekill ill a1400 Legends of the Saints vii. 577.
Full besyly can he spere Of his seknes the manere & of the cause als of the ile a1400 Ib. xx. 3.
Sere mene … To sancte Blase has devocione, Sume fore il of awne or bane a1400 Ib. xxviii. 10.
[The pearl] is vertuyse callyt alsa Agayne ane il callyt cardiaca ?1438 Alex. ii. 3551.
It was ane ill of ieloussy c1420 Ratis Raving 181.
The lypir and the faland ill 1535 Stewart 36452.
The seiknes hecht the gentill mannis ill … causit him tak bed 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 7.
Scho … seithit kaill rwntis in watter for ane ill or sairnes scho had in hir head 1623 Criminal Trials II. 537.
Scho skaillit swm [water], quhilk scho rewis … , becaus that if oyne hed gone ower it, thay hed gottyn the ill 1659 Barty Hist. Dunblane 97.
Charme this man … for shotes and grippe, For all the ills that ever may be
