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 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ill, adv. Also il(e, ille. [ME. (chiefly north. and north midl.) yll(e, il(l, ille (c 1200), f. Illadj.: cf. ON. illa. Cf. Evill adv., and the note on Ill n.]

1. In a wicked or wrongful manner; wickedly; wrongfully, unjustly. a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 525.
Symon Magus … al thai folkis dyssawyt il With the fals layre he taucht tham til ?1438 Alex. ii. 2638.
Ȝe haue answered wonder ill a1500 Seven S. 1639.
Say ȝe nocht this clerk ill him bure That slokinnit the fyre that warmit the pure? a1598 Ferg. Prov. (S.T.S.) No. 888.
I deny it ill & falsly as Caldwel did his creed 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 148.
Il woon soon spent

b. With the past pples. aposit, inclind: With disposition to wickedness. 1535 Stewart 27340.
All that wes done … Vnhappelie be ill aposit men 1625 Garden Kings 68.
Bass, corrupt counsalours, and ill inclind

2. Severely; grievously, seriously; harshly, with severity. 1375 Barb. xix. 680.
The man leit him begilit ill a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 993.
Herot thocht hyme il begelt Quhen ther thre kingis fra hym duelt a1500 Henr. Abbay Walk 26.
Thocht thow he blind, … Or in thy face deformit ill 1495 Halyb. 21.
The thrid sek [sc. of wool] was il spylt in the schip and forpakit a1540 Freiris Berw. 588.
The Freir in myre hes loppin, And … fyld wes woundir ill 1596 Dalr. II. 328/12.
His heid il birst and sair hurt a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 985.
I wald your joy were jape eyed and your lamen ill gleid Ib. No. 1866.
Ye have ane il revlt hesp to red a1661 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 386.
Then I must come with my ill-ravelled work to Christ 1677 Stirlings of Keir 514.
[He] complains that he hes bein ille eused by you

3. a. Unfortunately, unprosperously; unprofitably.(1) a1500 Rauf C. 108.
I trow our gaist [= guest] be the gait hes farne als ill a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv. 116.
Sum I suppose ar borne infortunate Or ellis gud labouris could not prosper ill(2) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1622.
Than I haue spent richt ill my seuin ȝeiris space, Taking laubouris on ȝour sone Ib. 10747.
[Their] dayis thay haue ill spendit: Ane ill entrie for commoun is ill endit 1680 Jas. Skene in Cloud of Witnesses (1720) 96 (J).
I thought no travel ill-wared … whereby I might propagate his [sc. God's] despised interest among you

b. With hardship or inconvenience. 1380 Rep. Hist. MSS., Var. Coll. V. 77.
We ar marche men … and may ill be absent owte of our ger for gret scathis apperand tyll us

4. Badly, not well, in respect of performance or supply. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 370.
Certis, thu seis ful il Quhene thu thaim callis dissawouris, Of Crystis treutht that ware doctouris a1540 Freiris Berw. 144.
He did nocht ill that fand ȝow half aneuche a1568 Scott iv. 99.
Thai gyde nocht ill that governis weill thame sell a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. clxxix. 76.
Thocht thow haue nothair geir nor land Think nocht thairfoir he luifis thé ill

b. Chiefly with past participles, freq. attributive.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 208.
Besyly [he] cane hyme haste That il begyt wes, to waste ?1438 Alex. ii. 3073.
We are few men and armit ill 1638 Baillie I. 158.
This … many took … as not ill said and nothing against their minde 1659 Hay Diary 5.
I found this synod very ill constitute 1667 Lauderdale P. II. 15.
The old corns eaten up and the land ill-laboured 1674 Misc. Hist. Soc. I. 287.
It his ben vere ile tymd just after so soleme a proclamation 1681 Lauder Observes 40.
He had so il contryved his perjurie, that [etc.] a1686 Turner Mem. 215.
The article is very ill worded(2) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 1132.
Me think ȝe [of] il rewlit wil Gyf ȝe vald sla … A presoner c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxviii. 14 (B).
Sowtaris, with schone weill maid … , Ȝe mend the faltis of ill maid feit a1578 Pitsc. (1728) 172.
Or else he shall have an ill-guided realm a1661 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 202.
They say that the kirk … hath neither son nor heir … , but I know that she is not that ill-friended a1686 Turner Mem. 20.
The rebells that were in the castle … deliverd it up upon a very ill made accord, or a very ill keepd one 1688 A. Shields Heads of a Lecture Preached in Gaastoun 13.
Do not father your ill-gotten getts on the holy scriptures

5. In contexts denoting displeasure, annoyance, or resentment.(1) a1500 Lanc. 907.
Disples yow not, sir, be ȝhe not ill paid a1500 Seven S. 325.
This pynull … frut bure neuer nane; Tharof the burges was ill payd Ib. 1166.
The emprys herd that day delayd: Attour mesour scho was ill payd(2) c1420 Ratis R. 58.
He saw a thing [which] hyme lykyt ill c1450-2 Howlat 460.
Tham lykit full ill c1475 Wall. i. 308.
Our kyne ar slayne and that me likis ill a1500 Rauf C. 39.
The King lykit ill. Euill lykand was the King [etc.](3) 1638 Annandale Corr. 296.
I intreat your lordship not to tak it ill since your lordship knoues the caus Acc. Betty Laing (1704) 7.
Which refusal Beatie Laing takes so ill out, that she vows to be revenged