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.

Lawfull, a. Also: lauful(l, -fyll, lauffull, laful(l. [ME. and e.m.E. lauful(l, law(e)ful(l (1387). Cf. Lauchfull.]

1. Sanctioned or permitted by law, according to law.(1) 1456 Hay I. 230/23.
And thus, sen ȝe ar at opyn were aganis oure king ȝe ar lawfull prisonere Ib. 255/30.
As to the successioun … I traist it be … lele and lauffull 1480 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 38.
The customes of Leith … with all lawfull dewteis, after the tenour of the clerks buik to be gevin in writt 1530 Carnwath Baron Ct. MS. 63 b.
Charging nane to cast elding twrf nor peit but laufull leif … optenit 1563 Grant Chart. 128.
The said tymmer … declarit … to be laufull merchandreis and weill cum geir 1584 Gowrie P. 79.
As yf all thinges were lawful that ar lustfull to them c1590 Fowler II. 32/20.
All hoores for the tollerance of thair bordellis as laufull tributairs payit him [the Pope] monethlye in gold 1597 Crim. Trials II. 29.
Geving thame selffis out … abill to haif curit … grit discissis … quhilk be na … lawfull and godlie wayes thay war abill to performe 1620 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 1 Nov.
Dilaitt … for brek of sabbothe be … doing his lawfull busines and peying off his debbtis on the said day 1688 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 286.
Being hardlie pressed to subscryve the tender disclaiming the King's laufull authority(b) 1532 Misc. Hist. Soc. VIII. .
I … sall tak thar … part in all lafull honest causis(2) 1456 Hay I. 72/4.
Quethir it be lefull and laufull thing till entre in clousit felde to defend richtwis caus a1578 Pitsc. II. 61/10.
It was nocht lawfull for thé to preich, thow hes takin power … without ony auctoritie of the churche 1625 Justiciary Cases I. 20.
It is laufull for the freindis or bairnes to persew for the slauchter 1639 Acts V. (1870) 606/1.
That it shall be lawfull … for all persones to keip horsis for hyring 1640 Ib. 278/1.
It is … laufull to the presbyteries … to appoynt stent maisteris for reparatione of kirke and kirkȝairdis(b) 1512 Crim. Trials I. i. 80.
It sall nocht be lafull to the … taker of him … to sla him

b. Permissible, allowable, reasonable; decent, proper. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1843.
Princes may sumtyme seik solace With mirth and lawfull mirrines a1599 Rollock Wks. I. 430.
Sum men wald live becaus they have wife and bairnis, and wald cair for them (I condemne not lawful cair) bot al this desire is vain 1642 Mun. Univ. Glasg. II. 466.
That the schollers be exercised in lawful games, such as gouffe, archarie 1700 Rothesay Par. Rec. 138.
Verie honest and laufull shifts and endeavours to train up their children at schooling

2. Legal: as appointed by or in accordance with the law; legally valid. a1500 Henr. III. 140/14.
Than eftirwart the pairteis sowld be cald For thair excuse to mak lawfull defence 1600-1610 Melvill 94.
No man aught to ingyre him selff, … without a lawfull calling 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 15.
Ane lawfull borgh (quhilk commonlie is called an borgh of haimehald) Ib. 20.
Arbitrie is ane lawfull deid of persons contendand … anent ane civill question and complaint 1615 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 173.
The dykis alwayis being maid lawfull and sufficient 1627 Justiciary Cases I. 64.
Without delay to put persones delaitit to thair laufull tryall 1643 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 9.
For so many as he hes not, or sall not doe lawfull diligence against

b. Laufull tyme of day bidden, see Lauchfull 2 b and Bide v. 4 b. 1662 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 2.
The said defender being laufullie sumond … laufull tyme of day bidden

c. Lawful time, day, during or on which it is lawful for something to be done, esp. for courts to be held or judicial action taken.(1) 1526 Carnwath Baron Ct. MS. 30.
The inqueist ordanis dykis to be maid abone corn & medo in lawful tym 1560 Carte Northberwic 79.
Betuix the day and dait heroff and the nativite of our lord callit ȝoull nyxt … or any vther laufyll tyme(2) 1526 Selkirk B. Ct. fol. 120 a.
To produce thair evidens this day monecht in plane court … failȝeand that the day be nocht laufull, the neixt efter daye 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. 4 a.
Thair conventioun quhilk salbe haldin the first laufull day eftir Mertimes 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 78.
And the defender alledge his warrant, he sall haue ane lawfull day to produce him Ib. ii. 162.
The Justitiar generall … in his particular justice courts, quhilk he may hald as occasion requyres any lawfull day

3. Of marriage: Legally valid. Of a spouse: Lawful. Of offspring: Legitimate.(1) 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 181.
Hir father was our native king, … and scho borne in the lawfull bed 1611-57 Mure II. 249.
The great Stewart being then king openlie acknowledged the first mariage & invited home againe Elizabeth Mure to his lawfull bed 1661 S. Ronaldshay 37.
Ane bairne baptised to Mr. John Maule, gotten in lauful mariage(2) 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 81.
Wyth liberte to the said Elizabeth to marye ony lawfull howsband 1568 Buch. Indict. 46.
Thai causet a diuorcie be mowyt in dowble forme agains his laufull vyif(3) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 28.
Nor ȝit could the ischew that mycht haue bene procreat betwixt thame be lawfull 1588 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 425.
Lawfull sones to the defunct 1596 Dalr. II. 268/23.
Lenox, as nerrest the Kingis blude, and lawful 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 202.
Elizabeth and Anna Makburnes laufull dochters to the said Mr. Johne

4. Recognized or qualified by law, having right according to law.(1) 1456 Hay II. 79/35.
For in fault of lawfull airis the lord aw to be aire till his subjectis 1481 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 330.
Landis … to be gyffin to … the said Williameis nerast lauffull ayris 1596 Dalr. I. 134/29.
To gyue place to the lawful ȝouth quha rycht be lyne was sproung of the Kingis blude 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 188 (28 Jan.).
The wther halfe therof to appertane to the neirest and laufullest of kin to the said Jean Inglis(2) 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. fol.138 a.
This inquest … fyndis Valter Scot in Hanyng [etc.] … abyll and laufull to be burges

b. Appointed or authorized according to law; having legally valid authority or powers.(1) 1581 Bk. Disc. vii. 21.
The national assemblie … is a lawfull convention of the haill kilks of the realm 1600-1610 Melvill 553.
Haiffing ane generall lawfull commissioune for that effect, according as it hes bein elis fund a1651 Calderwood VII. 367.
He was content to be judged for his doctrine in a lawfull Generall Assemblie, which is a judicatour authorized by the King a1650 Row 321.
He had given in a declinature, containing reasons why he could not acknowledge that judicatorie [the High Commission] to be lawfull(2) 1511 Reg. Panmure II. 280.
Maks, … and ordinats an honorabil man Thomas Maule … our verray lafull and ondoutit balye 1619 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 166.
To have maid … Andro Hunter … oure verie laufull undoutit and irrevocable commissionar, procurator, actor, factor and speciall erand berar to the effect underwrittin 1633 Ib. 375. 1640 Old Ross-shire I. 81.
To have maid … Rorie McKenzie … my verrie lawfull, undouttit and irrevocable bailȝie [etc.] 1688 Irvine Deeds MS. 6 June.
[Constituted] my very lawfull, undoubted & irrevocable procurators … to the effect undirwryten

5. Law-abiding. 1622 Urie Baron Ct. 45.
Ather cotter, greasman or woman that is thocht … nocht to be laufull nichtbouris and wantis keall or peitts

6. quasi-adv.: Lawfully, legally. Cf. Lauchfull a. 7. 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 356.
Be vertew quhairof I have caused laufull premonish the said John McCairtney