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.
Longsom(e, a. Also: -sum(e, -sim. [e.m.E. longsome : cf. Langsum a. (f. Lang a., Long a.).] 1. Lengthy, tedious; slow, tardy.(1) 1584 Sat. P. xlv. 616.
His longsome byding 1587 Rait & Cameron King James' Secret 181.
My ruide and longsum lettir c1590 Fowler I. 56/237.
How among so longsome sighs and shortned smylingis I Can change my state 1614 Melrose P. 154.
The prissoners … transporte … wilbe faschious, expensiue, longsume, and dangerous 1619 Sutherland Corr. 137.
It war longsome to me to wreit all the contentis off his letter 1637 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 56.
The longsome toyle … of working with the hammer 1639 Baillie I. 237.
Much lasur and longsom vacations 1642 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 339.
The causes were drawn up by some longsome and unmeet hand 1644 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi. 55.
Quhen euir it plisis God … to finich … my longsim and wiried layf 1647 Stirlings of Keir 485.
As for your busynes ther, I am affraid you fynd it longsome c1650 Spalding II. 446.
This longsum, lothsum prissoun indureit for the first half yeir 1662 Edinb. Test. LXX. 301.
I am somwhat seiklie … by reason of my longsom and duyneing decease 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 134.
All that is done is in plane parliament, which I see is a longsome way(2) 1614 Crim. Trials III. 290.
Crauing your lo[rdship's] pardone that I am so longsum 1650 Brechin Presb. 45.
[She] was longsom in comeing to tak the multur c1650 Spalding I. 87.
He wes not longsum bot schort at sermon, and thairefter haistellie gois to hors 1692 Presb. Eloq. 77.
Finding a woman longsome in taking the bread out of his hand
2. ? With admixture of the sense of Lang v.1, Long v.1: ? Longing, yearning. 1581-1623 James VI Poems II. 73/7.
Doe beasts and birds bewaile there carefull cace With longsume lookes in houp to see againe … Flora a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xliv. 25.
My ene, Quhais longsum looks my lyf beuryis
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"Longsom adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/longsome>