A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Malan-, Melancolious, a. and adv. Also: -ius, melancholious, -iows, -ius, mallancoleous, mellancolious. [ME. malan-, malencoli(o)us, melancolyous(e (14–15th c.), malancholious (c 1400), OF. melancolieus.]
1. Tending to cause, consisting of, or of the nature of, the humour melancholy. b. adv. 1456 Hay I. 76/26.
The naturis of the sternis and the planetis … the tane is sangwyne, the tothir is malancolius 1549 Compl. 67/33.
My dul melancolius nature 1561 Crim. Trials I. i. 415.
[He] is subdewit to ane malancolius hvmour, naturallie descendand from his progenitouris 1600-1610 Melvill 219.
Melancolius dysenterie 1615 Sutherland Corr. 113.b. 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 10.
Sic humoris corruptis in mannis bodie … quhilkis ar melancholius infectit be pestilentiall corruptioun of air or vater
2. Of persons, their attributes or actions: Characterised by ‘melancholy’; deeply depressed, gloomy, sad; sullen, resentful.(a) 1492 Myll Spect. 277/6.
Quhen thow art our blyth & wald be malancolious 1528 Lynd. Dreme 924.
With ane rycht malancolious countynance 1548 Cal. Sc. P. I.
[Be not] mallancoleous(b) 1531 Bell. Boece II. 207.
He dissimilit his ire for ane time. His wife, seand him ilk day more melancolius, demandit [etc.] 1549 Compl. 68/16.
Ane lady … makkand ane melancolious cheir 1575 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 680.
Quhair he befoir was melancholious 1558-66 Knox II. 450.
Melancholius ressouns wald haif sum myrth intermixed 1584 Colville Lett. 57.
I haif skribbillit out ane melancolius letter 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æn. ii. 421. 1640 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 590. a1650 Row 368. 1656 Laing MSS. I. 306.
If he help it not, he may turn mellancolious
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Melancolious adj., adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/melancolious>