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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mervaill, -vel(l, Marvel(l, v. Also: -vail(e, -val(e, -vall, -wal(e, -wall, -vele, -wel(l, -vil(l. [ME. (c 1325) and e.m.E. mervayl, -vail, merveille, mer-, marvel, marveyl, OF. merveillier.]

1. intr. To feel surprise, astonishment or admiration, to be surprised or amazed. a1500 Henr. III. 146/13.
This message mervale gert that myld a1500 K. Hart 569.
Now mervale nocht, suppois I with thé chyde 1513 Doug. ix. ii. 50. 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 188.
This Italiane seand tham that ar innymis to the realme at gret liberte … he marvilis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 51/8.
I ceissit ferther to merwell a1578 Pitsc. II. 90/8.
Marvellit 1596 Dalr. I. 62/19.
The hail peple than meikle meruelling

2. To feel astonishment or admiration, to be surprised or amazed, at or of (also in) something. a1400 Leg. S. l. iii.
Bot thu suld moyse here & merwall, Of hewine & erth, that ma nocht faile Ib. 116.
Merwale c1460 Regim. Princ. 267.
Of a thing al gude men merualis mair a1500 Seven S. 1601. 1549 Compl. 6/2.
Euerye man maye meruel of his dexterite, vertu ande martial sciens 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I. 487.
Na word from the Erll of Susex, deputy of Irland, qwharof I marvall 1562-3 Winȝet II. 35/12.
Albeit thai meruelit at the eloquence of thair prophet and pastour Ib. 54/9.
I … may nocht merwel aneuch of sa grete wodnes of sum men, at sa gret impietie of thair blindit mynd 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 94.
My ant … Meruellit at me how I durst euer dude Aganis wemen to speik sa ruch and rude Id. Seven S. 3849. 1562 Reg. Morton I. 9.
Mother … I resavit your wrytting and … hes sa mekle merwelyt thairat that [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I. 361/6. Ib. 131/25; etc.
Thai … marwellit mekill of the King of Scottlandis comming throw the sie a1605 Montg. Misc. P. l. 40.
Merveling in this Margareit 1587 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II. 37.
Mervaling c1590 Fowler I. 131/137.
[To] mak hir merwell at hir selff 1585 James VI Ess. 44.
Ilk man did maruell at her forme most rare 1596 Dalr. I. 35/27. Ib. 60/21, 117/11.
But this land … we meruel nocht a litle off Ib. II. 115/23.
Of her excellent beutie the king meruelte mekle Ib. 125/21.
Quhither tha sulde mair meine his dolour or meruel of his dafrie 1630 Justiciary Cases I. 145. c1650 Spalding I. 287.
Geicht … mervallis at this bussiness

b. To gaze or reflect in awe or admiration, wonderingly or with puzzlement, on or upon (also at) something. a1500 Henr. Fab. 78 (Makc.).
So merwelland apone the stone, quod he ‘O gentill iasp!’ 1490 Irland Mir. I. 11/30.
Pepill, merwaland on thare dedis, extollit thame oure all uthire a1500 Seven S. 2428.
He ete litill meit … Bot on hir merwalit al ther maist c1552 Lynd. Mon. 120.
Musing and mervelling on the miserie … in erth 15.. Clar. v. 2275.
He … mervellit on his strenth and hie curagis a1578 Pitsc. I. 90/35.
The erle merwellit meikillat the matter quhat that sould meine

c. In the passive, with the thing wondered at as the subject of the passive verb. 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 356.
And the graces of Christ only remained to be mervailled at

d. Appar. = To look or hope for (a letter or message), accompanied by surprise that none has been received. — 1584 Laing MSS. I. 50.
His hienes … mervellis lang for word fra your honnour

3. tr., const. noun clause: To be surprised, astonished or amazed (that something is so, etc.).Also const. of (= at) the person who is the subject of the noun clause.(1) 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 44.
Mervaile yhe nocht that I write my lettres in Englis 1513 Doug. ii. i. 36.
Thai mervellit fast the hors samekill was 1527 Douglas Corr. 117.
Mervelling nocht litill we suld suffir resset … be given to the transgressouris of the lavis 1528–9 Reg. Morton II. 2. 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 50.
Marveland gretlie therof that ony thing suld be suspekit of me bot gud 1548 Ib. 263.
I mervell your grace send me the Erll of Cassyllis wrytyng, for I dow nocht get tham to hym c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2597. 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 97. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 971.
Nathing wald he speik Quhairof his father meruellit gretumlie That he agane answerit not instantlie Ib. 5772. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 24/13.
To maruell … that sa litle respect hes euir bene had to the grammar sculis 1566 Anderson Collect. Mary I. 47. 1568 Q. Mary in Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lvii.
Gud frind Y meruel mikle ȝe vreit ne meer to auld frinds 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 66. c1590 Fowler II. 28/32. 1596 Dalr. II. 310/7. 1673 Laing MSS. I. 391.
I mervill yow say nothing of the delivering the letter(2) 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 153/35.
I marvell of ȝou that thinkis nocht the mess idolatrie Ib. /36.
I marvell mekle mair of ȝou [etc.]

b. passive and impersonal: (It is to be, it was) wondered at, (it is or was) occasion for surprise or astonished remark.(1) 1550 Knox III. 46.
Greatlie it is to be mervalit that men do not advert [etc.] a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 125/5, 126/13. 1568 Lyndesay Pref. 3.
It is to be meruellit how he durst sa planelie inuey aganis the wycis of all men(2) 1559 Knox VI. 69.
It was much mervaled that the Quens majestie wraite no maner of ansuer

c. tr. with noun object: To wonder at, to note with surprise, amazement or admiration. 1513 Doug. i. xi. 31.
Thai mervellit the rich gyftis of Eneas a1578 Pitsc. I. 148/12.
Bot one thing thair was I merwell meikill moir That fortoun had thé at sic mortall feid 1596 Dalr. I. 311/29.
Quhais … valȝeantnes … King Malcolme meruelet sa mekle that [etc.]

d. Const. interrog. clause: To feel curiosity accompanied by surprise, amazement or admiration, to ask oneself wonderingly (what, how, why, etc.). c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2178.
Quhat alis ȝow schir, the king sayis, I mervell a1500 Henr. Fab. 850 (Bann.).
All meruailand quhat sic a cry suld mene c1475 Wall. iv. 240.
Than merweld all his men … How he dide mair than xx^ty of thaim mycht Ib. viii. 497.
Sotheroun marueld giff it suld be Wallace a1500 Seven S. 510.
Scho said ‘I merwell quhy ȝe speire The questioun ȝe knawe full wele’ Ib. 2037. a1540 Freiris Berw. 443. 15.. Dunb. App. ii. 9. 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 221.
We marwell quhat alis the baillies to be sua extreme to ws 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3781.
We meruell quhilk is ȝone Ib. 10218.
I meruellit greit quhairfoir that thing was wrocht Ib. 5568. a1568 Scott xvii. 1. Ib. xxvi. 1.
Marvilling in mynd quhat ailis fortoun at me 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 129. 1585 James VI Ess. 54.
Maruell 1596 Dalr. I. 36/20.
Meruel 1611-57 Mure I. 9/6.
I mervel'd much if scho was form'd by natour

4. impers. (Me etc.) mervalis, (it, the mater) mervellis (me etc.), it surprises or astonishes me, I am amazed (of (= at) something, that something is so, etc.). 1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
Yhu mervalis gretly that my men … has byrnde the toun of Berwike c1460 Regim. Princ. 247 (M).
Ȝit is ane thing of quhilk me mervalis mair c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5036.
Fader, quod I, it maruellis me, He haueand sic prosperite … Nor he had infynite plesoure 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6810.
The mater greitly meruellis me That [etc.]

b. Const. interrog. clause: = I am puzzled and amazed, cf. 3 d above. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 1505.
The ȝoungkeir said, this mater meruellis me Quhat sould a man, and lufe had neuer bene 1567 Sat. P. vii. 15.
It dois merwell me Quhat causit hes the lordis of Scotland Tak on [etc.] 1592 Mining Rec. 79.
It mervelis me … quhou Merchinstone cane have onie ground … of his rakning

5. refl. = 2, 4 above.Cf. OF. se merveiller de (Godef.). c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1127.
Of ane thing ȝit I meruell me