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.
Mutilat, p.p. and ppl. a. Also: mutilate, -ait, -et, mutillat, -ate, -ait, mwtilate; mutulat, -ate; mit(t)ulat, mitolat; metulat. [e.m.E. mutilate (1532), L. mutilāt-us. Cf. also Mutilit.]
1. Mutilated, maimed, disabled. a. Of a person.By wounding or by severing a limb or organ.Also const. of, also in, the limb.p.p. (1) 1525 St. A. Formulare I. 268.
The Kingis … liegis men … ar … part slane utheris mutilate brynt heriit [etc.] … oppinlie on day lycht and undere silence of the nycht a1538 Abell 21 a.
He wes mvtilat be his brodir sone Antigone quhilk bait of his eris c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1291.
Sum mutilate wer, and sum wer slane 1563–4 Reg. Privy C. I. 269. 1571 Bann. Memor. 112.
Thair was about 8 or 9 evill hurt, and sum mutilate a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 300. 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 260.
At last William Dunbar was hurt and mutilet be Robert Dunbar(b) 1622-6 Bisset I. 237/32.
Gif ony of the subiectis be mutulate or slane 1642 Glasgow Burgesses 106.
He went out with the armie in the commoun service and was verie neir mutulat thairin with ane sword(c) 1670 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III. 656.
Ane of the souldiers … had … mittulat the said Thomas Irwing 1689 Ib. XIII. 525.
Wher the petitioner was mitulat and brused … whereby the petitioner is rendered incapable of any … inployment(2) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII. 257.
Ane Frencheman quhilk was hurt with the schot of ane gun in the Fortht and mutilat of his finger 1583 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 103.
Schot throw the hand and metulat of his formest fingare —1584 Reg. Privy C. III. 725 (see Demembrat p.p.). —1618 Crim. Trials III. 456.
That he is mutilat of thre fingeris quhilk ar nocht cut aff bot mutilat and maid vnhable 1631 Justiciary Cases I. 165.
Beiring the hurt to be gevin to him be the pannell and he thairthrow lamet and mutilat of his rycht leg 1644 Baillie II. 204.ppl. a. (1) 1557 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 142.
The wound then wes grene and resent and nane wist quhedderhe wald be mutilat or not 1562-3 Winȝet I. 43/30.
We think that thair suld nocht be sa mony blynd, crukit … and seik, smottit, mutilat, mankit, deformit, scabbit Moabites, Amonites … maid preistis and prelatis in the Kirk 1558-66 Knox II. 345.
The Lord Ogilby, who was evill hurt, and almost yit abydis mutilat 1587 Aberd. Chart. 89.
Pure impotent mutilat persones orfalingis [etc.] 1600 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XX. 101.
For the cruell hurting … of James Skathowie … with ane swoird … throw the quhilk he is abill to be mutillate all the dayis of his lyfe 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Dvellvm.(2) 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 190.
The first is mutilat in the hand, ȝe se 1607 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 32. 1631 Justiciary Cases I. 166.
He is lamet and mutilat of his said leg the samyn being drawin up and mekill schorter nor the uther
b. Of the person's limb, also his body.Also, dismembered, amputated.p.p. 1533 Boece ii. v. 67.
Gif we be vincust … oure eris, neis and naturale membris sall be cuttit away and mutulateppl. a. 1533 Boece iv. viii. 137 b.
His mutulate carioun rent & revyn was castin in ane vile privye Ib. xii. viii. 469.
He … chargeit the stok and mwtilate body, in the flude of Thamys be castin 1537 Crim. Trials I. i. 203.
Seand … the said Rogeris tholme schewin before thame for the vndir part cutit away and mutilat 1666 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II. 185.
His hand and arme … is mutilat and uselesse
2. a. Of a writer's prose-style or the like: ‘Maimed’, ‘lame’, imperfect. b. Of lines of verse: Truncated, ‘broken’.1513 Doug. v. Prol. 51.
Hys febil proys beyn mank and mutulate [Sm. mutilait] 1604-9 Grahame Anat. Hum. 10 b.
He is an heretick poet, who can ryme extempore mitolat lynes, stropyat verses with halting feete
c. Of a passage in a book, statement, doctrine or the like: Having essential parts omitted or excluded; mangled, garbled.1549 Compl. 183/25.
The sophist logicinaris … may argou … be this mutulat freuol reul of logic 1562-3 Winȝet II. 59/32.
It is lesum that the auld doctrine of the heuenlie philosophie be … trimmit … bot … aluterlie vnlesum that it be mankit or maid mutilat 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in Cath. Tr. 237/17.
Thir sacramentaire ministers … hes mutilat this passage, takand out of thair Scottis bible al this clause
d. Of a book or document: Mutilated, rendered imperfect or incomplete by having parts removed or obliterated.a1568 Bann. MS. p. 59/7.
My copeis awld, mankit and mvtillait 1638-54 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 23.
Richies third book which is lacerat and mutilate in diuers places 1638 Bk. Univ. Kirk App. xxiii.
Which register is imperfect and mutilate in the end and containeth no leaf nor page
