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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1513-1626
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Nocht-the-les, Nochtheles, adv. Also: noght(e)- and -lese and noch-the-les. [Cf. Natheles, Netheles, None-the-les, and also Notheles, Nocht-les and Not-the-les.]
Nevertheless, none the less. a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 605.
The quhilk Petir nocht-the-lese Conuertit a1400 Ib. iii. 604.
And wenis nocht-the-les That I suld [etc.] a1400 Ib. xv. 137.
Debonare wes he nocht-the-les 1513 Doug. xii. vi. 163.
He nocht the les agane hys fa furthsprent 1531 Bell. Boece I. 19.
Nochtheles, he wald glaidly avise with his nobillis 1533 Id. Livy I. 38/30, 115/30; etc.
Nochttheles 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 2/27.
Bot nochtheles Gode [etc.] 1549 Ib. 6/24.
Ȝit nochtheles ther disordinat intentione [etc.] 1553 Reg. Privy C. I. 141.
Nochttheles 1557 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 3.
Nochtheles 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 348.
Nocht the les 1559–60 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XI. 521.
And yit nochtheles is content [etc.] a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 117/14.
And nocht the les he is verraly God a1561 Ib. 112/10; etc.
Nochttheles 1562-3 Winȝet I. 65/31.
To quhome nochttheles we aucht dew obœdience 1562-3 Ib. 9/24.
Nochtheles 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 42.
The quhilk albeit it be small of corporance noghttheles it is of ane strange nature 1572 Canongate Ct. Bk. 373.
Nochttheles a1578 Pitsc. II. 29/4.
Nocht-the-les 1582 Criminal Trials I. 103.
And nochttheles [etc.] 1585 James VI Ess. 47.
Noghttheles c1590 Fowler II. 38/10.
Ȝit thairto nocht the les resisting c1590 Ib. I. 146/13.
Nochttheles c1590 Ib. II. 162/5.
Nochtheles ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1818) 29.
Noch the les it is fertile 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 7.
Nochttheles 1622-6 Bisset I. 51/21.
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"Nocht-the-les adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/nocht_the_les>
