A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Piteous, -i(o)us, a. Also: pitt-, pict- and -iouse, -eouse, -ieous, -yous, -eus. [e.m.E. and ME. piteus (1340), -eous (c 1400), pyteous, -yows, -eo(u)se (15th c.), pittious (16th c.), f. as pitous Pitous a., appar. conformed to pity Pité n. Cf. Peteo(u)s a., Pieti(o)us a.] Piteous, in the usual senses.
1. Deserving, or appealing for, pity; mournful. = Petuo(u)s a. 1. c1400 Troy-bk. i. 544.
The spyrit yhald with piteous voice 1535 Stewart 55319.
Makand ane pitieous mane 1549 Compl. 93/32.
Pitteus 1569 Cal. Sc. P. III. 10.
Pictyous 1570 Sat. P. xi. 21.
My hauie hap and piteous plicht c1590 J. Stewart 66/42.
As quhan ane troup of porcks … quhryns vith pitius bruit and beir — 15.. Clar. v. 2746.
The depairting pitiouse was … Betwix him and his eame Ib. i. 8.
Pitious
2. Of persons: Full of pity; merciful, compassionate. Also transf. = Petuo(u)s a. 2. 15.. Clar. v. 1484.
Ladies in heart beine pitious ever maire — a1585 Maitl. Q. xcv. 14.
Luik with thy piteous eine throuch all this land
3. Full of piety; godly, dutiful. c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Peter ii. 9.
The Lord can deliuer piteouse [Purvey piteuouse; L. pius] men fra temptatioun 1513 Doug. i. ix. 42 (Ruddim.) (see Petuo(u)s a. 3).
Piteous
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Piteous adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/piteous>