A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1490-1619
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Dulce, a. and adv. Also: doulce, dulse. [e.m.E. dulce, dulse (1545), L. dulcis. Cf. Douce.]
1. Sweet-sounding; harmonious.1490 Irland Mir. I. 32/29 (nane sa dulce sang). 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. ii. 85 (dulce blastis of pypis). 1513 Id. Æn. xii. Prol. 245 (in wrablis dulce). 1535 Stewart 8249 (with dulce musick and sang). 15.. Clariodus ii. 1653 (the dulse base fiddell). 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 6431 (hir dulce melodie). a1578 Pitsc.. I. 233/17 (werie dulce and melodious to heir). c1590 J. Stewart 76/116 (doulcest verblis rare).
b. adv. Sweetly, melodiously. a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2571.
Ane nychtingale … sang sa werray dulce & sweit 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 64/19.
Amphion, quhilk sang sa dulce
2. Sweet-smelling, fragrant.c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 47 (this garth most dulce and redolent). 1513 Doug. i. x. 67 (sweit floweris … with thar dulce smell). c1552 Lynd. Mon. 135 (the dulce and balmy dew). c1552 Ib. 829 (the balmye dulce odouris).
3. Pleasant to taste, feeling, or sight.c1515 Asloan MS I. 326/29 (dulce watteris). 1528 Lynd. Dreme 79 (Dame Flora … dulce and delectabyll). 1535 Stewart 880 (Eolus rycht dulce and delectabill). a1568 Steel Bannatyne MS 235 a/3 (O dasy duls). a1568 Scott i. 222 (dulce dowble dasy deir).
4. Pleasant or agreeable to the mind or spirits.c1515 Asloan MS I. 326/30 (dulce teching and prechingis). 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 2 (thy dulce ornat fresch endyte). 1533 Bell. Livy I. 292/26 (this new and dulce auctorite). 1535 Stewart 36016 (with dulce wordis and sweit). 1540 Lynd. Sat. 275 (ioyis dulce and delicious). c1550 Id. Meldrum 868 (plesant dulce talking). a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii. 57 (blinkis dulce and debonair). 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 1445 (his doctrine dulce).
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"Dulce adj., adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/dulce_adj_adv>
