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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LEESOME, adj.¹ Also leesim, leisome, liesome; lissome; leasome; leifsum and irreg. leishin. Cf. Leesome, adj.² [′lisəm]

1. Pleasant, lovable, agreeable, in gen. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 153; Uls. 1953 Traynor; Ork. 1960). Also adv. Adv. leisomely (Dmf. 1894 R. Reid Poems 159).Bnff. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 38:
A bonny leesome child.Peb. 1802 J. Nicol Poems I. 27:
Ye wives! whase leesome hearts are fain To get the poor man's blessin, Your trampit girnels dinna hain.Sc. a.1806 Thomas Rymer in Child Ballads No. 37. C. xviii.:
Ilka seven years, Thomas, We pay our teindings unto hell, And ye're sae leesome and sae strang That I fear, Thomas, it will be yeresell.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 17:
That temple's flures and wa's are lined — Wi' leifsum pictures a' kin kind.Gall. c.1840 Bards Gall. (Harper 1889) 195:
And spring has come again, luve, To deck yon leesome dell.m.Lth. 1864 A. Logan Musings 64:
Yet the leesome smile thou wearest, Marks thee perfection's queen, Katy.Cai. 1869 M. Maclennan Peasant Life 146:
I'd rayther hae a winsome leishin' cummer lik' ye than the brawest leddy i' the lan'.Lnk. 1893 J. Crawford Verses 32:
Oh! hinnied dreams o' youth's bricht days, Hoo licht, hoo lissome hae they been.Dmf. 1894 R. Reid Poems 77:
The gait o' his gangin' was leesome fair.Sc.(E) 1913 H. P. Cameron Imit. Christ iii. v. 89:
Braid me i' my luve, that I may learn till pree wi' the innart mou' o' the hert hoo leesome it is tae loe.Ork. 1931 Orcadian (7 May):
[He] made a whasacco o' whissin i' deir lugs, an' dan boy whit tinks du, dey gaed is leesome is twa ald yowes.

2. Of weather: fine, balmy, mild and bright (ne.Sc. 1960). Also adv.Abd. 1787 A. Shirrefs Jamie and Bess iii. i.:
Ay, Ned, says she, this is a liesome night!Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 66:
A bonny leesome night, as e'er I saw: The moon's as white's a new-blawn wreath o' snaw.Abd. 1828 P. Buchan Ballads I. 223:
Fair and leesome blew the wind.Abd. 1861 J. Davidson Poems 116:
In Spring's bright leesim days, ye've heard Enraptured nature sing.

3. Used as an intensive, with lane: absolutely, completely, quite (alone) (Cai., Abd., Kcd., Ags., Per., Fif., Edb., Ayr. 1960); hence occas. used absol. = solitary, lonely. See Lief, 4., for further information on this usage.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Letter xi.:
There sat the Laird his leesome lane.Edb. 1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie 2:
Daunderin aboot amang the hills your leesome lane, without a leeving being to commune wi'.Sc. 1876 S. R. Whitehead Daft Davie 226:
At last everything was quiet, and my Auntie sat her leesome lane in the yard.Bnff. 1895 N. Roy Horseman's Word viii.:
Leasome and lanesome is waesome and wearisome; as weel an egg without saut as a life wantin' freens.Gall. 1896 Crockett Grey Man xx.:
Do not call on Sandy by your leasome lane.Bwk. 1897 R. M. Calder Poems 214:
For when you've tint your wealth, you'll hae Your leesome road to gang.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems 36:
Deid 'oor o' nicht, My leesome lane.