Now only Sc. Forms: 4 whitliche, 4, 7 whitly, 6 whitlie, whytley, whytely, 5– whitely; Sc. 5 quhitlie, 6 quhitly, quhytly, quhittlie. [f. WHITE a. + -LY1.] Whitish; pale; light-complexioned, ‘fair.’
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. ix. (Tollem. MS.). [A phlegmatic man is] whitly in face, ferful of herte. Ibid., XI. vi. Rauene briddes while þey ben whitliche [ed. 1495 whitlew, 1535 whitelewe, 1582 whitlewe] in feþeris, or þey ben blake.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), iii. A Bucke is a diuerse beste; he hath nought his heer as an hert. for he is more whitely.
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cress., 214. Four ȝokkit steidis full different of hew,… The secund steid … Quhitlie and paill.
1548. Recorde, Urin. Physick, x. (1651), 82. If … the colour of the garland [of the urine] be white, or whitely, it is a token full of good hope.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S. T. S.), II. 17. He was fair and quhittlie.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., III. i. 198. A whitly wanton, with a veluet brow, With two pitch bals … for eyes.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett., II. xxii. (1890), 414. Those whitely Stars … Which make the Milky-Way.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 141. You have his whitely Look.
1737. Ramsay, Sc. Prov. (1750), 112. Whitely things are ay tender.
1833. New Monthly Mag., May, 65. I know him by his whitely eyes.
Comb. 1528. Paynell, Salerne’s Regim. (1541), e iij. A flematike person is whytly coloured: the colerike is browne and tawny.
1588. Cert. Advert. out of Irel., B 3. The Prince of Ascule was a slender made man … whitely faced.
1656. Mercurius Politicus, No. 330. Flaxen haired, whitely faced.
