Obs. exc. Sc. Forms: 4 ferli, 4–8 ferlie, (9 ferley), 4–6 farley, -lie, -lye, 5– ferly. [f. FERLY a.] 1. intr. To wonder.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 323. Thai … Farlyit, and ȝarnyt hym to se.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4761. Quen he had ferlied his fill.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 3117.
| That euery wight ferleit of his deid, | |
| And al his fois stondith ful of dreid. |
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. Prol. 86. Frend ferly not.
1597. Montgomerie, Cherrie & Slae, 846. Nane ferlies mair than fulis.
1725. Ramsay, Gent. Sheph., II. iv. Peg. … I ken they’ll wonder what can make us stay. Pat. And let them ferly.
1786. Burns, Twa Dogs, 122.
| They’ll … tell what new taxation’s comin, | |
| An’ ferlie at the folk in Lon’on. |
1826. Hogg, Meg o’ Marley, 20, Wks. 1840, V. 97.
| He rises but to curse an’ ban, | |
| An’ sits down but to ferly. |
b. quasi-trans. with sentence as obj.
c. 1400. Melayne, 1474. Thay ferlyde why he fewterde his spere.
1500–20. Dunbar, The Fenȝetit Freir of Tungland, 63. All fowill ferleit quhat he sowld be.
1801. R. Gall, The Tint Quey, in Chambers, Pop. Hum. Scot. Poems (1862), 178.
| Ilk ane ferlied nae a wee, | |
| What luckless gate the chiel could be. |
2. trans. To amaze, astonish. Only impers. and in passive.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17361 (Gött.). Fulferlid all þan war þai.
c. 1400. Melayne, 552. Me ferlys of thy fure.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4991. Þe wale kyng … Was in þe figure of hire fourme noȝt ferlid a littill.
c. 1450. Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 2405. Na man be ferlyd, Bede biddes.
