A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Chance, Chans, n. Also: chaunce, chawnce, chawns; chanse, chanch(e. [ME. chaunce, chance, cheance (c 1300), OF. chance, cheance.]
1. A casual or fortuitous event or circumstance, esp. as happening to or affecting a person.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 168.
Thus gat maid thai thar acquentance, That neuir syne, for nakyn chance Departyt quhill thai lyffand war c1420 Wynt. viii. 1553.
Patryk for drede of this chans Fled off Scotland in to Frans Ib. 4983.
It wes to Scotland a gud chance, That thai made thaim to werray in France c1450-2 Howlat 538.
Throw full chevalrus chance he his hert chevit c1475 Wall. ii. 224.
Sum happy chance may fall for your behuff Ib. iii. 239.
Leif I thaim thus, blamand thar sory chance a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1243.
Quhat menis fortoune be skill, Ane gude chance or ane ill a1500 Doug. K. Hart 371.
Full weill is me … of this chance c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 54.
Sic cursit chance till eschew 1513 Doug. x. vi. 141; etc.
Other thre … By diuers chancis put he al to ded 1533 Boece vii. ii. 223 b.
Pichtis … pleneȝete the hard chance be thare avne culpe incurrit a1540 Freiris Berwik 549.
Nevir befoir him hapnit sic a chance a1570-86 Maitl. F. ci. 76.
Ȝe wait not ȝit quhat may befall. Sic chance hes cum rycht haistelie a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxviii. 58.
Quhat euer chanche Dois me outtrance(b) 1375 Barb. xx. 58.
Men … maid … Fesnyng of frendschip and of pes, That neuir for na chans suld ces a1400 Leg. S. vi. 459.
This present lyfe Is ay … undirlout to chansis sere c1420 Wynt. vi. 706.
Charlys … Hapnyd be a fellowne chans To be rywyn wyth a bare Ib. 1442.
Till a lord hapnyd a fell chans a1568 Scott xviii. 13.
Quhat chans that may fall me(c) c1420 Wynt. ii. 516.
Is nane so redy craft no chawnce Off auld kyn newe to fynde Ib. vii. 2578.
A mychty erle … Hapnyd to be slayne in that chawns 1456 Hay I. 65/12.
Fortune … quhen scho lest turnys the chaunce
b. With possessives: (One's) lot, fortune, or fate. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 214.
In the tyme come a knycht … Quhare the madyne abad hir chance Ib. xxxiv. 205.
The bischope … considerande hale hyre chance, Iniungit hyr heileful pennance c1420 Wynt. vii. 1532.
‘Quhat wes sum tyme thi pennans?’ ‘Befor my dede my hewy chans’ Ib. viii. 5664.
Thai feyhnyd that thai war marchawns, That come thare off thaire awyne chawns a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 663.
Schir Bedwar [was left] to schir Bantellas, to enschew his chance 1513 Doug. i. xii. 19.
Sen thou hast sic plesour and delyte To knaw our chancis Ib. xiii. iii. 71.
The chance of kyngis standis onderlout, To mekill dreid ay subiect c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiii. 5.
His chance to nycht it may be thyne to morrow 15.. Clar. iii. 908.
Ay scho thankit God … Of all hir trubillis and hir chansis soire c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 617.
Into this warld quhat is my fatall chance? 1570 Sat. P. xix. 49.
Ȝe vertuous men! lament his cairfull chance a1605 Montg. Son. xxxiv. 3.
A wrechit woman … Vhose chanch is cassin, that sho can not chuse But sigh
2. Accident; casual happening; fortune. a1500 Henr. Abbay Walk 43.
This changeing and grit variance Of erdly staitis … Is nocht bot casualitie & chance a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 364.
He torned but tary to grace throw lufis chance a1500 Bk. Chess 21.
The wynnyng be the dycis chance As thift or reif it askis restorans c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlv. 1.
Quha will behald of luve the chance 1513 Doug. xi. viii. 118.
The variant chance Of our vnstabill lyfe 1533 Bell. Livy I. 105.
Seing that it was necessare to him … [to] assaileȝe extreme ieoperdie & chance of armes c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 577.
This bene bot chance of armes Ib. 832.
It wes bot chance of weir
b. In the phrases by, of, throu or upon chance. 1375 Barb. iv. 396.
Sa hapnyt at that tyme throu chans a1400 Leg. S. xx. 63.
Of chans thai come nere by The place c1420 Wynt. v. 5169.
He past hys way … wyth that angell wpon chans Ib. viii. 6862.
Jhon the Kyng off Frawns Thare wes takyn apon chawns 1513 Doug. i. vi. 71.
Be hir fader … By chans scho was … Weddit to hym 1549 Compl. 13/13.
Thir tua princis be chance entrit in the achademya c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 578.
He blent about of chance 1596 Dalr. I. 183.
This bote was found be chance
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"Chance n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/chance_n>
