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: 1500-1617
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Dolent, a. [ME. dolente (c 1450), F. dolent, L. dolens.]
1. Sorrowful, mournful, sad. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 224.
I hard this dolent lamentatioun 15.. Clariodus iv. 2394.
Thay sum pairt in heartis war dolent c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 664.
Vp he rais richt heuie and dolent a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 350.
In signe and taikin of his dolent mynd
2. Causing sorrow or grief; distressing. 1535 Stewart 58499.
O dolent dragone! dreidfull and dangerus! c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1584.
Till dolent deith come to his dure 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 838.
Gif I can find ony remeid … That may put of that deidlie dolent hour 1570 Satirical Poems xvii. 162.
Go, bony bill, deploir Of deith the dolent stound a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxvi. 10.
Quhome dolent duill with dolour so dois wounda1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. in Misc. Spald. C. II. 62.
Thoicht … dolentt deid do yow dewoir
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"Dolent adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/dolent_adj>
