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: 1420-1609
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Empriour, Empryour, n. Also: empryowr(e, -oure, empriowre, -oure, -or; empreour, impreor, impriour, imprioure, ympriour. [Var. of Emperour. Cf. Imperiour.]
1. An emperor. c1420 Wynt. iv. Prol. 38.
That wes Octowyane empryoure, Quhen Cryst wes borne c1420 Ib. iv. 2446; etc.
Off all the warld a monarchy He had … And empryowre thare-off he was c1520-c1535 Nisbet I. ii.
Of the tribute to be giffin vnto the empryour(b) c1420 Wynt. v. Prol. 61.
Off the les state syne all hale The soverane is the empriowre c1420 Ib. v. 2742.
Caysere, kyng, na empriowre c1450-2 Howlat 279.
Thai counsall the pape to writ in this wis To the athile empriour c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii. 188.
Sodeyn slauchter off empriouris and kingis c1515 Asloan MS I. 202/23.
Mald that was weddit to the empriour of Almanȝe 1531 Bell. Boece I. 197.
Severus, emprioure, tuke sic pleggis of thaim afore his deith 1535 Stewart 17942.
This Constantius, The emprioure bald and belligerus c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4215.
Than Julius wes prince and souerane, Abufe the hole warld empriour and kyng 1562-3 Winȝet I. 50/7.
[Any] faithfull king or emprior in Christianitie 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 51.
To vs is borne a barne of blis, Our king and empriour 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 129.
Gif ȝe sall considder the ground, how the emprioris of Rome entered to thair authoritie(c) 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 374.
The Empreour tuke his sone be the hand 1560 Ib. 582; etc.
Than word beliue come to the Empreour 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 179.
Thair is na King, nor Empreour, Bot he sall pluk thame downe 1570 Leslie 124.
The Empreour and the King of England 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1450 (Ch).
I wyte the Empreour Constantine, That I am put to sic ruine 1609 Hume 175/301.
Empreouris micht so have ordaned 1609 Ib. 175/303.
The empreour Justinian(d)1545–6 Corr. M. Lorraine 159.
Quhedder ther sall be ferme paiche betuixt the Impreor and the Kyng or nocht(e) 1469 Acts II. 95/1.
Notaris maid … be the Impriouris autorite 1533 Boece ii. ix. 74.
In tyme of the Impriour Adriane a1538 Abell 47b.
Paip Johne … had concertatioun with Justinian ympriour quhethir [etc.] 1533 Boece x. xvi. 396.
Lowis, Romane Imprioure 1608 Coll. Rebus Alban. 113.
The most famous ancient Impriouris
2. A military commander. c1420 Wynt. v. 4338.]
[Ane empryoure in propyrte A comawndoure suld callyd be 1533 Bell. Livy I. 212/4.
Gif … his army mycht tryumphe quhen thai had loist thare emprioure & maister 1533 Ib. 231/13.
Sa vnplesand [an] emprioure to his army
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"Empriour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/empriour>
