A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1400-1533
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Rad(d)o(u)r, n.1 Also: -oure, -ur. [Rad adj. and -our (as in dolour, etc.); cf. Dredour n. See also Red(d)our n.] Fear or dread (of a person or thing); terror; timidity.Also const. to (til) do something.Common in the phr. to have raddour and for raddour. For raddour of (one's life), out of fear of (losing one's life).Also personified.Chiefly in early use.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 10050.
Haistaly hidderwart thay socht (For na radour sparit thay nocht) 14.. Regiam Majestatem c. 40.
Bot gif thar be a payne of radour & dred layd be twix the partis 14.. Ib. c. 180.
Gif he be in prisoune … his deid haldis nocht for strynth & radur [Acts I 275/1 metum] the quhilk may fal a pon a constant man 1456 Hay I 118/25.
In raddour thare cummys fayntnes and failling of hert 1456 Ib. II 135/3.
Raddor 1456 Ib. 142/1.
Wyne in our mekle habundance … genderis in man raddour, slombering efter mete [etc.] 1460 Ayr B. Ct. 12 July.
The resingnacion maid be Marion of Boure … nocht throw aw na radoure na forceled bot of hir awyn free & clene will a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 3463.
With manly curag but radour c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace x 94. a1500 Quare of Jelusy 449.
The fyre … of grete raddoure 1513 Doug. ix xii 67.
Of dreidfull raddour [Ruddim. dredour] trymlyng for affray, The Troianys fled 1513 Ib. xi viii 57. 1533 Boece 177.
The hare is euer in continuall raddoure 1533 Ib. 442b.(2) c1420 Wynt. ix 1710.
[They] Suld haiff til falow hym grete raddoure 1456 Hay II 43/23.
That he suld have mare raddour and drede to do mys 1494 Loutfut MS 9a.
Quhen it is a hie mater he … suld haue gret raddour to failȝe(3) c1420 Wynt. viii 1948 (W).
Off the cummynis mony him maid Homage … For raddour ȝit it behuffit sa be c1460 Regimine Principum 200 (Marchm.).
Thi jugis … Abusis oft tyme thair jurisdiccioune Stoppand the law for lufe … For raddour [Maitl. reddour] [etc.] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3665.
Thai … gart the hyndmest ay for raddour quaik c1460 Ib. 4122.
He trymblit for raddoure [: toure](4) 1456 Hay II 23/34.
The raddour and the drede that the peple has of the knychtis c1460 Thewis Gud Women 11.
A woman suld ay have radour Of thinge that gref mycht hir honoure c1490 Irland Asl. MS 30/4.
The raddour of deid wald abaise thé 1494 Loutfut MS 16a.
For that othir bestes gangis nocht for raddour of passandes(5) c1420 Wynt. v 2568 (W).
For raddour of his live He maid … To fals ydolis sacrifispersonified a1500 King Hart 259.
Radour ran hame, full fleyit and for-chaist; Him for to hyde crap in the dungeoun deip a1500 Ib. 117.
b. A particular instance of this; a fear. — a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 2131.
Of euery raddour my hart is in to es
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"Rador n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/raddour_n_1>
