A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1456-1599
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Sapience, -ens, n. Also: sapyens. [ME and e.m.E. sapience (Piers Plowman), sapyence (1509), OF sapience (c1120 in Larousse), L. sapientia good sense, wisdom, knowledge.] Wisdom; intelligence; knowledge. Also as an attribute b. Of God, c. Of a pagan deity, and d. Personified. 1456 Hay II 78/24.
God … has gevin thame sapience to teche otheris 1456 Ib. 89/9.
To be of hye witt and of grete sapience 1456 Ib. 72/1. a1500 Henr. Orph. 469.
Bot quhen our mynd is myngit with sapience a1500 Bernardus 6.
Sapience a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i 425.
Be this ȝe may weill ken That foly is no sapience a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 391 (Harl.).
Thare [sc. the common people's] hedis hes na sure sapience a1499 Ib. 1146 (Asl.).
Richt sa in governyng he schew his sapiens a1499 Ib. 838.
Sapiens 1490 Irland Mir. I 69/19.
Sapiens 1503 Kal. Sheph. (1503) a iiii b.
Sapyens c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 203/1.
To speik off science, craft, or sapience [etc.] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 480.
With sapience of the prudent Salomone 1540 Id. Sat. 864.
[Falsat:] … I am sa full of sapience That sumtyme I will tak a trance 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 21/7.
Athenes, the vmquhile fontane of sapiens 1549 Ib. 154/24.
The prudent Salomon … in the 7 cheptor of his beuk of sapiens c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii 938. 1587-99 Hume 22/158.
Trew sapience and science baith, his hart delits to leirb. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1270 (Asl.).
The fyre of hell be godlie sapience … Sall pvnis synnaris 1490 Irland Mir. I 6/2.
He [sc. God] has gouernit his kyrk and pepil be wertu and sapiens 1490 Ib. 12/25.
Wisdome is gottin throu gud lif & clene consciens, for the devin sapiens sais [etc.] 1490 Ib. II 139/24.
The infynit wisdome and sapience of God 1490 Ib. I 97/18, 21, etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxx 9.
O hie supernale father of sapience c1552 Lynd. Mon. 693.
God … gaue, be diuyne sapience, Tyll euery ster thare influence a1568 Bannatyne MS I p. 6/24.
The faderis power the sonis sapience The vertew of the haly gaist devyne [etc.]c. a1500 Henr. Orph. 425.
Faire Phebus is the god of sapience [: eloquence] a1500 Id. Test. Cress. 289.
Sen ȝe ar all seuin deificait Participant of deuyne sapience [: recompence] 1528 Lynd. Dreme 396.
Mercurious … god of eloquence … In arte exparte and full of sapience 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 43/22.
Appollo, that the poietis callis the god of sapiens c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 28.
Sa Minerue wald me sapience sendd. 1490 Irland Mir. I 117/12.
Thai saw the souuerane lady, Dame Sapience, be werray ressone … inclyne to mercy
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"Sapience n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/sapience>
