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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MISFORTUNE, n. Also Sc. forms misforten (Ags. 1842 Justiciary Reports (1844) 297), -in. As in Eng., adverse fortune; specif. in Sc., a breach of chastity resulting in the birth of an illegitimate child (Gall. 1903 E.D.D.); the illegitimate child itself. Gen.Sc. Dial. or colloq. in Eng. [-′fortən]Sc. 1756 Session Papers, Petition M. Gow (26 Jan.) 2:
Your Petitioner fell into a Misfortune not uncommon to Women of her low Rank.m.Lth. 1794 G. Robertson Har'st Rig (1801) 19:
She with a Misfortune met And had a bairn.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxx.:
Bairns! ye are joking, lad — wha wad touch bairns? Madge, puir thing, had a misfortune wi' ane.Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 233:
Ye'll min' the bit misfortune I had wi' the laird o' Curwhang?Sc. 1866 Carlyle Reminisc. (1881) II. 156:
A special “misfortune” (so they delicately name it), being of Esther's own producing. “Misfortune” in the shape ultimately of a solid tall ditcher.Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 220:
Fan she first taul' me o' Baubie's misfortune.Per. 1883 R. Cleland Inchbracken x.:
“Ye'se tell me he was sympatheesin' wi' her in her misfortune.” “Whist man! Let the lassie's gude name be.”

Hence misfortun(e)at(e) (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 103; Cai. 1887 B. Watten Stratharran 52; Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains and Hilly 19), misfort(i)nit (Abd. 1921. Swatches o' Hamespun 16), unfortunate, unlucky (ne.Sc., Gsw., Uls. 1963); wretched (Cai. 1903 E.D.D.). Also in U.S. Hence misfortunately, unfortunately.Per. 1714 R. Smith Poems (1853) 61:
Misfortunate in everything, He hath been all his life.Sc. 1727 J. Keith Memoirs (S.C.) 71:
We expected immediately to have opened the trenches, but very misfortunately we had no cannon.Sc. 1773 A. & H. Tayler Lord Fife (1925 75:
That horrid misfortunate character of giving your visitors too little drink.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xxviii.:
I dinna bid ye mind what I said at our partin' anent my poor father and that misfortunate lassie.Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man II. 254:
Ye shall never rue your kindness o' heart and attentions to that puir misfortunate bairn.Dmb. 1844 W. Cross Disruption xxix.:
A misfortunate affair aboot some siller o' Mr. Duncanson's.Sc. 1881 J. S. Blackie Lay Serm. 246:
One of those men of small notions, . . . who, when perched misfortunately on high places, are always found driving to some terrible catastrophe.Abd. 1900 Abd. Wkly. Free Press (19 May):
That kin' o' fouk that hae misfortinit memories whilk can mind things that everybody else wants t' forget aboot.wm.Sc. 1934 “Uncle Tom” Mrs Goudie's Tea Pairty 23:
It's verra misfortunate for the pairty.