Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Gladnes, Glaidnes, n. Also: glade-, glaydnes. [ME. gladnes, OE. glædnes, f. Glad a.] The state of being glad; joy, happiness, contentment; rejoicing, mirth, merrymaking.(a) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 613.
Quhy Crist our king … Sufferis opyn synnaris … To ring in gladnes so gay & glorius a1500 Lanc. 2455.
He chargit not bot … how his puples hartis to emples; Thar gladnes ay was to his hart most es a1578 Pitsc. I. 45/1.
He was ressawit with great ioy and gladnes and bankcatit reallie(b) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1540.
Glydand glaidnes temper with the gall Of hevy panis c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 1.
I that in heill wes and glaidnes Ib. xxiii. 8.
Without glaidnes awailis no tressour 1513 Doug. ii. Prol. 21.
All erdly glaidnes fynysith with wo Ib. v. iv. 83.
This wes the formaste day of hir glaidnes 1531 Bell. Boece II. 95.
Is your glaidnes evanist afore ye be vincust? 1549 Compl. 153/26.
He smylit and leuch, and changit his coller in glaydnes 1560 Rolland Seven S. 595.
To the cietie thay did hir all conuoy, With all glaidnes, mirth, melodie and ioy a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 132.
God quha him sic grace and glaidnes gave 1611-57 Mure Misc. P. i. 109.
In age, a doating madnes, A schort abiding glaidnes(c) 1596 Dalr. I. 210/12.
[He] with al concentes was admitted and approuen with joy and gladenes

b. A source of gladness. a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. xlv. 16.
Quhen I find I am so far thame fray Quha wes my onlie confort and glaidnes