A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1615
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Innocent, a. and n. Also: inocent, inosent, innysent. Pl. -entis, also -ens. [ME. (c 1325) and OF. innocent.]
1. adj. Innocent, in usual senses; free from guilt, general or specific.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1093.
A wirgyne innocent c1420 Ratis Raving 18.
Quhill thow art yhonge and innocent 1456 Hay I. 207/11.
Innocent men that maid na caus of evill 1456 Ib. 233/9.
Anciene men or innocent barnis or women 1490 Irland Mir. I. 63/16.
Gif he [man] had remanit innocent without syn c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 252.
I … schew me innocent 1535 Stewart 48983.
Oft clengand him that he wes innocent(2) 1460 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 56.
Qwhare in defavyte of suthfast knawlegis preiudice may be generyt to innocent partyse a1500 Bk. Chess 1430.
That ocht may hurt the party innocent 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 83.
Quhar the ocultation of verite may gener harme … to ane inocent man(3) 1514 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 152.
Thai fand … the said Alexander quitt and innocent of the said slauchter 1567 Acts III. 28/1.
[They] salbe innocent, fre, and acquyte of the samin [offences] 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 130/18.
[We] sal be clene and innocentis of that foule cryme 1615 Highland P. III. 221.
I … was … inosent of the taiking … of Dynveg(4) c1420 Wynt. i. 92.
Off matrymony the sacryment Than rase in that state innocent c1420 Ratis Raving 1142.
This eild [childhood] is lycht and innocent(5) transf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 158.
Thy [sc. Christ's] fair flesche innocent 1533 Bell. Livy I. 125/6.
The body is … defoulit but the sprete is innocent & clene
b. absol. as sing. or plural. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 440.
Quhy has thu … To felone ded of innocent Conspyrit? c1420 Wynt. v. 3856.
Na be oure hasty jugement Sall be supprysyd the innocent a1500 Henr. Fab. 2904.
Ane fals intent [etc.] … Hes causit mony innocent for to de a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xv. 14.
To gar lymmaris foirbeir For till oppres the innocent
2. n. An innocent person, in senses of the adj. Freq. in plur.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 126.
Than ware handis wyolent Layd one that Cristis innocent c1420 Wynt. v. 1121.
Thaim that that innocent Has done to dede but jugement a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow ii. 90.
This amiable innocent Adria Wes callit to name a1500 Prestis of Peblis 287(A).
He wait he is ane innocent c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3906.
That innocent [sc. Christ] thay tuke 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1215.
Ane innocent bure blame a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xvi. 69.
[That] our judges wald … Compell no innocent to pay(2) plur. c1460 Wisdom of Solomon 541.
The wykit chalenginge of pure innocentis 1469 Echt-Forbes Chart. 65.
Quhar the conceling [of the truth] may gender skaith … to innocens 1474 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 28.
Sa that innocentis be nocht throu the hiding of verite … scaithit in our defaltis 1499 Fam. Rose 170.
To beir leill … witnessing … , that may kep innysentis fra skath c1515 Asloan MS I. 258/6.
In his tyme was gret … slauchter of innocentis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 267.
Be of ȝour luke like innocentis, thoght ȝe haif euill myndis 1551 Hamilton Catechism 24.
The peple of the Jewis … thocht thame self innocentis and without sinne a1578 Pitsc. I. 36/16.
To … defend innocentis frome the tyrannous
b. plur. Innocent children. c1420 Wynt. v. 2763.
All yhone innocentys to sla 1533 Boece iii. i. 90 b.
Wemen, ȝong innocentis, & febill persons … war slane 1533 Ib. vii. xi. 243. a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xvi. 10.
Ane Heroid … Ane murtherar of innocentis
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"Innocent adj., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Jun 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/innocent>
