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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.

Los, Lose, Lois, n.² Also: loss(e, loise, loys, loyce, loese, loas. [ME. (late 14th c.) los, lose, losse, e.m.E. loss(e.OE. and early ME. had the noun los (? neut.) destruction, perdition, which appar. occurs only in the ONorthumb. compound loswist, losewist id., and in the phr. to lose (weorðan or gedón). Had it survived, this would therefore normally have given a form with voiced s.The form with voiceless s (attested by rhyme for Older Sc.) perh. derives rather f. Los v.¹ as its noun of action: cf. Los v.¹ and Lost n.]

1. The fact of losing (a person or persons), espec. by death: see Los v.¹ 4.

a. The loss of men or men's lives as casualties of war or accident, by a military commander, a nation or a community. Also plur. in same sense. c1475 Wall. v. 715.
The sayr grewans ramaynyt in his entent, Los off his men and lusty payne off luff 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 134.
The toun … clapis about the hous … and so letherit it and gat it againe with the losse of tuo men 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 40.
The Frenchmen … hame thay past in spyt of all thair nois, With lose of men and left munitioun to c1610 Melville Mem. 9.
[There] fell out a furious wair betuen the twa contrees, to the loiss of many Scotismens lyves at the battaill of Pincky 1615 Highland P. III. 269.
Lose 1650 Nicoll Diary 9.
All the los our pepill haid was of one drowned … and twa utheris wounded. quhich wes all the lois 1663 S. Ronaldshay 44.
Ane sadd accident fell out by lose of ane boate and foure men belonging to the parischplur. c1590 Fowler II. 109/11.
Gif the enmeye wer incamped vpon yonder hill, … Quhow suld we with saftye and na lossis assayllȝe thame?

b. The loss to an individual of a relative or friend, by death, also by absence. Also c. said of the loss of friends by estrangement.(1) 1513 Doug. iv. viii. 22.
In tyme kouth I haue trowyt this loys And sa gret dolour [etc.] Ib. v. xi. 25.
Al the Troiane wemen dyd sche ken Syttand on the schor … The gret loys of Anchises regratyng sair 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii. 10.
Quhat leid in lyfe wald nocht lament his lose? Wais me to want him! is the commoun voce a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 11.
Ȝour greif is gryte … Withe los allace sa lairge of ȝour linnage a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxix. 3.
The turtill for the lose of maik thay say Doeth neuer rest bot workis hir awin decay 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 435.
[Councillors] sustenand the burding of the offices laid vpoun thame … , with the lose and deyth … of thair childrein, seruands, and familie [by plague] 1614 Highland P. III. 159.
My laite visitatioun in the loise of my bedfellow(2) c1590 Fowler I. 160. xxv. 4.
Whils this vyld pest in distance heth vs driven, I equal absence losis with deaths agaynec. 1565 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 67.
[Mary,] knowing … if scho sould receive any change in her awin religioun, that sho sould tyne … her friends … , wilbe laith to put in hazard the lose of all her freinds

2. The fact of losing or being deprived of, also the failure to obtain (a possession, appurtenance, source of profit or advantage or the like, also, one's life). Const. of (what is lost).(a) c1475 Wall. xi. 1313.
I charge, apayn off loss off lywe, [etc.] 1535 Stewart 2437.
For lose of licht thai left the feild that tyme, Langar to fecht thai micht nocht se c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 79.
Tha pepill that for feir of … lose of guds … Frome Gods wourd thame selues doith absent a1605 Montg. Sonn. xv. 1. 1570 Leslie 195.
Practises attempted … did faill throch the lose of the castellis of Sanct Androis and Dumbartane, quhilkis the Inglismen hoipped to have gottin delivered to thame a1578 Pitsc. I. 35/19.
We baitht sustenit quhat lose of goodis and geir our fameliearis and freindis haue had sene the beginning of our discentiouns Ib. 134/10.
The wnhapie mischance will beare wittnes of the lose and tinsall of the boundis of France 1609 Crim. Trials III. 18.
Efter … the loss of all my kyndly lands, I bott only fled with my awin lyfe 1625 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 162.
To … the officer in consideratioune of the lose of his ground in wining of sand out of it 1622-6 Bisset II. 257/10.
[Seamen on shore leave] aucht to haist thame schortlie to buird agane, that the maister loise nocht the houre of the schip, for gif the maister have domaige be that lose they be haldin to allow it 1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xcvii.
Under the paine … of infamie and losse of all honour c1650 Spalding I. 219.
The lieges] ar thretned with the loss [infra loiss] of thair lives 1650 Glasgow Wrights Acts 8.
The complaint of any wnfriman, quhairby the members of croft ar causit to conveine to thair prejudice befoir any quarter compt throw the losse of thair work 1651 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 198.
Allowit … to James Andersoune for the lose of his horse fourtie pundis money 1655–6 Ib. 532.
To David Wilsoune for the los of his borne the ty me the gairdis was keepit thairin. 20 li.(b) a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxiii. 23.
Thairfoir … gar thame wnderstand For lois [Q. loise] of geir thow takis na sussy 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 99.
As to the lois of his heiring [= herring] it can nocht infer ony poynt of witchcraft

3. Detriment, disadvantage, diminution of one's possessions or advantages, involving or resulting from a ‘loss’ as in prec. sense; freq., financial loss or the like. Also plur.sing. (1) c 1550 Balcarres P. II. 314.
Lat not the man get skatht for any thyng he has of myn, for I had levar tyn all the los that I ha for ony man suld tholl deid for my cas 1591 Crawford Mining P. i.
It salbe lesum to the said Sir Dauid … to enter in equal societey in profit and los vith the said Mr Henry 1603 Crim. Trials II. 320.
It greifis me mekil in my passing throuche Ingland the los he hes for the laik of sum honest man in whom hartlie his M. might confyd 1625 Conv. Burghs III. 179. 1675 Cunningham Diary 6.
He is to take the key of the girnell and … bear the loss of indrink (if any be) himself(b) 1567 G. Ball. 80.
Honour the image of the croce … His gudnes that restorit the lose 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 444.
Mony folkes were heried be ressone of this … terrible fyre, and mony men had als grit lose by the spoyling … of thair geir be the suddartis 1582 Declar. Causis (1822) 22.
Quhat lose at last hes the subiectis ressauit be the crying doun of that money this ȝeir, quhilk was cunȝeit the last ȝeir 1588 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II. 137.
Sen the King of Spaine is … so weake of persone, having latelye had so great lose which hardelye he may sone repair 1599 Conv. Burghs II. 51.
The said Stewin and his said sone makis them selffis ane grit awantage heirby vpoun the lose of our natioun 1606 Rollock's Thess. 53.
The lose thou getst by deceite will neuer be vpset: all the kings and doctors vnder heaven will neuer set vp thy lose thou getst by defection 1606 Acts IV. 300/2.
The … recompanse gevin to these … fewaris of Casche for thair lose of the imparking of thair saidis landis 1630 Drummond II. 71/130.
With so manie royall palaces it is small lose to see thy poore caban burne 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 360.
The dolloris … may be convertit in the standard money without tinsell and grit lose 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 158.
I acleame the saids John Gordoune the lose and skeath of ane meare in the destroyeing of my corne(c) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 3.
Douteng quhidder of thame scho had rather to have the victorie, scho accountit the lois on ather syde for hir avantage c1590 J. Stewart II. 147/8.
O … most fair my chois. Repair my cair and spair my lois 1587 Conv. Burghs I. 255.
[The] burrowis … have bene … preiugitt … in nochtt being sua dewlie … comptrollet of thair comptis as neid requyritt, sua thatt greitt lois and inlaik hes ensewit 1599 Ib. II. 48. 1622-6 Bisset II. 244/12, 17.
For the tun loise, because of the heising or of the … takill, the maisteris and marynaris … aw to pay the merchandis … and the unlaidning to be set first for recovering of the loissis Ib. 246/1.
[After a collision] the loise aw to be prysed and devyded half to half betuix the schipis and the wynis loist … amangis the merchandis 1641 Bk. Carlaverock II. 139.
All the guidis I had wes taken except one hors, quiche therefter wes plunderit, … quiche loiss, altho great to me, hes nocht … geven these quho ar so heid set aganes me full satisfactioune 1644 Misc. Spald. C. III. 195.
Duncan Calder deponed that forby and attour sic loyce as vas ordained him to pey be the gentillmen of the cuntrie that thei had taken from him [etc.] 1645 Ib. V. 163.
For setting wp his loiss he susteines for discharging of lyk wakis(d) 1663 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 23.
The collectioune … to be distribut to thes who susteined loas throw the fyr(2) 1628 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 365.
[£20 given to the miller] becaus … he brak his leg … and ducht not attend his service to his great lois 1631 Justiciary Cases I. 159.
This depositioun … was made to the heavie lois of the lyfe estait name and fame of ane barroun of good qualitie 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 354.
To the insupportabill loss of your faithfull subiectis and … gayne of strangeris 1633 Dunkeld Presb. II. 370.
To the great prejudice of the people committit to my chairge, and to my lose in great expensses 1652 Old Ross-shire II. 42.
[The] above accompt is … attour my charges in keiping daylie meittingis for the barronie of Strathcarron … quhilk is greatlie to my loise 1677 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 247.
The said Agnes McCummeing still delayes to cum and enter to hir serweice quhilk if shoe doe not will tend to owr great loese and skaithplur. (a) c 1570 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxii.
Her maiesty must se ordre taken for reparatioun off the losses we and oure freindis have susteaned c1590 Fowler I. 67/6.
By thair losses and thair harmes this proffeit did I mak 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 232.
To pay to Mr Alexr. Home, principall maister, … in consideratioun of his damnages and loses the tyme of the scailing of the hie schole for feir of the pest 1607 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxxxvi. 1609 Acts IV. 434/1.
The trew circumstances of the iniureis and loses sustened by ather pairtie 1615 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 356.
To Peiter Home cairter in consideratioun of sum lossis he had in careing up the ordinances Ib. 373.
For his lossis … be breking of the grund and spoylling of his grass 1616 Ib. II. 17. 1648 Culross 226. 1651 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 198. 1665 Conv. Burghs III. 582.
Loses(b) 1613 Highland P. III. 127.
Haveing had besydis many former loises … twa hundrethe merk land waistit 1615 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 174.
For the quhilk doggis thay salbe haldin to ansuer under the paine of x li. by the payment of the loissis 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 100.
Upone malice preceiding minassis and succeiding loissis accoirding thairto immediatelie subsequent to the minassingis 1645 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 89.
They appoynt … James Fergisoune to cognosche vpon the loisses of this toune by cornes cuttine and plunderit [margin The touns loisses] 1665 Rothesay B. Rec. 97.

b. The general misfortune attendant upon the death of a public benefactor; a public bereavement. 1570 Sat. P. xviii. 1.
For lois thow Lythquo may miserably lament Thy fait infortunat a1578 Pitsc. II. 294/5.
The Erle of Mar, regent, depairted of this present lyff … quhilk was ane gret pitie and los for he was ane guid man Ib. 295/1.
Johne Knox … depairted of this presentt lyff quhilk was ane gret los and pitie to all thame that favourit Chrystis word

c. sing. A (general) misfortune or disadvantage. a1585 Polwart Flyt. 655 (T).
Bot ȝit sall he live lang, allace, quhilk wer los [H. a los; rh. guise, goosse]

d. To come by the loss, to suffer loss or detriment, to be the loser. c1679 Kirkton Hist. 28.
[Charles I was absorbed] partly by his foreign military attempts … in all which he came by the loss lamentably

4. Ruin, destruction. c1590 Fowler I. 192, lvi. 1.
In serving yow I see my losse insewe And to my ruyne that I rin with speide 1611-57 Mure Misc. P. i. 126.
The … sirenes songs Quhich hes no other scope But guyde thé on the rock Of thy perpetuell losse 1638 T. Hope Diary v.
I am effrayit to think of the feirfull consequence of it, quhilk can be no less nor the lose and ruyne of this poor countrey