A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1629
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Orient(e, n. and a. Also: oryent, -iant, orien. [ME. (Pearl, Chaucer) and e.m.E. orient, oryent (14th c.), F. orient, L. oriens pres. p., rising, also noun, rising sun, east.]In the nominal use, also without the defin. art.
A. noun. 1. a. The eastern part of the sky, where the sun rises.(1) 1456 Hay I. 75/28.
Dayly it [the heaven] movis fra the orient to the occident a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 212.
The first [steid] was … callit Eoye, into the orient c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1183.
The mery day sprang fra the oryent c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 38.
The ruby skyes of the orient 1513 Doug. viii. ii. 3.
Furth of the orient in the brycht mornyng The sonnys hevynly bemys newly spryng 1513 Ib. xi. i. 10. 1513 Ib. xii. Prol. 21.
The twynklyng stremowris of the orient 15.. Clariodus i. 1503. 15.. Ib. ii. 1418.(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 51.
The purpour sone … In orient bricht as angell did appeir c1500-c1512 Id. xxxiii. 2 (B).(3) 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 48/10.
The fyrst mobil … makkis reuolutione … fra orient til occident, and returnis agane to the orient
b. The rising sun. Also attrib. 1513 Doug. v. xii. 135.
And the fers Orient [L. saevus … Oriens] wil at I withdraw — I feil the ayndyng of hys horssys blawattrib. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvi. 5 (B).
Agane the orient bemis amiable
2. The eastern part of the earth's surface, the East.i.e., those regions east of the Mediterranean, namely Asia Minor, Asia and India.(1) c1420 Wynt. iv. 1256 (see Occident n. 2).
Oryent c1420 Ib. v. 1720.
Mony byschapys off Asy, And all the oryent halyly c1420 Ib. 83, 2509, etc. 1456 Hay I. 10/12.
All the Cristin men … war … put to dede … in the orient be Dioclisian Emperour 1456 Ib. 37/3.
For that King sett him to have senȝeoury of all the orient c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace x. 514.
All the men hyn till the orient 1490 Irland Mir. I. 141/9.
The thre kingis of the orient 1490 Ib. 152/5. 1513 Doug. vi. xiv. 62.
Pompey sal strech agane him went With rayt ostis of the orient 1531 Bell. Boece II. 72.
The ordour of monkis … was begun … in the orient 1533 Boece iii. vii. 101 b.
The pepill in extreme partis of the orient 1535 Stewart 15251. a1538 Abell 2* a.
Alexander conquerur in the orient a1538 Ib. 41 b.
Romayn Impriour in the orient wes Leon a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 133/2. a1561 Ib. 179/16.(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 1468.
And we with the floures of orient Fechtis c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 14632.
The tythingis passit throw all orient 1494 Loutfut MS. 5 a.
Afferik sumtym namyt the land lucyant in the partis of orient(3) a1538 Abell 8* b.
Orient beguth to slyd fra the fatht c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4257.
For Orient and Occident To thame wer all obedient
b. Perle of orient = orient perle, B 1 b. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1868.
And als at his hawbrek … Ane perle of orient hang at euerie male a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xl. 90.
Ȝour teith lyik yuore baine poleit Or perle of orient a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxv. 44.
3. The eastern part of a country. 1535 Stewart 28997.
Tua Saxone kingis of the orient of Ingland
B. adj. 1. Of or from the regions lying to the East of the Mediterranean; Eastern, oriental.Orient Kirk, the Eastern or Orthodox Church.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 70.
It micht haue cuming out of all ayrtis Fra Paris, and the orient partis 15.. Clariodus v. 1886.
Sweit as the marmaid in the orient sea(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvii. 25.
The orient kingis thrie 1513 Doug. i. vii. 125.
The orient hostis knew he one by one(3) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 126/11.
Obseruing … abstinence … on Wodinsday generalie in the Orient Kirk 1590-1 Bruce Sermons 61.
The auncients of the Latine and Orient Kirks
b. Orient perle: an oriental pearl, one coming from the eastern seas and regarded as of higher quality than those from European waters; a pearl of the finest quality.Also perle of orient, A 2 b above.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 341 (A).
The burde with orient perle plantit till appere 1492–3 Acts Lords of Council I. 273/1.
A croce of gold with a preciouse stane callit a ruby & vij orient perle 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 7.
For vjxxv grete orient perle, price of the pece viij cronis 1539 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XXIV. 49. 1570 Leslie 299. 1612 Pont Cunningham 197.
Ane gould ring … Ane schaddow of orien pairill(2) 1498 Acts Lords of Council II. 264.
Ane croce of gold with gernatis, foure orient perlis, [etc.] 1513 Doug. i. ix. 133.
The collar pight with orient peirlys als 1572 Edinburgh Testaments 268 b.
Ilk sett contenand fyftene peirlis and tua oryent peirlis betuix ewere set c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxiii. 3.
Ane dame … Quhois teith surpas the oriant peirle in hew
c. Applied to a (? ‘true’ or ‘oriental’) turquoise. d. Applied to velvet. 1540 Acts Lords of Council MS. XIII. 83.
v ringis of gold with four rubeis & ane orient turkes 1629 Dumfries Test. I a. 215.
Ane stand of oriente velvett claithes
2. Pertaining to the eastern part of the sky, in which the sun rises; also applied to the (rising) sun.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 50 (M).
I saw approche agane the orient sky Ane saill c1500-c1512 Id. xlviii. 3.
Quhen … Appryll had … Tane leif at Nature with ane orient blast c1500-c1512 Ib. 41.
Go se the birdis … Illumynit our with orient skyis brycht(2) c1550-60 Arundel MS. 274/4.
Thy [the Virgin's] glorius birth, the blisfull orient sone, With ioy is partit fra the subtell nycht
3. Of or from the Eastern part of a country or territory. 1533 Boece ix. vii. 301 b.
To distroye … the orient and meridionale Saxouns
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"Orient n., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/oriente>
