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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.

Perpetual(l, a. (adv., n.). Also: -ual(l)e, -wall; -ule; -uel(l, -uelle; and parpetull. [ME. and e.m.E. perpetuel (Rolle), -ual (Wyclif), adj., also as adv. (Chaucer), and noun = heritable office (568), F. perpétuel (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), L. perpetuālis, deriv. of perpetuus continuous, permanent.]The older Eng. form in -el is almost unknown in Sc. The document from which quot. 1386 is taken is prob. of Eng. origin.

1. adj. Lasting, or intended to last, for an unlimited time or for ever; permanent, everlasting, eternal.Chiefly attrib. but freq. in postposition.In … perpetual almous, see Almous n.¹ 1 b.(1) 1386 Rot. Sc. II. 85/2.]
[For a pees perpetuel or a lang trewe betwene France ant Scotland … and Ingland 1490 Irland Mir. I. 158/17.
He chesit that it [sc. the humanity of Christ] suld be His plesaunce and perpetuall habitacioune 1533 Boece ii. ii. 60.
Ane perpetuall lige and societe 1596 Dalr. II. 103/31.
Farther he insinuat to thame quyetlie a perpetual band 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 369.
To inforce any perpetuall servitud on them — 1469 Acts II. 98/1.
The pape … has grantit … ane indult perpetuale to the prelatis … of Saintandrois a1500 Henr. Fab. 2304 (Ch.).
Wald ȝe … stand at my decreit perpetuall a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1186 (Harl.).
Off hell the passing pane perpetuall 1550 Prot. Bk. R. Rollok (S.R.S.) 20.
The est part of the said dike … to be ane merche perpetual in tyme to cum(2) c1420 Wynt. viii. 734.
The folk off Israell thow ger this knawe And hald it for perpetuale lawe 1442 Reg. Great S. 64/1.
Till underly the charge of ath breking and perpetuale reprufe 1456 Hay II. 103/18.
In endles perpetuale payne Ib. 107/19.
Thy gude dedis … tobe in perpetuale remembraunce c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 62/9.
Perpetuale dampnacoun 1501–2 Reg. Privy S. I. 112/2.
A letter of tak made in perpetuall ekin of our soverane lordis renntale 1513 Doug. i. v. 87. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 168. a1550 Lang Rosair 160.
To the perpetuall saluacioun of his eleit pepill 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 160/40.
Be peipetuall successioun of tyme a1578 Pitsc. I. 376/16.
Perpetwall 1583 St. A. Baxter Bks. 31.
For perpetuall weill of the craft 1596 Dalr. II. 7/31.
In perpetual memorie vsse and honour of the Scotis natioune 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 324.
For the perpetuall setling and mortification thairof in all tyme cuming — c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 8/9.
To ioye and glore perpetuale 1494 Loutfut MS. 15 b.
Armes quharby may be knawyn … the stait of him & of his dedis to memoir perpetuall 1567 G. Ball. 33.
To lyfe perpetuall(b) 1461 Liber Plusc. 385.
Lestand joy or payn perpetuelle 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis in Sc. N. & Q. i Ser. I. 37.
Bot also to thame that luikis meist scharplie to it [an eclipse] sall gaddir perpetuell blindnesellipt. a1538 Abell 75 b.
It is ane grit blindnes at men laubouris for schort dignite soyn gane and nocht for perpetuall with God(3) 1471 Banff Ann. II. 211.
For the infefting and fundation makkin of a perpetual chaplenry c1500 Fyve Bestes 200.
Thairin standis myne awansing hale Vnto ane benefice perpetuale 1565 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 588/2.
Patronis of the vicarage perpetuall of the parroche kirk of Inverkeithing 1596 Calderwood V. 425.
And to … assigne the saids perpetuall locall stipend at everie parish out of [etc.](4) 1402 Scone Indenture (Reg. H.).
The forsaid religeouse men sal haf perpetuale heretable state … of the fee of the landis 1461 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 362.
In perpetuale & euirlestande changing & excambion for hys landys 1592 (1610) Reg. Great S. 117/2.
In perpetuall feufirme and heretage 1598 Liber Coll. Glasg. Pref. lxxv.
To perpetuall few or emphiteose 1631 Highland P. I. 328.(5) 1535 Grant Chart. 79.
Vnder the pane of … tinsale of perpetuale faytht lawte and cridence 1570 Misc. Spald. C. II. 277.
Vnder the pane of … tinsell of perpetuall honouris 1574 Reg. Privy C. II. 368.
Under the pane of infamy repruif manswering and tinsall of perpetuall traist and credite(6) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 796 (Harl.).
To the perpetuall fyre and pane of hell 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 103.
For the hinging of the gret bellis … substancheously to the perpetual loft of the samyn 1533 Bell. Livy II. 56/22.
In this perpetuall toun 1588 King Cat. Title-p.
With ane kallendar perpetuale 1602 Reg. Great S. 474/1.
Quhilk … is … to … remaine as ane perpetuall merchebalk … to the landis wnderwrittin(7) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 4.
In hevin empire prince perpetuall c 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 307.
Ws … to hawe maid … the said … Erle … and his airis … our … bailȝeis heretabill and perpetuall … of all … our landis [etc.] 1569 Thanes of Cawdor 175.
As ane … gud maister … suld do to his natif trew perpetuall and considderit seruandis 1596 Dalr. I. 17/20.
That … thay may be called perpetual heires(8) 1433 Swintons App. xxxvi.
Wilȝem Bartrem perpetuale wicare of the parroche kyrk of Swynton 1446 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I. 106.
Patrik Nicholsone perpetual chaiplene of Caldhame 1448 Buccleuch Mun. II. 40.
A preste perpetuale 1490–1 Acta Conc. I. 178/2.
To the sustentacioune of ane perpetuale chapellain feft in the said college 1495 Ib. 418/1.
A perpetuale preist to sing for the saule of the said vmquhile Androw 1505 Misc. Spald. C. V. 35.
Master Androw Craufurde chapellane perpetuale of Sanct Peteris alter(9) predic. 1456 Hay II. 42/29.
For herbes and bestis may geve thair nature ilkane till othir to mak thair nature perpetuale c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 190.
Al thingis that God has maid ar gud and perpetuall in thare … nature 1490 Irland Mir. II. 66/27.
The haly luf that is betuix thir twa is perpetuall & inuiolable Ib. 128/21.
Eftir the persoune de in deidly syn it remanis perpetuall a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1247 (Harl.). 1549 Compl. 35/7.
As this miserabil sensual lyif var perpetual 1588 King Cat. 156 b.
Quhilk fyr veralie albeit it be nocht perpetuall(b) a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 68.
That kyngdome … Parpetull is and swir And ewir moir doitht last

b. Passing into adv. = Perpetual(l)y adv. c1420 Wynt. vii. 2467.
Pes … To be lestand perpetuale Ib. vi. 1440. 1453 Stirlings of Keir 226.
We … sal perpetuall obserue … al the poyntis [etc.] … lelly and trewly 1466 Reg. Dunferm. 356.
To endure … perpetualle tymis to cum 1490 Irland Mir. I. 88/17.
Thar dampnacioune induris perpetuall 1506 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II. 155.
Johne Elphinstoun is a defamit persone perpetuall 1510 Rec. Earld. Orkney 86.
Sua zall the said Jhone [etc.] … enter to the said [land]is of Hurre perpetual for eve[r m]air 1549 Prot. Bk. Sir J. Cristisone 101.
Stanis … to … be methis and marchis perpetuale betuix the said landis c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 80.
In his tempill to hing perpetuall c1552 Id. Mon. 696. 1567 G. Ball. 105.
Companȝeoun he is perpetuall To Lotis sonnis

c. noun.Only in the phr. in perpetual, in perpetuity. 1462 Peebles B. Rec. I. 147.
That na commoun … be … gewyn in perpetuale bot with [= by] the dousan 1490 Foulis Chart. MS. (Reg. H.) 4 Dec.
I … sal varrande and in perpetule sal defende the forsaide lande to the saide Iohnne Ib.
The saide lande to be haldyn … in perpetualle and for euer 1596 Dalr. I. 302/14.
That in perpetuall ane of that surname sal be mareschall

2. Continuing without intermission; continuous, uninterrupted, constant. 1513 Doug. viii. iii. 201.
Eneas … Dyd of perpetual oxin fillettis eyt 1533 Bell. Livy I. 271/2.
Throw thare perpetuale sleuth the tribunis of pepil rang with oure lang auctorite 1551 Hamilton Cat. 38.
The well … and perpetuall spring of gudnes 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 101.
Thus sulde the Christiane congregatioun live in perpetuale debait Id. Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 172/14.
How … is it possible that all Christiane man … has levit vniuersalie in perpetuale idolatrie thir fyftene hundreth ȝeir and mair 1587-99 Hume 136/92.
Let it serue as a perpetuall lesson a1648 Hist. King's Aff. Scotl. under Marques of Montrose (1648) 32.
The Grainsbaine … going along with a perpetuall ridge from east to west