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: 1494-1630
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Phenix, Phoenix, n. Also: phenise; fenis, -ys. [ME. fenix (14th c.), phenes (15th c.), e.m.E. phenix, -ex, phoenix, fenyce, OE. and OF. fenix, OF. also fenis, med. L. phenix, L. phoenix.]
1. The phoenix, the fabulous bird of ancient mythology. Also attrib. and comb. 1494 Loutfut MS. 22 a.
The fenis [Lindsay MS. phenise] is a foull that haldis hir in Arabe 1494 Ib. 22 b.
Fenys 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1108.
And thame present onto the phenix syne To birne with hir 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xxvi.
The phœnix and the nichtingell Twa fouls baith fair and brichtattrib. a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxvi. 8.
and comb. The phœnix bird hes nather maik nor peir 1585 James VI Ess. 50.
To make ane phœnix new Euen of this worme of phœnix ash which grew
b. A representation of a phoenix as an ornament. — 1561 Inv. Q. Mary 30.
Ane bed of crammosie veluot enriched with phenixes of gold
2. Applied to a person: An example par excellence; a paragon; a person of unique excellence. a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxvi. 11.
I am phœnix of ladyis dissolat & but all caus the most infortunat c1611–c1617 Mure Early Misc. P. xiii. 5.
A machles phoenix quho from mein estait Becam a prelat and a prince's mait 1630 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 363.
Phenix
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"Phenix n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/phenix>
