A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1400-1637
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Salvatio(u)n(e, -acio(u)n(e, n. Also: sallv-, sallw- and -atiounn, -atyowne, -aciounn, -aco(u)n. [ME and e.m.E. sauuaciun (Ancr. R.), saluatioun (Cursor M.), sauacio(u)n (Chaucer), salvation (1411), -cion (1535), late (eccl.) L. salvātiōn-, ONF and OF salvation, -cuin, etc. (12th c. in Larousse), sauvacion (13th c. in Wartburg), late L. salvātiōn- n. of action f. salvāre Save v.]
1. Salvation, the saving of the soul by Christ's redemption.(1) c1515 Asloan MS I 300/12.
Of thir ordouris a certane fell with Lucifer … and a certane preseruit in hevyn to perpetuale saluacoun celestiale as Michell and his angellis 1533 Gau 4/22.
Saluacione c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 193 marg.
To gif science of saluaciounn vnto his peopill c1520-c1535 Ib. 14.
Saluatiounn 1540 Glencairn in Knox I 74.
Your cord and lowsie coit and sark, Ye lippin may bring yow to salvatioun1560 Confession of Faith in Acts II 530/2.
Without Christ Jesus thair is nouther lyfe nor saluatioun 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 164.
In eird he hes vexatioun Bot now he hes saluatioun a1568 Bannatyne MS 265a/4.
Sum man luvis for leill luve … And vthir sum in way of saluatioun c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 68.
All the rabill of tha sophistis and clerks That doith ascryue saluatioun to thair werks 1578 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 410.
The true light of the blessed word of salvatioun 1588 King Catechism 3.
This faithe is the lycht off the saull, the dure of lyff and ground of saluation(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 541.
He … Mekly for our saluacioune Leit put his sonne to passioune c1420 Wynt. i 24.
Salvatyowne 1456 Hay I 189/26.
In remembrance of the passioun of Crist quhilk maid oure salvacioun 1456 Ib. II 19/28. c1460 Regimine Principum 151 (Marchm.).
Justice … Salfis thair saulis, makis thair saluacion a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1098 (Asl.).
This was cheif way … for manly saluacioun 1490 Irland Mir. II 71/8. c1490 Id. Asl. MS 17/26.
A persone is oblist … to laubour for his saluacon c1490 Ib. 42/6. 1500 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 66.
For the heile and salvacion of thair saulis in puir and perpetuall almus 1533 Gau 7/7.
Al that cane be prechit and leird to the saluatione of our saulis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 679. a1578 Pitsc. I 349/20.
To teiche and learne thame the wordis of thair sallwatioun in Inglische, that is to say, the ten commandis [etc.] a1578 Ib. 309/21.
Sallvatioun 1581 Burne Disput. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 109/20.
To my æternal saluatione 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (STS) 230/33.
Al things necessaires for mens saluation 1630 Justiciary Cases I 144.
Sathan the ennimie of his saluatioun 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 428.
Where are thy charters and writs of thy heavenly inheritance? … See! see that ye give not your salvation a wrong cast
b. In asseverations. c1460 Regimine Principum 306 (Maitl.).
I protest be my saluatioun [etc.] 1576 Criminal Trials I ii 56.
Interrogat gif euir sche … had carnell deill with him. Declarit nocht vpoun hir saluatioun and condemnatioun 1595 Innes Sketches 534.
Vpone the parrell of my saluatioune 1600 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXVI i 18.
[He declared that] upon his salvation, he beleeves Andrew Henderson has declaired the circumstances truelie 1609 Criminal Trials III 51.
Testifeing be my soleme aith, vpone my saluatioun and condempnatioun, that [etc.]
2. A means of salvation. Also pl. 1456 Hay I 205/4.
For the ta way is salvacioun to bathe the saulis, and in the tothir cas the saule of the tane is tynt 1490 Irland Mir. I 137/18.
Haly lady, … in thé only lyis all oure help and saluacioune c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2651.
To ryn … In pylgramage, tyll ony ymagreis, Hopand to gett thare sum saluatioun 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 49.
He is ȝour rycht saluatioun From euerlasting dampnatioun 1567 Ib. 72.
The grace of God appeiris now Our heill and our saluatiounpl. 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 191.
Gif eirdlie pardonis micht be our saluatiounis [v.r. saluation] Than Christ deit in vaine
3. Applied, by Douglas, to the Remedia Amoris of Ovid: ? A means of remedy, cure or relief; in pl. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1220.
[Ovid] tauld of lufis meditatiounis The craft of lufe and the saluatiounis How that the furie lustis suld be flemit
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"Salvation n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/salvatioune>
