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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tendirnes, Tendernes, n. Also: tendyrnes, tenderness(e, tendarnes. [ME and e.m.E. tendernes (Cursor M.), tendernesse (Wyclif), tendyrnesse (c1440), tendirnesse (c1450).]

1. Of meat: Physical softness, succulence. 1596 Dalr. I 19/5.
The scheip … In tendirnes of thair flesche … ar lyke the cattel that ar fed in … the south cuntreyes of the realme

2. Delicacy, lack of robustness; weakness, infirmity. a1500 Henr. Fab. 720.
I wald, swa it wer licht, Schort, and not greuand to my tendernes, Tak part off pane 1652 Dingwall Presb. 235.
His inabilitie to travell both in respect of the seassone and of his owne tenderness

3. Youth, immaturity. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 61/36.
Sall folk thair ȝewth spend in to holines? … Fy, ypocreit, in ȝeiris tendirnes, Agane the law of kynd thow gois expres c1515 Asl. MS I 195/11.
Quhen this said Henry tyrand was ane barne in tendirnes in his credill 1596 Dalr. I 125/14.
Gif the king throuch tendirnes of ȝeiris be nocht able to regne

4. Kindness, consideration, affection, compassion. c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 20.
Gyf yhe will ony tendirnes of vs c1420 Wynt. iv 2257.
Off the Romanys for to get Frendschype, tendyrnes, and luwe c1420 Wynt. vii 3467.
That suld hawe bene off gret pyte, And till hys legis off tendyrnes, That swa slayne … wes 1467 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 403.
Mutually to keep hartly frendschype, kynrente, lufe, and tendernes a1488 Facs. Nat. MSS II lxxvi.
The king desiris the tendirnes and fauouris of his said cousing 1488–9 Acta Conc. I 101/2.
Tuiching the making of amite luf and tendernes to be haid betuix baitht the saidis partiis … in tyme tocum 1490 Irland Mir. I 108/13.
Mercy & verite for gret lust and tendirnes has embrasit vthere 1491 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 482.
And sall shaw at all tymes our favour leif and tendernes unto ȝou 1525 St. P. Henry VIII IV 341.
Mutuall tendirnes and conversatioun betuix our maisteris and thair subditis 1533 Boece 38b.
Symon … was resauit to sic familiarite and tendernes that … first of all vtheris he was namyt 1663 Lauderdale P. I 178.
Though the execution be delayed meerly upon the account of His Majesties lenity and tenderness

5. Closeness of kinship, relatedness. Also tendirnes of blude. 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS II liii.
I am bot of the feirde degre of kyn tyll yhow … and syn I am in swilk degre tyll yhow I requere yhow as be way of tendirnes thare of … that yhe will [etc.] 1533 Boece 41.
Folowit mixtioun of blude, Scottis virginis to Pichtis in matrymonye being ionit. To Britounis this affinite was suspect fering gif thir twa naciouns war be sic tendirnes of blude [etc.] 1533 Acts Sederunt i 11.
And the said erle standis in tendernes of blude as thrid and thrid of consanguinite 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 254.
The proximitie and tendarnes of blude standing betwix him and his dearest bruther, James Erle of Murray a1578 Pitsc. I 250/29.
Because of the lufe and tendernes that was betuix him and the king of Ingland his brother in law 1580 Reg. Privy S. VII 414/1.
Respecting the tendernes of bluid unto his hienes of his darrest cousing … Esmé, Erle of Lenox

6. Tenderness of (something), care as regards (something). 1706 Rothesay Par. Rec. 225.
The Session had a greater tendernesse of his oath than he himselfe seemed to have