Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Unclen(n)es, n. Also: uncleinnes, -clean(n)es, -cleanness(e, -clinesse, wncleanness. [ME and e.m.E. unnclænnesse (Orm), vnclennysse (1297), vnclennesse (Wyclif), vncleanes (1534), OE unclǽnnes; Clennes n.]

1. Moral or spiritual impurity, sinfulness; sexual immorality, fornication.(a) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Ephes. iv 20.
Hethin men … betuke thame self … into the wirking of al vnclennes [P. vnclennesse] in couatice 1551 Hamilton Cat. 26.
Put away all unclenes and abundance of malice, with meiknes ressave the word(b) 1596 Dalr. I 314/29.
The king … conteinet himselfe frome all kynd of impuritie and vncleinnes(c) 1649 Dumfries Kirk S. 23 Aug.
Jonet Maxwell for concealing vncleanes c[o]mitted be Robert Oliphant with Marione Bell 1653 Binning Wks. (1841) 609.
He is put to Jesus, the open fountain for all sin and uncleanness 1653 Lamont Diary 53.
Ther was an hermophrodite hanged att Edenbroughe: it was because of vncleanesse 1673 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 351.
Uncleannes 1692 Sc. Ant. XIII 74.
That women be hindered from the keeping aill sellers, which occasions much uncleanness 1702 Rothesay Par. Rec. 158.
Bryce Fraser … guiltie of uncleannes with his wife, Mary Broun, before mariage(d) 1655 Lamont Diary 89.
Drukenesse, vnclinesse(e) 1674 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 404.
[If he] endanger himselfe in aney act of wncleanness in the sin of furnicatioune [during his apprenticeship, he is to] repay [the said 3½ years]

2. Physical impurity; repugnant disease. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9869.
This greit infirmitie And vnclenes [sc. leprosy] that ȝe se now on me