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

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

Unkend, -ken(n)it, p.p. and ppl. adj. Also: unken'd, -kente, -kennyt, -kynd, wnkend, -kennit, onkend, -kennit. [ME and e.m.E. vnkend (Cursor M.), vnkennyd (c1400), unkende (a1440), vnkent (1570); Kend, Kenned, Kennit ppl. adjs.]

A. p.p. Unknown; unrecognised; unfamiliar: a. Of a person. b. Of a thing, action, place, etc.a. c1400 Troy-bk. i 573.
Ane alter maide he thare … In the honour of gode wnkend a1500 Rauf C. 247.
I am wonder wa to cum quhair I am vnkend 1551 Hamilton Cat. 251.
To pray to God for all Christin pepil, kend and unkend, frend or fremmit 15.. Clar. iv 402.
Pairt thair was with quhom scho was unkend 1558-66 Glencairn in 1558-66 Knox I 73.
Kirk men that are with Christ unkend A sect that Sathane self hes send(b) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 891.
I ame scho … That here the thretty vintir ay Til al men has vnkennyt bene a1400 Leg. S. xxiii 112.
Ane send thay In begaris wed that he mycht … Vnkennyt … cume & ga a1538 Abell 84b.
Gilcrist … come in Scotland agane & wandrit in wod & wildirnes wnkennit with ony man(c) 1558-66 Knox 383 (Jam.).
This maner of handling being onkend and strange, [they] wer heavily spoken of 1608 St. A. Baxter Bks. 71.
Ane vnknawn strenger of ony vthir burrow toun onkend in the kyrk(d) 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 98.
Thow … sayd to hir … , ‘Will thov go to Mwrray land with me … '. Quha answuerit … and sayid, ‘Onkennit, onknawin, quhat lyiff culd we [pr. ye] mak togidder thair’b. c1420 Wynt. i 135.
In Paradys thai [sc. the rivers] ar wnkend [C., W. vnkend] Bot, wytht-out thai brek on ende, At the hylle of Oskobares 1513 Doug. i iv 71.
Ȝe haue sustenyt grettar dangeris onkend [Sm., Ruddim. vnkend] 1533 Boece 75a.
Than … began to spring strange maladeis vnkend afore 1533 Boece 166b.
The cuntre was to thame vnkend 1596 Dalr. II 6/14.
Kings and princes … gif thay schyne bricht in … braue plesures of this warlde, suirlie the ma deip daingeris vnknawne and vnkente thay vndirly 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. x.
An vse with vs … vnkend … within this last fiue hundreth of yeares(b) 1460 Hay Alex. 6037.
And of materis that strange ar and vnkynd Leif no-thing bot write fro end to end

c. Not known as a fact (to a person, or with clause object). 1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 58.
It is nocht vnkend to ȝoure hee excellence hw thar is trewys takyn [etc.] 1424 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 15.
We traiste it is notht vnkennit … how we ar demaynit in this lande a1570-86 Dunb. in Maitl. F. 378/5.
The caus to ȝow is not onkend [B. vnkend] That God mismakis ȝe do amend 1535 Stewart 23584.
Quhat movit thame it is wnkend to me 1587-99 Hume 39/179.
Watch and beware, the dyet is vnkend

d. Unknown (to a person), without (a person's) knowing. 1535 Acts Sederunt i 26.
Sic thingis hes bene concelit and nocht oppynnit to ws, quhilk hes generit ane sclander to ws vnkend

e. proverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1510.
Wnkend wnknowin c1680 Mackenzie Affairs 235.
Our proverb, ‘the ill ken’d is better than the good unken'd,' holds in nothing so much as laws

B. ppl. adj. Of persons, things, etc.: Unknown; unfamiliar; strange. ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 139.
Than mon thow pas till ane vnkend land and kinrik 1513 Doug. iii vi 47.
At thou … May seik out throu the strange stremys onkend [Ruddim. vnkend], And at a port of Itale arryve at end 1533 Boece 466b.
I sall … pas to vnkend and strange landis 1561 Digest Justiciary Proc. D 16.
He accumpaneit with certaine wnkend persones saweris of discord … com to the paroche kirk of Edinburgh 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 95.
He that mellis with thingis vnkend … In my iudgement is bot ane fule 1644 Baillie II 198.
We are vexed to the heart very often with the unkent and unexpected ways of some … here 1664 Alford Rec. 55.
The … Act … against guysers and unkenit exerceses at Yoole

b. Of unknown provenance; unidentified. 1488 Treas. Acc. I 79.
In vnkennyt gold thretti pundis a1538 Abell 54b.
He wes schot with ane naro be ane wnkennit man