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.

Variant, -and, (ppl.) adj. Also: varient, -ante, wariant, -and, -ent, vareant, wareant, varieand, varyand(e, veryant, variane, warrand. [ME and e.m.E. variand (c1340), variauntz, variant (both Chaucer), varying (Trevisa), varyant (c1450), OF variant, L. variant-, varians; Varie v.]

1. Inconstant, changeable, tending to or displaying change. a. Of persons, their thoughts, etc. b. Of something material or non-material. c. Of the weather, etc.a. c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 137.
The remanant, That menen wele, and ar noght variant For otheris gilt ar suspect of vntreuth 1513 Doug. xi xiii 151.
Thou fals Liguriane, Our wanton in thy prowd mynd, all invayn; O variant man 1533 Boece 264b.
Hengist knawing weill that the mynde of princis oftymes ar variant and flowand be solistacioun of familiaris 1533 Bell. Livy I 67/32.
Thow was euer doubill and variant in thi werkis c1590 Fowler I 129/99.
Which variant vew makis oftentymes impudent men to pans 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv 145.
He was also deceitfull, variant and fraudulent(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 328/23.
Sie all that no court is constant … bot all is varient and cheingabill(c) 1456 Hay II 65/1.
And thus knycht suld be ferme in the faithe, nocht variand a1500 Henr. Fab. 2849.
Off sum the face may be full flurischand … With mynd inconstant, fals, and wariand, Full of desait c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 123.
Thare was the god of wyndis, Eolus, With variand luke rycht lyke a lord unstable a1568 Scott xxvii 48.
Gif scho steidfast stand, And be not wariandb. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 54.
The beriall stremis rynning men micht heir By bonkis grene with glancis variant c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 122/26 (M. 386/26) (see Wary v. 1 b).
Variant 1513 Doug. xi viii 117.
The variant chance Of our onstabill lyfe 1533 Bell. Livy I 219/16.
Of the variant chance of batall 1533 Bell. Livy II 103/22.
The cry of inemyis was the first signe of discomfitoure to Romanis, for it was mare loude and frequent than the cry of Romanis; for the cry of Romanis was variant, slaw, & but curage 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi 291.
They who would trauerse earths variant face(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 205/41.
Sen thow seyis mony thingis variand … Hald God thy freind evir stabill be Him stand 1535 Stewart 55713.
The victorie sa oft wes varieand, Quhile to the tane and quhylis to the vtherc. 1549 Compl. 55/21.
There is ane vthir admiration of the variant course of the mune 1614 Crim. Trials III 292.
I have no pleasour to byd heir, for the wedder is both euill and varient, and so is the people(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 141/1.
Quhen Merche wes with variand windis past

2. a. Of colours in fabric, etc.: Changing, variegated, passing from one colour into another. Cf. c below. b. Of fabric, animals, etc.: Of changing colour, variegated. Also absol. c. Of a variety of colours, of various colours, or ? further examples of a above.a. 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 20.
Vij elne of tartar of variant hewis to lyne a gowne of blac to the king … vij li. 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 25.
iiij vns of silk of variant hewis for the harnessing of the kingis sadillis … xvj s. 1513 Doug. viii x 62.
The styf hawbryk of steill yburnyst schane, Of huge weght and bludy sangwyne hew, That sic a glans or variant cullour schew, As quhen the byrnand sonnys bemys … The watry clowd persand … Schynand on far, forgane the skyis how Schapys the figour of the quent rayn bowe 1533 Boece 39b.
Ane nacioun … errant … in thir dayis the cuntre men gaif thame to name Pictis quhilk may be interpret payntit, owder becaus of the plesand forme of thare persouns, or fra the variant coloure of thare clething 1607 Soc. Ant. XI 414.
He sayed, that the variante hewed glass … was litted with the stuffe which he made in that same glass 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII 303.
Ane vallange of variant cullerd taffity with a silk freeing(b) 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 412.
vij elnis … veryant cullorit velvet … to be ane jornayb. 1502 Treas. Acc. II 346.
Ane variant hors 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I 239.
Tua beltis of variant silk, knapit with gold 1549 Stirling B. Rec. I 57.
Ane gown of wareant champit worset price four li. x s. 1569 Prot. Bk. J. Drummond 77.
Thrie piece of courtingis of purpour and wariant dammes frenȝeit with purpour silke and gold 1570 Treas. Acc. XII 227.
Ten elnis of blak warient taffitieis 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 110/77.
The deintie flore With variant ameling paimented Of springing floures most sweet(b) 1488 Treas. Acc. I 85.
A couering of variand purpir tartar browdin with thrissillis and a vnicorne 1489 Treas. Acc. I 163.
For thre elne and dimid. of varyande tartar, to be standart to the king … iij li. iij s. … for golde, aysure, siluer and colouris til it, and wyrkin of it vj li. xvij s.(c) 1570 Edinb. Test. II 122a.
Twa blak hors and ane warrand meir price of the haill xvj li.(d) 1589 Treas. Acc. MS 165.
Variane Spanis taffetie to be slevis to the laquayis jowppisabsol. 1503–4 Treas. Acc. II 414.
xxvij elne iij quartaris taffeti, blew, rede and variant … for the … daunsaris hede gere … xix li. viij s. vj d.c. 1531 Bell. Boece I 103.
Ane crown of gold, set about with precius stanis of variant colouris 1575 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 335.
Anent the habite of the ministers and thair wyfes … we thinke … vnseimlie … all kynd of light and variant hewes in cloathing, as red, blew, ȝeallow and sicklyke, quhilk declares the lightnes of the mynd c1590 Fowler I 63/159.
The valley … Whose bankis wer all imbroudered with flouers of variant hew, Some whyte, some grene, and some agane red, ȝellow, & some blew 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 113/35.
His golden draughts, his grace, Wherewith in variant coulors he Adornes the papers face

3. Of customs, opinions, etc.: Divergent, differing.(a) 1533 Boece 74a.
Quhen … the oratouris [of Ptolemy] had diligently notit … the leid of the cuntre … thare fassons nocht mekill variant fra the rytis of Egipcianis, thai tuke thareof grete plesure 1533 Boece 277b¹.
For quhat caus the regioun callit Cambria was namyt Walis … historiographouris … allege variant and friuole causis 1531 Bell. Boece II 130.
Many noblis wer variant in thair opinioun 1531 Bell. Boece II 362.
He brocht certane resolute men out of France, to decide upon this mater; and commandit thame to be vareant and dowble in thair deliverance … that quhen thay war found vareant, and not of ane mind, in decision of this pley, he micht the erar mak quhom he list … king 1534 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS VI 69.
[A case referred to Parliament] because the laws produced are variant in themselves 1586 Digest Justiciary Proc. L 43.
John Bynings depositiounes … ar altogidder variant and contrarius in the self(b) 1547 Laing Chart. 139.
Nocht of varyand mynd bot for gud lufe and favour

4. Diverse, different, various. 1585 James VI Ess. 33.
So Job and Jeremie … Did right descryue their joyes, … and torts, In variant verse of hundreth thousand sorts 1593–4 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I 122.
Diuers sortis of money alsweill gold siluer as allay propir and foreyne of variant wecht fynes prentis and priceis