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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.

Vil(l)a(i)n(e, Velan(e, n. Also: villayn, vilan(e, willane, welan(e, veillane. [ME and e.m.E. vyleyn (Manning), vilaine (1320-30), veleyn (c1450), vylan(e (1535), villain(e (a1548), villan (1552), OF vil(l)ain, vilein.]

1. A villein, a feudal serf bound in agricultural service in a particular place. c1124 Regesta I 135.
[Totam terram suam quam habebat in Parua Paxtona [sc. in Huntingdonshire] et in Accadena, scilicet ix virgatas terre [etc.] … et v de terris villanorum cum ipsis villanis terras illas tenentibus 1187–99 Reg. Episc. Morav. 5.
Scilicet ut si villanus fuerit qui decimam suam … dare nolverit Theynus sub quo rusticus ille sit vel dominus eius si dominum habuerit distringat illum decimam illam … reddere 12… Liber Scon 52.]
Omnes obventiones villanorum et servientium de Benchori [etc.] Leg. Forest in c1575 Balfour Pract. 246.
Gif ane over-lord maryis airis, male or female, in thair ward, to husbandmen being villanis … quhairby the air is disparagit … the lord sall tyne and foirfault the ward 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 90b.
Some are born bond-men or natiues of their gudsher … quhom the lord may challenge to be his naturall natiues be names of their progenitours … sic as the names of the father [etc.] … of them quha are challenged; affirmed them all to be his villans in sic ane village, and in ane certaine place, and servile land within the said village, … and be the space of many ȝeares … to haue done to him … servile service 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 97b.
Gif ane over-lord causes marie the heires of his vassall … with villans (or bondmen) … quhereby the heires are disparaged [etc.] 1681 Stair Inst. i 2 § 11.
Little of slavery remains … among Christians except the adscriptitii who are not absolutely slaves but they and their posterity are bound to several services to farms and villages to which … they are in bondage … Such are the English villains; but in Scotland there is no such thing

2. A churl, a person at the bottom of the social hierarchy; one not of the knightly class; a coward. 1456 Hay (Glenn) III 13/9.
Gif knychtis vs nocht thair office … he is nocht verray knycht in dede suppos he bere the name—for sik knychtis ar mare villaynis na is outhir smythe wrycht or masoun—that dois thair craft as thai ar techit 1490 Irland Mir. I 46/15.
This hevinly body of Jhesu in the sacrament is fud of lif for all kingis & lordis contenand in it all maner of sauour desirabile to nobilis and princis for welanis and synnaris are nocht worthi to twich nore persaue the sauour of it 1531 Bell. Boece I cviii.
Gif ony churle or velane thé dispise, Bid hence him harlot: he is not of this rout 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2783 (Ch.).
My lords quhy do ȝe thoil that lurdun loun … Ȝon villaine puttis me out of charitie 1549 Compl. 144/11, 14, 15.
Juris-consultours in the anciant dais hes … discriuit one thing be the contrar thyng. Thai gart the discriptione of ane vilaine (quhilk ve cal ane carl in our Scottis langage) manifest the conditions of ane gentil man. Siclyik thai gart the discriptione of ane gentil man manifest the conditione of ane villaine be rason that ane gentil man … ande ane villaine hes direct contrar conditions 1549 Compl. 146/22.
Of this sort began the fyrst nobilnes … for thai that var vailȝeant thai var reput for nobilis … ande thai that var vicius & couuardis var reput for vilainis and carlis

3. A rascal, rogue, scoundrel.(a) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 645.
Quhair is ȝone poid that plenȝeit … Quhil ane me fand, quhilk said—and greit disdenȝeit—Auant veillane [L. velane] 1531 Bell. Boece II 224.
Throw this cursit law al vailyeant men war degenerat in cowardis; humil men in bludy monstouris … chaist men in lichorus velanis(b) 1570 Sat. P. xiii 95.
Wa worth ȝow uillanis that slew that prince maist wise a1578 Pitsc. I 81/21.
Sum persuadit the king to handill him [sc. Lord Ballvanie] regourslie … wther wyse everie willane sould contempt the kingis autorietie 1602 Lett. Jas. VI to Eliz. 148.
His delyuerie is craued be us for no releiff nor benefite to such a villane, bott only that justice may be ministrate upon him be our auctoritie 1614 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 162.
Thais vilanes … who hes kyitht tham self to have nathir feir of God, cair of thair dew obediens [etc.] 1636 Laurie Hist. Free Masonry 446.
To elect … ane … qualiefiet persoun … of anie ane of the foirnameit craftis to be thair … deacone quha … sall have power to suppres all vilanes vnqualiefiet and vnadmitted persounis 1697 Hector Renfrewshire Rec. II 153.
Calling them … nortorious villans, cheats and raskalls 1698 S. Ronaldshay 71.
[It] is a calumny, that he calls any of them villans, knavs &c. 1698 Fletcher Polit. Wks. (1737) 149 (see Jockie n. b). 1700 Minnigaff Par. Rec. 39 (see Rate n. 5 c).