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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)any, Velany, n. Also: villan(i)e, willany, -(i)e, -annye, vyllany, vilanie, wilany, -ie, vyl(a)ny, -ie, vilné, velan(i)e, welany, valany, -eny. [ME and e.m.E. uileinie (Ancr. R.), wilani(e, vilany, velani (all Cursor M.), vylney (1467), villany (1538), OF vilanie, etc.]

1. Wickedness, cruelty; harm; dishonourable, shameful or discourteous behaviour. b. An instance of this, a wicked, etc. act.(a) ?1438 Alex. i 3168.
Me had leuer … To all perellis put my body Than for radnes do velany [F. dont me doie honnir] ?1438 Alex. ii 10883.
Great honour ilkane vthir bare, Of courtas speke bot velany [F. sans nul vilain pensé] c1460 Thewis Wysmen 233.
With fair talking but velany Hyd ill, spek gud of alkyne wy 1460 Hay Alex. 8335.
Gif ane lady may but velany Lufe may na ane vnfendȝeand lelely 1490 Irland Mir. II 59/28.
Thai wauld nocht resaue Him bot did Him all welany and displesaunce a1500 Bernardus 207.
Oftersys reprwfe and welany And ewyle consele folowis mare sodanly Than doys loffyng(b) c1400 Troy-bk. i 157.
Felle counselle … Has gert hym do this willany Till ws 1456 Hay II 99/10.
Quhen ony man dois despisyng or villany or ony grete excesse to the prince … it requeres dede 1490 Irland Mir. I 26/27.
Thou suld be … liberale, curtas, meik, without wiolence ore ony wrang ore wilany enschewand all filth of syn 1494 Loutfut MS 41a.
Villane 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 173.
That thai and all such cutthroittis suld imbrace His seueir censure for thair villanie 1567 G. Ball. 155.
Vylanie 1584 Melvill 214.
Simonie, witchcraft, shamles obscenitie, vilanie [etc.] 1602 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. ix 40.
Na small nowmer of personis for laik of knawlege … hes rune louse to all kynd of villanie 1606 Inverness Rec. II 48.
That they be pwnist … quhairbe wtheris commit not the lyick wilanie and fact c1615 Chron. Kings 14.
Willannye a1651 Calderwood IV 406.
His Majestie's chaste eares were frequentlie abused with unknowne Italian and Frenche formes of oaths, the maistresse of all bawdrie and villanie 1662 Cromartie Corr. I 6.
The height of rogrie and willanie(c) c1420 Wynt. ii 985.
Tenelaus … made hym curtays welcummyng … Bot he dyde vylny [C. willany, W. velany] … This Tenelaus he walde have slayne(d) c1500 Barounis Lawis 15.
It is ane deidly thing and deid thing may do na valany na be maid eschete throw thair gilt 1533 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 135.
That Thome Hendersone vyf dyd oppression and valenyattrib. ?1438 Alex. ii 2055.
Damysell, My hart I gif to thé all hale, But velany thocht [F. Sans penser vilain tour] or mauiteb. a1500 Bk. Chess 284.
This worthy prince … askit at him quhy Did he his douchter sic a vylany 1587-99 Hume 8/64.
The … holy mysteries … may be a more noble … subiect, wherevpon the hole cunning … of mans loftie spirite should be employed nor vpon these trifles, & sensuall villanies 1599 Reg. Privy C. VI 8.
[The] frequent villaneis and barbarous cruelteis … committit within the ilis and heyland pairtis of this realme be the wicked and rebellious inhabitantis thairof 1641 Acts V 646/1.
That order may be taken with sturdie beggars … and a solid course be laid downe for removeing the horrible villanies committed be sic persones 1657 Balfour Ann. I 245.
Willanes 1680 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 118 (see Pekery n.).

2. Shameful or disgraceful treatment, ill-usage; harm or injury. a1400 Leg. S. i 548.
He … mad gret playnt of the schame, Of the vilne, and of the blame, That lytil befor tholit he ?1438 Alex. ii 4351.
Clarus felony deir by sall we … For ws beheuffis suffer velany Or resaue dede allutarly 1456 Hay I 236/33.
It war grete vilany to the servandis of God to be maid prisounaris to temporale men 1460 Hay Alex. 14821.
The thrid [sc. ring] gif it be borne in ony man Sall haue na les honoure na he has than Na sall neuer cum mysfortoun to his cors Na sall nocht tak na velany on hors 1513 Doug. x xiv 172.
Of my slauchter I think na villany [Sm. vyllany, Ruddim. velany] Nor on sik wys heir com I not in feild 1560 Rolland Seven S. 97.
Say on quhat euer ȝe pleis: And it sall be to me na vilanie

3. Disgrace, dishonour; incivility, discourtesy. 1375 Barb. ix 550.
Schyr Amery … Raid till Ingland till purches ther Off armyt men … To weng him off the welany [C. velany] That schyr Eduuard that noble knycht Him did … in-to the fycht ?1438 Alex. ii 2101.
Said Cassamus, ‘it war velany [F. vilonnie] That ȝow sould faill of droury' ?1438 Alex. ii 5598.
To the kingis rialte It war great dispyte and velany, And to the knichtis of Grece it war Reprufe and schame ?1438 Alex. ii 6159.
To iust and play … For ane spere or tua or thre, Without ony velane ?1438 Alex. ii 6641.
Ȝe salbe venged … And ȝour corps tak na villany [F. n'en ert deshonnorée] 1456 Hay II 46/36.
Gorgelin is gevin him [sc. a knight] in takenyng that thare suld nouthir enter na isse throu his gorge thing that suld be villanie na lak thing to the honour of the ordre c1490 Porteous Noblenes 171/17 (A).
The wikit rutis of wrang and ewill deidis that welany or carlichnes has wndertakin to ground & stable in noble hert 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 950.
A laitlie ryme, dispitefull and subtell, Compylit hes reheirsand loude and hie Sclander, dispite, sorrow and velanie To me 1533 Bell. Livy II 57/31.
Quhat other proffitt may ȝe haue … bot ay contending to put ws to velany and schame?

4. Impurity in precious metals. 1602 Colville Paraenese 29.
Gold or siluer … is not found all pure … yit the myneres and meltares do not for all that vilany dispyis the defylit lignot