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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.

Virgin, Vergin(e, n. (adj.). Also: virgine, -gyn(e, -ginn-, -gynn-, -gyng, -gen(e, -gein, -gane, wirgin(e, -gyn(e, -gynne, -gene, vyrgyn, wyrgyne, vergyn(e, -gen, wergyne. [ME and e.m.E. uirgine (c1200), virgine (c1290), uirgin (Cursor M.), vyrgyn adj. (14th c.), virgyne (a1310), vergyne (Wyclif), virgin (c1430), vyrgene (c1450), OF virgine, -gene, viergene, etc., L. virgin, stem of virgo.]

A. noun. 1. A virgin, one who is chaste or without sexual experience. Chiefly, applied to a woman, freq. with allusion to the purity and beauty of a maiden, esp. with reference to the Virgin Mary, cf. 2 below. Also fig. and in fig. context.There may be some overlap with 3 below.sing. a1400 Leg. S. ix 136.
Rycht sa suld He One a vnwemmyt virgine be Borne, that suld oure-cum oure fa a1400 Leg. S. xxii 279.
Jhesu Criste, of wyrgyne borne c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1093 (C).
Sche was gretly anoyed … that kynges and prynces … Tholys a wirgyne innocent Ageynes all rithtwise jugement To be peryst withouten blame c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1101 (C).
Virgyne c1420 Wynt. v 20.
The modyr held bed in gysyne, But dowt yhit wes scho pure wyrgyne a1500 Seven S. 1332.
He has marijt a faire virgine For to get barnis betuix thaim twa 1490 Irland Mir. I 73/4.
Ȝit it is possibile that antecrist be neuire borne … for God may gare that … his fader ȝit may be a virgin and neuire ly with woman, and the persoune that sal be his moder may wow and keip virginite 1494 Deidis of Armorie 7.
Thair suld nan be in the office bot giff he couth his lattyn reid and writ and haff all the condicionis pertenis till a virgine for the office wes first creat and ordanit for the gud maneris and governans salbe tharin 1513 Doug. iv iv 14.
Thir fowlis hes a virgynys wlt and face, With handis like to bowland byrdis clewis c1520-c1535 Nisbet II 1.
This is Johne euangelist, aan of the disciplis of the Lorde, quhilk is a virgin chosen of God, quham God callit fra the spousalis quhen he wald be weddit 1531 Bell. Boece II 32.
Roxena … ane virgine of incredible bewte 1531 Bell. Boece II 163.
He that revisis ane virgine, bot gif scho desire him in mariage, sal be heidit 1535 Stewart 42583.
Ane clene virgin he leuit all his dais 1551 Hamilton Cat. 90.
The woman quhilk is ane virgin and unmareit, hes hir mynd … apon thai thingis that belangis til hir Lord God, that sche may be halie baith in hir spirit and hir bodie 1563 St. A. Kirk S. 186.
Mr. Alexander confessis hym to have had carnall dayll wyth Catryne, yit nocht certan gyf sche wes ane virgin befoyr he meld wyth hyr c1615 Chron. Kings 58.
Malcolme the fourt, callit the maideine … deitt ane wirgine 1618 Trial Isobel Inch 15.
Thay forgetherit with Isobell Inch and the juglour, the devill being among thame, quho assurit thame that work could not be done without ane virgine(b) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 50.
Til scho consawit Godis sone … Scho beand altyme vergine chaste a1400 Leg. S. iii 445.
Vergyne a1500 Bk. Chess 1472.
The vergyne was of sic a pulcritud That for hir luf in poynt of deid he stud a1500 Bk. Chess 2094.
Wergyne c1515 Asl. MS I 262/18.
Malcome … deit a vergin and wald neuer haue wyf 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 122/8.
Hou can ye iustlie craue to be ioined uith a pure uergine gif youre boddie be pollutid(c) c1510 Prester John 3.
The sone … hes tane fleche … of hys modyr beand & remanyng ane wirgene(d) 1621 Crim. Trials III 507.
Scho being ane young virgane nocht past ellevin yeiris of age(e) 1622-6 Bisset II 194/9.
Malcolme the fourte called the madin or virgen because he nevir maryed and keiped continuall chestitiepl. 1490 Irland Mir. I 141/31.
The ladeis and virginis suld joy in blithnes, for the virgin, His modir, in pure virginite, without corrupcioune bure Him 1492 Myll Spect. 281/29.
I … sall cast me to luf nane bot vyrgynis & ȝoung damessellis the quhilk can haif within thame na fraud lechorye nor malingyne as thire vther wemen a1500 Bk. Chess 676.
Vndefowlit war thir vergynis cleire And so remanyt in to thair chastite c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxviii 47.
Clere be thy virgyns, lusty under kellis: London, thow art the flour of cities all 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1003.
Lawit men hes, now, religious men in curis; Profest uirgenis, in keipyng of strong huris 1533 Boece 41a.
Quhen … thir condiciouns war apprevit, folowit mixtioun of blude, Scottis virginis to Pichtis in matrymonye being ionit 1531 Bell. Boece I 84.
Ane goldin penny callit the marchetis quhilk is yit payit to the lord of the ground quhen virginis ar to be maryit in redemption of thair honour and chaistite a1538 Abell 20b.
The wirginis, now marit, the first nycht suld be with the lard of that land 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3925 (Ch.).
We grant them licence and frie libertie, That thay may haue fair virgins to thair wyfis 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 357.
For the cene on Skyre Thurisday to the dammes, damosellis, officeris, and xxiij pure virginis, ij elnis ij quarteris of cammorage to be ane aperone 1628 Justiciary Cases I 95.
He maist shamefullie gaif the use of his body to tua ȝoung damosellis baith being sisteris … baith his scolleris and ȝoung virganes and thairby committand nottour and manifest incest(b) 1535 Stewart 1041.
The ȝoung virgeins with blenkis amorus, To luke on thame was so delicious; The Pechtis … Jocund tha war than with ane joyfull hartfig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 154.
Syne tender youth come wyth hir virgyns ying, Grene Innocence, and schamefull Abaising, And quaking Drede wyth humble Obedience 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 68.
Ane fair wirgin callit Fortoune, vnder the quhilk was thrie fair virgynnis, all cled in maist precious attyrement, callit [gap in text] Justice and Policie 1604-31 Craig iv 4.
These my recreations, the libanotes and oblations of my loue, are true virgines … and … are sacrifized to your honour

2. (The) (glorious, etc.) Virgin (Mary), the blissit Virgin, etc. Mary, the mother of Christ. Also fig. b. Invoked in the subscription to a letter. c1420 Wynt. v 91.
Thai passyd till Bethleem; Thare, to the Sone off the wyrgyne 1456 Hay I 188/21.
Crist and His dere moder, the virgyn Mary 1468 Smit Bronnen I ii 1019.
The glorious wirgyn moyt haff ȝow in hir kepyn 1475 Edinb. B. Rec. I 30.
The glorious virgin Sanct Mary c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 5/11.
Haile, fresche flour femynyne! Ȝerne us guberne, virgin matern c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 73/30.
The Fader, the Sone, and Haly Gaist, The mirthfull Mary, virgene [M. virgen] chaist c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxvi 44.
Haile, moder of God! Haile, Virgin glorius! 1513 Doug. i Prol. 459.
Mary Virgyn myld c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark iii 31 marg.
Thow sal … blaspheme ande say that the Wirgynne Mary had ma childyre than Christ 1533 Gau 40/12.
The wirgine Maria c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1024.
That the immaculat uirgyng Sulde beir the Prince omnipotent 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 155/23.
Lyk maneir the kirk inventit this terme ‘Theoticos’, declarand the blissit virgyne Marie to be moder of God 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 180 (G).
Blyssit be the Sone off Gode, borne off the permanent virgen and moder meyk, Mary c1650 Spalding I 313.
Thay … ordanit … to tak doun the portrait of our blissid virgyn Mariefig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 135/22.
Ane fair processioun mett hir [sc. the queen] at the port … Quhair first the salutatioun … Of the sweitt virgin, guidlie mycht be seineb. ?1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 86.
And the blissit vergen Mare conserf your grace in eternall prosperite 15… Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 385.
And the blissit wirgyn conserue yowr lordship in prosperite … subscriuit yowris at power Jhone Lord Forbes

3. (Young) women who have dedicated themselves and their chaste status to piety and the religious life, esp. as a group in collocation with martyrs in the early Christian period. b. Venus virgenis, in ironic use, a woman dedicated to the rites of Venus. 1490 Irland Mir. II 149/1.
God saw and knew eternaly the saule of Jhesu of His moder the saule of Sanct Petir Sanct Jhone & all the laif of the gud pepil of men and women virginis martiris and confessouris ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 697.
Think … quhat ioy it is tobe in sa far a place as hevin … to se our lady and the appoistilis, the marteris, confessouris, and virginnis, with all the sanctis and angellis ?c1500 Rathen Manual 28/1.
The autorite of Sanct Katherynne … and all haly virginis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 556.
Nyxt to the throne we saw the quene of quenis Weill cumpanyit with ladyis of delyte. Sweit was the sang of those blyssit uirginnis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 775.
Apostolis, martyres, uirgines, confessouris, The sound of thair excellent sanctitude Was hard ouer all the warld a1568 Wedderburn in Bann. MS 279a/33.
The noble holy wemen that hes bene … Matheyris virgenis and mony holy queneb. a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlvii 6.
Heir followis the defence of Crissell Sandelandis … Pernitious peple … Fyndand na cryme … To hurt dame Venus virgenis … To Sandelandis ȝe wer our sair to schame hir … Quhat gif besyd Johine Dureis self ȝe fand hir … Beleif ȝe virgynis wilbe win so sone?

4. The constellation Virgo. a1500 Henr. Fab. 641.
Mercurius, the god off eloquence, Into the Virgyn maid his residence c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus Prol. 43.
The Virgin, Libra, and the Scorpion

B. adj. 1. Characteristic of or belonging to a virgin. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1136 (C).
Hys fadres grave he wete … one eueryche syd Of wyrgyne blood that bled that tyd When that Eccuba the queyne Saw sleyne Pollycena a1450 Fifteen Ois 249.
In virgin flesche he stude in stoure, Sufferand mekill pane & dolour a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 982 (Asl.)
O hevinlie floure of our humanite Thy fairnes fadit thi virgin flesche [Harl. wirgyne face] wox pale 1494 Deidis of Armorie 23.
The ermine … signifies he that bur hir first in armes wes a man of peice vertueulx and of concord to the gud of peice and virgin humble and benyng and neutre 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4383.
To weip … scho began, Sayand allace that euer I knew ane man. For quhen I was into my virgine flouris I knew nathing of thair schairp winter schouris a1649 Drummond I 118/1.
This virgine locke of haire To Idmon Anthea giues

2. Of a person , chiefly a woman: In a state of chastity, pure. Also, virgin moder (Mary), the Virgin Mary.(1) 1502 Misc. Spald. C. V 34.
His blissit virgin moder Mary 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 42.
From Harpyes fell, and blynd Cyclopes handis, Be my laid star, virgyne moder, but maik(2) 1513 Doug. iii v 78.
O thou alane … Happy was, virgyne douchtir of Priam kyng 1578 Edinb. Test. VI 145.
Malkin Tully his dochter virgin 1573-1600 King Cat. in Cath. Tr. 185/15.
S. Dympna virgin dochter to the King of Irland marterissed be hir awin father c1590 Fowler I 258/9.
Ye virgin gods … Assist me now 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas iii 55.
A virgin preist by chance of Morish lyne, Expert in magick

3. In a raw, fresh or unused state; pure; new. Also fig.(1) 1494 Deidis of Armorie 26.
The filth confite with vin agre helis a seiknes of fir with virgin waux 1502 Treas. Acc. II 37.
Payit to Robert Bertoune for virgyne wax that he brocht hame to the king a1649 Drummond II 143/66.
How oft have we Some Chloris name graven in each virgin tree?(2) 1615 P. Gordon Brus Pref.
He … broght me a book of virgine parchement which he hade found amongst the rest of his books. It was old & torne, almost inlegeable in manie places vanting leavesfig. 1490 Irland Mir. I 123/24.
Lettiris of … grace, that sal be writtin richly in virgin parchement of his haly body … vpone the croce, with horribile pennis of irne, that are nalis throu his handis & feit