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

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

Wildirnes, Wyldirnes, n. Also: wilder-, -yr-, vildir-, -er-, wylder-, wyildir-, vylder-, vuldernes, wildirnas. [ME and e.m.E. wildernesse (c1200), wildernes (Cursor M.), wyldernes (Manning), wildirenes (Rolle).]

1. (A) wild, uncultivated, remote, barren or difficult (area of) land, etc., (a) wilderness. Also proverb.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 52.
He trewyt na man was In abay, na in vildirnes, That mocht do mare thane he had done a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 431.
He mad habitacione In wyldirnes, & duelt ther-in ?1438 Alex. ii 55.
Gude man, quhether art thow went on way … Fra wildernes [F. ces grans destrois] and ȝon valleis c1420 Wynt. viii 702.
Wildyrnes a1500 Henr. Orph. 156.
Welcome, woddis wyld and wilsome way, My wikit werd in wildernes to wair c1475 Wall. iv 129.
My purpos is to pas … in wyldirnes so wyde c1515 Asl. MS I 155/14.
Affrica has … mar wildernes & waist landis for … birnyng of the son than Europia a1497, 15.. Gray MS iv 25.
Fourti ȝeir in wildernes … I thé fed c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 233.
Eolus his bugill blew … And sudaynly, … All was hyne went; thare was bot wildernes, Thare was no more bot birdis, bank, and bruke 1513 Doug. iii i 64 (Ruddim.).
Vildernes 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1135.
In wyldernes, among the holtis hore c1554 Makeson Genesis 106.
Agar … in voddis & vuldernes Ondyr ane tre laid downe hir sonne 1596 Dalr. I 102/17.
Be thir places of wildernes, bygates, kraigs and glenis 1622-6 Bisset II 106/12.
He as first heremeit laid the foundament … of solitarie leving in wyldernes 1622-6 Bisset II 108/7.
Vyldernes(2) a1400 Leg. S. xix 100.
Sa held he furth lange … Til he come in a wildirnes a1400 Leg. S. xix 155.
Ane heremyt in a wildirnes a1500 Rois Garlandis 80.
The quhilk fastit in the wildernes xl dais and fourty nichtis 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 155 (L).
This wyldernes abhomynable and wast 1535 Stewart 43903.
That caus[it] ws to leif the wildernes And draw to toun 1554 Corr. M. Lorraine 387.
Ane band of my folkis that I had liand in the wyildirnes followit thairon in Cathnes a1578 Pitsc. I 337/19.
The king remanit in this present wildernes at the huntting the space of thrie dayis 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 410.
I hapnit in ane wildernes a1595 Descr. Isles 429.
Thair is na woods in the Lewis, but ane great wildernes or forestproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1633.
There is mosse in a montane, wod in a wildernes, and wit in a pure manni[s] breist dois na gude

2. fig.a. This world (as opposed to heaven). b. ? A place of desolation or exclusion. c. fig.A place of difficulty in argument, a morass.a. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1112.
Men of contemplatioun Off pennance walkand in this wildernes 1490 Irland Mir. II 67/20.
God has gevin us … the sone material to direct ws in this present waurld and wildernesb. 1681 Cloud of Witnesses (1714) 84.
It's like our carriage may make many of our carcasses ly in the wildernessc. a1500 Colk. Sow iii 17.
Gif sum folk wald say … How suld a penny fruct … Sen gold … Fynit be folkis vanisis [etc.] … Bot or I waid moir in this wildirnas [etc.]