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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.

Wre(t)chitnes, Wra(t)chitnes, n. Also: wrechitnese, -eitnes, -ytnes, vrechitnes(e, -idnes, wretchidnes, -ednes(se, wratchidnes, wraichitnes. [ME and e.m.E. wrecchednes (Cursor M.), wrechednes (Rolle), wretchidnesse (c1440).]

1. a. Misery, great unhappiness. Also personified. Passing into b. Vileness; baseness; wickedness.a. 1375 Barb. i 224.
[Alas] that folk that euer wes fre … Throw thar gret myschance and foly War tretyt than sa wykkytly … Quhat wrechitnes may man have mar?
a1400 Leg. S. vi 455, 458.
Quhare the apostil prechand ves Of the wrechitnese that here Men has … & sad: ‘This present lyfe Is ay in vrechitnese & stryfe'
a1500 Henr. Fab. 1115.
Men of … religioun … Abstractit from this warldis wretchitnes In wilfull pouertee fra pomp and pryde
a1500 Lanc. 2100.
This is the flour not sessith to support … Vs catifis ay in to our wrechitnes
1490 Irland Mir. I 46/34.
The purete and wrechitnes of this waurld
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 118/1.
Wretchidnes
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 175/29.
Fredome returnis in wrechitnes, … All erdly joy returnis in pane
(b) a1450 Fifteen Ois 368.
Wrachitnes
? a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 441/7.
Wraichitnes [Maitl. Q. wratchidnes]
personified a1500 K. Hart 812.
Ire kepit ay the ȝet … And Wretchitnes wes hyde in to the spence
b. 1375 Barb. ix 76, 78.
Thaim that wikkyt chifftane hais His wrechytnes [C. vrechidnes] sa in thaim gais That thai thar manlynes sall tyn Throw wrechitnes of his conwyn
1456 Hay II 57/2.
Man … ourcummys the vice of mysordinate lecherye be force of curage and noblesse quhilk will nocht put him in subjectioun of evill thouchtis na be our cummyn with sik wrechitnes
a1500 Henr. Praise of Age 12.
False is this warld … Treuth is all tynt … Wrechitnes has wroht all welthis wele to wo
a1500 Lanc. 1793.
Yow degradith al thyne hie dugree, … Throuch wys and throw the wrechitnes of hart
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5987.
Refusand thame ȝe Me refusit With wrecheitnes so ȝe wer abusit. Tharefor ȝe sall haue … The euerlestyng … fyre
1567 G. Ball. 22.
O God I me confes, Ane sinfull creature Full of all wretchitnes [D. wretchednesse] Fragill, vaine, vylde, and pure
1567 G. Ball. 166.
Leuand maist pairt in all vice, Nouther sa gracious, nor sa wyse, As out of wratchitnes to ryse

2. Greed, miserliness, niggardliness, meanness. c1460 Thewis Gud Women 255.
And may nocht for thar wrechitnes [Gud Wyf & D. vrechitnes], Gret couatice and gret nedynes Put thaim in tyme to thar profyt
a1500 Lanc. 1857.
Many prince … the palm werith … by larges … And wrechitnes … Haith realmys maid ful desolat & barre
c1475 Wall. viii 526.
Thai sawft na Sotheroun for thair gret riches Off sic koffre he callit bot wretchitnes
a1500 Seven S. 831.
The tane was full of wretchednes Aye sparand to spend
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 193/4.
He that hes gold and grit riches, … And levis in to wrechitnes, He wirkis sorrow to him sell
a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 23/75.
Grund all thy doing vpon suthfastnes … Gadder na geir with craft and wretchitnes

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"Wrechitnes n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/wretchitnes>

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