A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1605
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Chance, Chans, n. Also: chaunce, chawnce, chawns; chanse, chanch(e. [ME. chaunce, chance, cheance (c 1300), OF. chance, cheance.]
1. A casual or fortuitous event or circumstance, esp. as happening to or affecting a person.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 168.
Thus gat maid thai thar acquentance, That neuir syne, for nakyn chance Departyt quhill thai lyffand war c1420 Wynt. viii. 1553.
Patryk for drede of this chans Fled off Scotland in to Frans c1420 Ib. 4983.
It wes to Scotland a gud chance, That thai made thaim to werray in France c1450-2 Howlat 538.
Throw full chevalrus chance he his hert chevit c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 224.
Sum happy chance may fall for your behuff c1475 Ib. iii. 239.
Leif I thaim thus, blamand thar sory chance a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1243.
Quhat menis fortoune be skill, Ane gude chance or ane ill a1500 Doug. King Hart 371.
Full weill is me … of this chance c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 54.
Sic cursit chance till eschew 1513 Doug. x. vi. 141; etc.
Other thre … By diuers chancis put he al to ded 1533 Boece vii. ii. 223 b.
Pichtis … pleneȝete the hard chance be thare avne culpe incurrit a1540 Freiris Berwik 549.
Nevir befoir him hapnit sic a chance a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS ci. 76.
Ȝe wait not ȝit quhat may befall. Sic chance hes cum rycht haistelie a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xxxviii. 58.
Quhat euer chanche Dois me outtrance(b) 1375 Barb. xx. 58.
Men … maid … Fesnyng of frendschip and of pes, That neuir for na chans suld ces a1400 Legends of the Saints vi. 459.
This present lyfe Is ay … undirlout to chansis sere c1420 Wynt. vi. 706.
Charlys … Hapnyd be a fellowne chans To be rywyn wyth a bare c1420 Ib. 1442.
Till a lord hapnyd a fell chans a1568 Scott xviii. 13.
Quhat chans that may fall me(c) c1420 Wynt. ii. 516.
Is nane so redy craft no chawnce Off auld kyn newe to fynde c1420 Ib. vii. 2578.
A mychty erle … Hapnyd to be slayne in that chawns 1456 Hay I. 65/12.
Fortune … quhen scho lest turnys the chaunce
b. With possessives: (One's) lot, fortune, or fate. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiii. 214.
In the tyme come a knycht … Quhare the madyne abad hir chance a1400 Ib. xxxiv. 205.
The bischope … considerande hale hyre chance, Iniungit hyr heileful pennance c1420 Wynt. vii. 1532.
‘Quhat wes sum tyme thi pennans?’ ‘Befor my dede my hewy chans’ c1420 Ib. viii. 5664.
Thai feyhnyd that thai war marchawns, That come thare off thaire awyne chawns a1500 Golagros and Gawane 663.
Schir Bedwar [was left] to schir Bantellas, to enschew his chance 1513 Doug. i. xii. 19.
Sen thou hast sic plesour and delyte To knaw our chancis 1513 Ib. xiii. iii. 71.
The chance of kyngis standis onderlout, To mekill dreid ay subiect c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiii. 5.
His chance to nycht it may be thyne to morrow 15.. Clariodus iii. 908.
Ay scho thankit God … Of all hir trubillis and hir chansis soire c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 617.
Into this warld quhat is my fatall chance? 1570 Satirical Poems xix. 49.
Ȝe vertuous men! lament his cairfull chance a1605 Montg. Son. xxxiv. 3.
A wrechit woman … Vhose chanch is cassin, that sho can not chuse But sigh
2. Accident; casual happening; fortune. a1500 Henr. Abbay Walk 43.
This changeing and grit variance Of erdly staitis … Is nocht bot casualitie & chance a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 364.
He torned but tary to grace throw lufis chance a1500 Bk. Chess 21.
The wynnyng be the dycis chance As thift or reif it askis restorans c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlv. 1.
Quha will behald of luve the chance 1513 Doug. xi. viii. 118.
The variant chance Of our vnstabill lyfe 1533 Bell. Livy I. 105.
Seing that it was necessare to him … [to] assaileȝe extreme ieoperdie & chance of armes c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 577.
This bene bot chance of armes c1550 Ib. 832.
It wes bot chance of weir
b. In the phrases by, of, throu or upon chance. 1375 Barb. iv. 396.
Sa hapnyt at that tyme throu chans a1400 Legends of the Saints xx. 63.
Of chans thai come nere by The place c1420 Wynt. v. 5169.
He past hys way … wyth that angell wpon chans c1420 Ib. viii. 6862.
Jhon the Kyng off Frawns Thare wes takyn apon chawns 1513 Doug. i. vi. 71.
Be hir fader … By chans scho was … Weddit to hym 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 13/13.
Thir tua princis be chance entrit in the achademya c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 578.
He blent about of chance 1596 Dalr. I. 183.
This bote was found be chance
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"Chance n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/chance_n>
