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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Droun, Drown, v. Also: droune, drovn(e, drowne, drowin; drun(e, dron(e. [ME. drown(e, droun(e, drun (c 1300), of obscure origin. The frequency of the spelling with w is due to the following n.]

1. intr. a. Of persons: To suffer death by submersion. 1375 Barb. xiv. 358.
Thai in perell war till droune Ib. xvi. 644.
Sum bargis … ourtummyllit, and the men That war thar-in all drownit then a1400 Leg. S. iv. 303.
The bryge brak, and thar dronyt all, That mad the chas Ib. xxxiii. 580.
This George, … He gert cast in the caldrone, Trewande he suld bryn ore drune c1420 Wynt. ii. 658.
Quhare all that folk our-passyd dry, The Egyptis drownyt halyly 1485 Acta Conc. *109/1.
The hors that he tuke, as eschete, the tyme that Thomas Campbell drovnit 1513 Doug. i. ix. 9.
Wantand bot ane, amang the fludis greyn Quham we saw droun 1535 Stewart 12183.
So mony men had dround vpone the se c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3188.
The bargis brake in schonder, … Than drownit thare mony one nobyll man 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 127.
Finding yourself able to drowne [v.r. drone], ȝe wald preis againe to the boit 1596 Dalr. I. 272/3.
Dongal, passing the riuer of Spey … , drounis

b. Of vessels: To sink and be lost. 1375 Barb. iv. 448.
Of thre batis drownyt twa c1475 Wall. vii. 182.
Trubbill weddyr makis schippis to droune c1420 Wynt. vii. 3260 (W).
Of his schippis in the se Mony drovnyt 1533 Boece iv. xv. 150 b.
Sum schippis … war drevyn … lows to sey, war syne ouresett, sank and drownit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4866.
Geue that schyp drown, … I say for me [etc.]

2. tr. To put to death by submersion. a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 871.
Ane ankyr … He gert bynd til his hals … & drownyt hyme c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2260.
The mermadynnis … drownes thame and thare schippes bath c1420 Wynt. i. 262.
Sum story sayis that Noeys flude Drownyd thaim that tym that lywand stude a1500 Henr. Fab. 2866.
The paddok … thocht the mous without mercie to droun 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 34.
Me … in the fludis swak, Or drown law vndir the large seys brak c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1609.
Quhow God maid ane conuenent With Noye, … be no flude the peple [to] droun a1578 Pitsc. II. 53/20.
[They] condemnit ane ȝoung woman to deid and gart droune hir Ib. 23.
They … dronit hir but mercie 1596 Dalr. II. 122/14.
Certane pirats … slew and drounet al the merchandisfig. 1567 G. Ball. 14.
To.drowne the deid, and hell for to oppres c1590 Fowler I. 174/14.
To drone me in lovs seesrefl. a1500 Seven S. 1112.
I will drovne my self ewin now 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2406.
At this ȝet standis ane well Quhairin but dout now I sall drowne my sell 1596 Dalr. II. 182/27.
He thocht best to saif his lyfe be flychte, quhilke as he did, vnhappilie he drouned him selfe

b. In passive: To incur death by submersion. (Cf. 1 a.) Also fig.(a) 1375 Barb. xvi. 665.
Quhair that v hundreth neir wes ded, Forouten thame that drownyt war c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1743.
Thare was full mony Grekes drowned c1420 Wynt. ii. 456.
All the folk off Tessaly Had nere bene drownyt suddanly 1456 Hay I. 16/36.
Thai hard hertit heretikis … ar all drownyt and sonkin in the see 1492 Myll Spect. 289/11.
At a trape … abone the walter thai ware lattyn fall doun, quhar thai ware drownyt c1500-c1512 Dunb. lii. 15.
I wald scho drownit war in a dam c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3104.
Semeramis the battaill wan, Quhare drownit and slane wer mony one man a1578 Pitsc. I. 161/31.
Quhow he was drownit the certentie was nocht schawin(b) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 305/21.
Thar was sanct Clement dround and Ouidius presonit 1533 Gau 58/2.
Thay var drunit in the fluid Ib. 65/31.
As part ar drwnit, and ar etine with feisch 1535 Stewart 52560.
He … In falt of licht into the flude wes dround 1570 Leslie 257.
At Kynardis heid … A gret nombre of thair cumpanie wes dronit 1596 Dalr. I. 242/20.
Quhill he … was recreating his mynd in fischeng, he is drounit

3. To sink (a ship or boat). Also in passive, to be sunk.(1) 1456 Hay II. 101/2.
The wind … drownis schippis, schakis cornis, … and brekis treis c1500 Crying of Play 68.
At Noroway costis scho rasit the wynd And gret schippis drownit thare 1563 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 145.
The said … borit Robert Johnsoun boit and drounit hir 1570 Leslie 85.
In his cuming he drownit three Inglis schippis 1596 Dalr. I. 59/10.
It swallyis vp hail schipis, and … drounes thame in the deip(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1750.
His schippis brynt were and drowned all c1420 Wynt. vii. 3298.
Off hys schyppys in the se Ware mony drownyd 1535 Stewart 30434.
Throw wynd and waw … Baith schip and bote were dround that tyme ilkone 1549 Wemyss Chart. 177.
Ane pynnische, quhilk wes drownit at Sanct Mynnanis a1578 Pitsc. I. 156/17.
Thair come tydingis to hir that hir carwell was drownit on the sea 1596 Dalr. II. 84/1.
Thair schipis … be sea ar al drouned as tha returne

4. a. To destroy or perish by submersion. c1420 Wynt. i. 280.
Bukys he wrate That drownyde ware in Noeys spate Ib. ii. 158.
The bokis that Enok wrate Drownyt all in Noeys spate

b. To put (land, etc.) under water; to inundate. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1691.
The dalis deip with dubbis drownit is c1515 Asl. MS. I. 166/7.
In that cuntre the se rysis wp to the cluddis lyke to drovne the erd 1531 Bell. Boece II. 287.
Be inundation of the Almane Seis, mony townis … wer drounit 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. 214.
He had complenit … anent the Borrow Loch, quhilk drownit ane grete pairt of his land 1585 James VI Ess. 69.
So shall she neuer droun againe the land 1596 Dalr. II. 17/22.
In schort space the nerrest feildes war all drouned 1641 Acts V. 640/2.
Landis adjacent to the pow of Inchaiffray … ar oft tymes overflowed with water quhairby the cornes … ar frequentlie … drowned 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 94.
By the great suelling … of the watter all the ground and coalworks … is drouned and filled full of watter

c. To drench, make wet. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 102.
Quhill all his pennis war drownd and drawkit Ib. lxxii. 100.
Methocht Compassioun … My visage allin watter drownd

d. In passive: Submerged or completely sunk in vice, etc. 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 150.
Albeit the simple peple in thir unhappy dayis be … blyndit in ignorance, drounit in vice c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 37.
For thame that drownd ar in idolatrie a1578 Pitsc. II. 75/12.
The world quhilk was all drownit in blindnes and misknawledge of thi name

5. To put out (a fire) with abundant water. c1650 Spalding II. 100.
The tounes men quiklie gadderit, drounit out the fyre