A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1396-1400, 1456-1596
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(Par-,) Peraventur(e, -our, adv. Also: -aventowr, -ier, -awenture; perventure, parwentour. [ME. and e.m.E. per-auenture (c 1290), par (1297), OF. par or per aventure. Cf. Paradventure, Paranter.In early use, sometimes written as two words.]
a. By chance or accident; ? by fate. b. (If, lest, etc.) it should happen (that); maybe; perchance. c. Perhaps; not improbably.Common in hypothetical or contingent statements, and in conditional or concessional clauses.(1) 1396 Scottish Notes and Queries 2 Ser. I. 96.
The qwylk ayris faylyȝeand peraventour … the said landys againe cummand to the forsayd Erle 1456 Hay II. 147/28.
That man … suld … peraventure rus him tharof a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 104 (Ch.).
Perauenture all cummis for the best a1500 Id. III. 91/43. a1500 Bernardus 331.
Perauentowr 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1756. 1513 Id. Æn. v. iv. 137.(2) 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 44.
Syn … that I clayme to be of kyn till yhow and it peraventour nocht knawen on yhour parte c1400 Troy-bk. i. 150.
Per awenture a1538 Abell 31 a.
Gif tha punis ony it is comunlie the pure bodie for ane scheip and perauenture in extreme neid [etc.] 1551 Hamilton Catechism 161. 1596 Dalr. I. 25/25.
Gif thay sie ony fishe mair diligate … , the pray quhilke perauentur thay brocht far off [etc.](3) a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 395.
The quhilk perauentur giff will thu I sall vndo thé 1515 Douglas Corr. 70.
Thocht peraventour … we mycht bring the Queyne thyddyr c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark xiii. 36.
Wake ye … Or perauenture … he find you sleping 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4474 (Ch.)
Perventure (see Peranter adv.). 1568 Cal. Sc. P. II. 503.
[Lest] the Quene … mycht peraventier desire [etc.] c 1575 Annandale Corr. 273.
Parwentour alls well for ill of ws as theme 1578 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs I. 63.
And geve peraventour it suld happin that [etc.]
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"Peraventur adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/peraventure>
