A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1498-1533
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Prosper, -re, -ir(e, adj. Also: (porsper). [ME (once) prospere (Chaucer; v.r. prospre), F. prospère (14th c. in Littré), L. prosper, prosperus: cf. Prosper(o)us adj.] a. Consistently successful. = Prosper(o)us adj. 1. b. Favourable. = Prosper(o)us adj. 2.Only in the texts (all based on Latin originals) quoted from below.a. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1526 (Asl.).
We sall kepe temperans In prosper [Arund. porsper, Harl. prospre] stait & eike aduersite a1499 Ib. 403. 1513 Doug. iii vi 203.
This haly religyus woman … sal thé grant a prospir [Ruddim. prosperus] cours at hand 1513 Ib. ii i 8. — 1533 Boece 620 b.
The nobillis … dissimuling that all was prospire and peciableb. 1513 Doug. iii vi 191.
Thocht … prospir wyndis challance thé to the saill 1513 Ib. viii v 59.
At thou may cum heir With prosper presens 1513 Ib. xi xiv 78, etc. 1531 Bell. Boece I 9.
Symon … be prosper windis arrivit in Ireland 1533 Boece 378 b.
Kepe the strenth … of this realme … to tymes mare prosper and ganand — 1533 Boece 289.
The feild was gevin na thing prosper to Britouns
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"Prosper adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/prosper_adj>
