Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1721, 1808-1898, 1949-1999
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MALISON, n. Also malesin; malicin (Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 54), mallasin (Sc. a.1830 Child Ballads No. 4. H. xii.), malysoun (Sc. 1825 Jam.); malisoun; mailison (ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore 139); mellison (Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 50; Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 107); mel(l)ishon, -an, -in, -e(e)n. Sc. usages. [Sh. ′mɛlɪʃən]
1. A malediction, a curse. Now arch. or dial. in Eng.Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 165:
He got his Mother's Malison, that Day, Spoken of him that has gotten an ill Wife.Sc. 1808 Scott Marmion v. xxv.:
Upon its dull destroyer's head! A minstrel's malison is said.Slk. 1818 Hogg Hunt of Eildon (1874) 234:
He gave him his malison, which, he assured him, would not fall to the ground.ne.Sc. 1836 J. Grant Tales (1869) 28:
Douglas Millar rushed from the house, invoking malisons on half the world.Lth. 1844 Zoologist II. 558:
Malisons, malisons mair than ten, That herry the Ladie o' Heeven's hen.Lnk. 1865 J. Hamilton Poems and Sk. 68:
My malison on them, baith heavy an' deep, Wha laid the first bow o' gude barley asteep.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 103:
"Geud keep me fae his filt'y cleuks!" Co' Robie, ap amang the creuks: Wi malesins fu' deep an' siccer.Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 104:
On sic a Ack, noo mony a saal Prays mellishin!wm.Sc. 1989 Anna Blair The Goose Girl of Eriska 100:
'Threttie golden pounds paid I for my coal-black horse, and more faith have I in her, than in your malisons.' And the last she heard was the thunder of hooves. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 23:
"Ma malisoun an curse gang wi ye:
I lay upon ye pyne an gloom.
In hellfire ye sall roast for aye:
An this I dae pronoonce for doom."
2. Principally in Sh. usage, freq. as an imprecation: the plague, the devil (Cai. 1903 E.D.D.; Sh. 1962).Sh. 1898 Shetland News (20 Aug.):
Whin dey tak a thing i' der heads, da melishen himsel' widna put dem aff hit.Sh. 1949 J. Gray Lowrie 44:
Depend doo apon it, eddicashion is playin' da mellishon wi' croftin'.Sh. 1958 Shetland News (30 Dec.) 4:
Dey buist ta be a mellishon's kaald apo dee.
3. A mischievous child (Cai.4 1920; Sh., Cai. 1962).
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"Malison n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 Sep 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/malison>
