Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Los, Lois, a. Also: loss(e, lose, loys. [Sc. variant of Lows a., ? with vowel as in goke, goik (mod. Sc. gock, goak) beside gowk, gopin(n)e beside gowpin, lone beside lown, etc., but ? cf. MDu. los and loos, MLG. lôs : cf. north. ME. (14–15th c.) loise.ME. had lose (Mannyng, Gower), los (Chaucer, rh. goose), and e.m.E. lose, also losse (Tindale): some or possibly all of these no doubt had the close , and thus are merely variants of loose (see Loose a.), and unconnected with this form.]

Loose, in senses of Lows a.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 976.
The emperoure … commandit his men … To … bynd thame in a place … & lyons los lat to thaim ga 1463 Lindores A. 161.
That … ilka man suld hald on his awyn grys a kow or a hors in tedyr and gyff thai war foundyn los the pownd-lan sould be iiij d. 1522 Wigtown B. Ct. 1 Oct.
That na swyne be haldin lois out of thare sty 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 13 Oct.
Loistransf. 1674 Justiciary Ct. Rec. II. 271.
These horses … were given up … to the sheriff as waff goods, being found in loss graison(2) 1610 Old Ross-shire I. 77.
There are a great number of actiones qlk actiones … we can no wayes … judge … be reason of the present vaccans, feriot and losse tyme(3) 1665 Ib. I. 84.
That all persones [without employment] … shall within aught days … tak thaim to actuall service with a maister with certificatione any justice of the peace … is … to cause imprisone all such lose persones … at leist till such persones ty themselfs to actuall service(4) 1498 Halyb. 219.
Rasauit … a pok of lam vol in mandis lois(5) 1574–5 Ayr B. Acc. 135 n.
This buik contenis l. nyne leiffis and ane loys leif that is writtin upoune(6) c1590 Fowler I. 102/128.
Thrie valiant knyghts … Whose armour wes both loss and clowen and hinging all a sounder(7) 1594 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II. 259.
That everye ane rin with losse rinȝes and with als meikill speid as his hors hes