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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Silenc(e, -ens(e, (S)cilence, -ens, n. Also: syl(l)-, (s)cyl-, schyl-, siel-, seil- and -entse, -ance. [ME and e.m.E. silence, scilence (a1225), cilence (Wyclif), sylense (c1400), OF silence, scilence, L. silentium, f. silēre to be silent.]

1. Absence of speech, utterance or noise as made by persons (e.g. musicians, crowds, etc.), specif. a. Consequent on a requirement not to speak or make a noise or to stop speaking, etc. or a refusal to allow speech or utterance. a1400 Leg. S. iii 525.
Jhesu … flat no sad mys ony man till. Thar-for cylens and reste haf ȝe, His discipulis gyf ȝe be! c1460 Wisd. Sol. 176.
Tyme of spekinge, tyme of scilens 1534–5 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 492.
That ye … command hyme to keip his chalmer … and that he be in continuale scilence [Prot. Bk. J. Cristisone (SRS) 35, seilence] with all maner of man … vnto the tyme that he be fundyne penitent 1538 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 196.
Ordines ony man or voman … to produce thairis rychtis this xl dayes under payne of syllens and never to be hard 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1504 (B).
For scylence I protest 16… R. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 400.
After silence the king spake … Then … licence gevin to such as wold to speak … , [then] after silence it wes put to voyces

b. Expressing a refusal, unwillingness or failure to speak, express an opinion, etc. a1585 Maitl. Q. 107/115.
He that can plaine Dois thoill leist paine … Silence to dolour is ane nowrisching 1596 Dalr. I 98/17.
Albeit he be na partaker, ȝit throuch silens he dissimilis 1587-99 Hume 182/613.
Silence is taken for consent 1649 Lamont Diary 10.
[18 ministers deposed for] silence in the tyme of the leatte engagement against Englande

c. Expressing an inability to speak, muteness. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 32b.
Pausis … quhilkis to similitud of silenc of Zachary as figurat

2. transf. With reference to written material: Absence or omission of mention in narration. 1562-3 Winȝet I 5/18.
Ȝour dum doctrine … keiping in silence the trew Word of God c1590 Fowler II 10/13.
I rather confesse my imbecillitie heirin by schamefast silence then to impair ȝour lordschippis praises by scarcitie of words c1590 Fowler II 13/14.
We haue in his calumnious letter sum things … suppressit with silence 1596 Dalr. I 323/26.
Quhat the historiographouris haue writne … is nocht to be past ouer with silentse 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xiii.
The constant silence of the insuspect auncients does testifie their misknowledgment … of the same

3. Variously const. in the above senses, specif.a. To mak, kepe, etc., command, etc., put, etc. silence, also, to (a person), also, to put (a person) to silence. b. In silence.a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xi 430.
The apostolis … in the puple sylens mad a1500 Seven S. 2645.
Gar mak scilens that all may heire 1535 Stewart 56920.
Quhen the Douglas hard thame murnand … Ane sing he maid than scilence for to mak(2) a1400 Leg. S. xl 336.
He gert the puple kepe scilence a1538 Abell 26b.
Secunde philosophure that kepit silence 1562-3 Winȝet I 39/2.
We haif kepit silence, almaist aganis our conscience, sen the twelft of Marche 1565 Edinb. Univ. MS La. III 388a, fol. 4b.
Sa lang as the lordis remanis in iugement that the president caus silence to be keipit conforme to the auld act 1591 Warrender P. (SHS) II 165.
Yet will I not absteane frome these comoun offices of letters having now to long keped silence — a1500 Henr. Annunc. 14.
That myld … silence held but soundis, As weill aferit a maid infild(3) a1500 Henr. Fab. 854.
Commandand silence, sadlie thus he said [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 2535.
With hie voce he bad scilens 1533 Bell. Livy II 9/10.
Silence was commandit be ane masare 1561–2 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 41.
Thomas Maxvell … askit silence — 1513 Doug. xiii iii 20.
Baith with hys hand and wordis … [he] Inionyt has and commandit thame silens 1616 Inverurie 201.
The said Jon. being commandit silence oft-tymes … raisit sic ane tumult … that na justice culd proceid 1649 Elgin Rec. II 433.
The master … injoining deep silence to the whole schoole(4) 1402 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 56.
Qwharefore we put sylence to thaim of Perth … apoun the saide questioun 1485 Acts II 171/2.
The said commisseris sal thairfor desire at … the paip to put silence to the said personis barraturis 1496 Acta Conc. II 36.
The saidis Lordis puttis cylence to the sade Maister David … in this mater … [under pain of] bannising a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 254 (B).
Put I nocht sylence to the schiphird knaif 1531 Bell. Boece II 145.
Sic … noyis rais in the counsall, that silence wes put to thir ambassatouris 1562-3 Winȝet II 11/25.
That the treuth … be support … and silence put to the erroneous 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 259.
And becaus na pairtie comperit in the contrar … the saidis baillies imput scilence to all pairteis havand interes in tyme cuming 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 281.
Bot quhill I was cumming to my probatioune my Lord pat me to silence, and send me away(5) 1616 Inverurie 201.
John Mackieson … wald giff no silense, but rais up … braiging and minassingb. c1460 Wisd. Sol. 436.
The word of rich men is bettir hard in scylens na the pwr manis word in gret audiens criyt in the rew 15.. Dum Wyf 70.
I did hir pray In silence for to sitt 1576 Sat. P. iv 99.
Quhat toung … in silence suir can rest? To se ane saule in sorow 1639 Baillie I 241.
I shall in quiett silenc regrait your onkyndnes c1650 Spalding I 37.
The lyoun herauldis, purseuantis, maisseris, and trumpettouris follouit his majestie in silens

4. With possess. adj.: Absence of speech; chiefly, failure to speak or write, or provide information by way of speech or writing.Also, to hald one's silence, to keep quiet, hold one's tongue. a1538 Abell 26b.
The caus of his silence wes this 1558-66 Knox II 409.
I maun ansuer as [leist] for my silence I be haldin gyltie 1585 Warrender P. MS 213.
Althoght I have bein to blame for my silence … yow shall fynd such correspondencye and … good will in me as [etc.] c1590 Fowler II 21/14.
Ȝit les nor throuch my silence, his lyes … sould haue sic aduantage of the treuth, … I am forced to enter in defence 1593 Warrender P. (SHS) II 207.
I houpit be my absence and silence your majestie sould have bene the les irritat — a1578 Pitsc. I 143/20.
He commandit all that knew his misfortoun to hald thair sielence

5. The absence of sound, quietness, in nature, esp. const. of the nicht (moyn). c1400 Troy-bk. i 464.
Syne wald scho [sc. Medea] mak tranquillite And input scylence to the see c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1653.
[Winter] had gevin scilence … To the swete sang of foules c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xxxv 1.
Lucina schynnyng in silence of the nicht 1513 Doug. ii v 11.
Vnder frendly sylens of the moyn 1513 Doug. iv x 10.
Beistis … Throu nychtis sylence slepit a1570-86 Maitl. F. 205/4.
Quhen … all wes lowne befoir wes loude Causit be sylence of the nicht

b. Under (throu, (with)in) (the) silence of (the) nicht, under cloud and silence of nicht, etc., under cover of darkness, describing an action (chiefly, criminal) carried out in secrecy.Common in 16th c.(1) 1471–2 Acta Aud. 20/2.
For the … gadering … of men of armys … & the cummyng vpoun the said Walter vnder silence of nycht a1500 Seven S. 868.
Wnder the nychtis myrk scilens Thai … gat entre 1497–8 Acta Conc. II 103.
Cilence 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 96.
For the vrangvs strublyne of him wnder the cilens of nycht 1523 Acta Conc. MS XXXIII 201.
Carlile harrald … come undir silence of nycht 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 145.
Quhyll he make ane mendis to Villiem Ros for the offens under silens of nycht 1535 Stewart 32846.
Rycht quyetlie tha ischit … Syne secreitlie, wnder scilence of nycht, Onto the camp … Tha passit 1539–40 Reg. Privy S. II 488/2.
For … conceling of divers merchandice and gudis under silence of nycht 1559 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. in Fife Sheriff Ct. 326.
Violent spoliatioun under silance of nycht 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 191.
Seilence [? erron. for scilence] 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV 284.
Undir cloude and silence of nycht, … be way of brigancie 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I 40.
Sylance 1594 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 53b.
Schylens 1607 Crim. Trials II 525.
Scho … come vnder scilence and cloude of nycht to … Robert Peddanes house 1638 Elgin Rec. II 234.
The people that vent to the wode of Spynie under silence of nicht(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 727.
The Gregeois … when of the nyght the myrknes Was one commen … in gret scylence of the nyght To the cite of Troye went ryght 1513 Doug. ii vii 64.
Mony … onsettis haue we done And throu the silens of the nycht ondone Feil of the Grekis 1584 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 96.
That Mage Kai and Jonet Roughe sall be inclosit in thair houssis for the space of fyften dayis becaus of thair ressaving malt within silence of nycht

c. Undir silence of the nycht, under cullour and silence of nicht, during the quiet time of the night, describing activities which disturb the quiet of the night. 1523–4 Stirling B. Rec. I 18.
For trubling of thair nebouris, undir silence of the nycht, throw thair flything and haldin of thair nebouris walkand all the nycht 1644 Peebles Gleanings 237.
The barbarous … cuming under cullour and silence of nicht … and uttering of … aithes [etc.] … and troubling the … haill people out of thair bedis

6. A rest or pause in music. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 4b.
Ane sing of tasiturnitie missorit with artificiall sylence eftur the quantatie of ewerrie noit till it appropriat