A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1443, 1516-1613
[0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Compulsioun, -ione, n. Also: -pullsioun, -pulcione, -pultione. [e.m.E. compulsion, -syon, ME. compulcion (1462), OF. compulsion, L. compulsio.] Compulsion, constraint. 1443 Reg. Great S. 86/1.
Gilbert Menȝies … folowit Johne of Tulch … be the kingis brevis of compulsione 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 53.
That the gudis of aireschipe … war be compulcione of the kingis lettris tharupone direct deliuerit to Walter Arnote 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 397.
To compell ws be all manner of compulsioun … to compleit … this oure said obligatioun 1551 Hamilton Catechism 43.
Thai ar content to do it willingly without ony compulsioun 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 217.
William Craik … allegit that gif he wes commandit thairto that it wes be compulsioun a1578 Pitsc. I. 111/24.
Randering him self frelie without compullsioun 1613 Haddington Mem. II. 126.
Thai will do nothinge bot by compultione
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Compulsioun n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/compulsioun>
