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: 1500-1599
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Curiosité, -itie, n. [e.m.E. curiositie, ME. -ité (Chaucer, etc.), OF. curioseté, L. cūriōsitas.]
1. Refinement, elegance, or fastidiousness in language, manners, dress, etc. a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 58.
In this proces I think als comounly For till exclud all curiosite 15.. Clariodus v. 1885.
The minstrellis sang with curiositie c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i. 89.
His Spainȝe cloik … Betakinnit ȝouth and curiositie 1560 Id. Seven Sages Prol. 1.
Sen into courts is curiositie, Manheid, maners, nurtour and courtasie
2. Over-refinement or subtlety of thought. 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 100.
Quha … hes evir socht … avancement of thare awin glore, curiositie, and opinioun 1562-3 Winȝet I. 44/24.
Vain babling of Godis worde … in contentioun and curiositie a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitland Folio MS xxx. 57.
Knawlege of God is [regarded as] curiositie
3. Desire for information. 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 229.
We wyll schaw gude wyll to satisfie thare curiositie sumpart
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Curiosité n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/curiosite>
