A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1490, 1550-1596, 1690-1691
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Emperour, n. Also: -oure, -ure, empyrowre; imperour. [ME. emperour, -oure (14th c.), AF. emperour, OF. empereor, -eur. Cf. Empriour.]
1. An emperor. 1375 Barb. i. 542.
Julius Cesar … Off Rome wes fryst maid emperour a1400 Legends of the Saints xxix. 639.
He wes man of gret honoure, & derreste to the emperoure c1420 Wynt. v. 125.
He … tuk syne off that empyrowre [C. emperoure] The ordyr off knychthed c1420 Ib. 489. 1456 Hay I. 66/12.
Sen we have schawin … that kingis was lang before the emperouris 1456 Ib. 209/34.
All the princis of the warld … ar subject to the Emperoure 1490 Irland Mir. I. 11/23.
The gret emperoure Charlis of France 1490 Ib. 127/3.
Ony prince, kinge, or emperour 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 91.
To desyre the said maist cristin King to send his ambaxadour with yow to the Imperour 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 111.
Be the … assistence of the maist noble … imperour Constantine 1584 Melvill 196.
The seat and image of emperours in ancient tyme a1691 Kingston Contin. H. Seytoun 51.
The German history of the Emperours
2. A military commander. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1824.
This Pallamydes Grekes maid Emperoure of all the oist 1596 Dalr. II. 307/17.
Of this armie … Dessie [was] cheif emperour
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"Emperour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/emperour>
