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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: 1375-1603

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Felloun, Feloun(e, a. Also: fell-, felown(e, felloune, fellon(e, felone. [ME. felown(e, -oun(e, felon, OF. felon. Chiefly used in verse.]

1. Fierce, savage, cruel: a. Of persons or their disposition. (Cf. Fell a. 1.)Freq. in felloun fa: see Fa n. b.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 103.
Off thar cowyne the thrid had thai That wes rycht, stout, ill, and feloune
a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 157.
The feloune folk … On his hewid schufe hym a crowne
c1420 Wynt. iii. 898.
Falarys off Cyzile than Wes in hys dedys a felown man
(b) 1375 Barb. iv. 234.
Thai sa fals ar and sa felloune
c1420 Wynt. iii. 231.
Tyll his wyff he … wes dyspytwys and fellowne
c1420 Ib. v. 1741.
He wes cruelle, and fellowne, And made gret persecutyowne
1456 Hay I. 172/9.
Outrage and felloun hertis that ar sett in wikkitnes
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 205.
The constable, a felloun man of wer, … dispitfull and owtrage
a1500 Bk. Chess 5.
This schrewit Saturnus … Crabit felloun and noyand till euery thing
1513 Doug. viii. xii. 65.
Amyd the feld stude Mars, that felloun syre
15.. Clariodus iii. 1910.
Ane palmer … said, That felloun briggandis him dispuilȝeit had
transf. c1420 Wynt. v. 3262.
The alienis … nere all the land Dystroyit wyth fyre and felloun hand
(c) 1375 Barb. i. 194.
Thai … worthyt than sa ryth fellone … And sa wykkyt and cowatous
a1400 Legends of the Saints ix. 233.
The fellone fende mad a brade
a1400 Ib. xix. 565.
The fellone tyrand king
c1420 Ratis Raving 1540.
Sum other fellon men ȝit ar
a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 810.
He seimit fer fellonar than first quhen he him fand
1513 Doug. ii. vii. 93.
The fellon Aiax

b. Of animals. a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 442.
Felloun hundis apperyt thare
a1400 Ib. xl. 1374.
That worme fellone
c1420 Wynt. v. 3001.
That felowne beste sone brystyd thare
1456 Hay I. 48/20.
A ryver … quhare thare was a dragoun grete and felloun
a1500 Prestis Peblis 516.
Than ane … can pray That he mot skar thay felloun fleis away
1513 Doug. ix. ii. 68.
The wild wolf … brym and felloun

2. Fierce, violent, harmful, destructive, dire. In various contexts.(1) 1375 Barb. xiv. 216.
Thair mycht men felloune slauchtir se
a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 135.
Tyne nocht my sawle with fellone mene
c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 839.
How myght such wyckydnes procede Of so rytht felloune cruelte
c1420 Wynt. ii. 1369.
He suld them fast assayle Wyth felown were
c1420 Ib. v. 724; etc.
The … dedys that he dyde felowne
1432 Acts II. 21/2.
Gif he hurtis … with fellone assailȝeing
1456 Hay I. 125/31.
Thare may nane ath bynd a persone to do thing that is feloun
1483 Acts Lords of Council II. Introd. 132.
To compere … to underly the law for the felone refe made apone our soverane Lordis liegis
1513 Doug. ii. viii. 110.
I saw my self thair Neoptolemus Mak fellon slauchtir
1549 Complaynte of Scotland 14/34.
Tua armeis … fechtand be fellone forse
c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 449.
I not may sustene this felloun feid
1596 Dalr. I. 247/26.
Thair is a felloun feild, and a strang struckin
1603 Criminal Trials II. 413.
For airt and pairt of the felloune and crewall slauchter
(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxii. 396.
Hyr he can saile With felone feuere & gret trawale
a1400 Ib. 413.
Ellis suld that fellon clade Confonde the cite but abade
c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 707.
They drede … That … Scho walde be put to felloune dede
c1420 Wynt. iv. 1214.
That fellowne pestilens
c1420 Ib. viii. 5041.
Thare tuk hym a gret seknes, That so fellown and angry wes, … That the dede folowyd
1456 Hay I. 295/36.
A felloun aventure betid him, for a lyoun … slew him
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 7.
Felloune los of thi deyr worthi kyn
c1515 Asloan MS I. 186/20.
The felloun plagis that come on Egipt
(3) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxii. 763.
Of the caldrone com a blese of fellon fyre
a1400 Ib. xxxiii. 70.
Than wald he oure the wallis blau his fellon aynd
c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 895.
Thrught felloune lowes & byrnnyngis They exponed … The cite to be brynt holy
c1420 Wynt. v. 4395.
Gret erddyn and felowne Strak howssys and gret towrys downe
(4) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvi. 1150.
A fellon wynd com don son
c1400 Troy-bk. i. 441.
Wicked blastes and fellone schouris
c1420 Wynt. ii. 471.
On the hyest … Thai oure-bade that felowne flude
a1500 Doug. King Hart 802.
The dayis watchis tua Come and said thai saw ane felloun mist
1513 Id. Æn. iv. iii. 60.
A myrk schour … midlit wyth fellon haill
1513 Ib. vii. Prol. 49.
Flaggis of fire, and mony felloun flaw
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1490.
That felloun flude was decressand
(5) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 446.
Ane herne … With hys ryvand and scharpe tallons, That for to se war rytht fellons
a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 167.
Under his girdill ane flasche of felloun flanis
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iii. 168.
In fewtir kest a fellone aspre sper The knycht Fenweik
c1475 Ib. vii. 994.
With artailȝe, that felloune was to bid
1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 281/4.
He stud on fer and schot at him thre fellone dartis
1535 Stewart 11907.
With bowis big, … And felloun flanis heidit with hard steill
(6) 1375 Barb. v. 102.
Thai with so felloun will thaim socht, That thai slew thame euirilkane
a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 665.
His hart suld have ben sar That fellone iugment to heyre
a1400 Ib. x. 52.
Thire twa can hym sa bewile Thrw sorcery & felone gyle
c1420 Wynt. v. 1101.
Be thra counsale and felown He made gret persecutyown Off Crystyn men
c1515 Asloan MS I. 223/17.
The forsaid … spak till him self richt dispituoslie with felloun wordis and scorne
c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 94 b/47.
Chryst bring our king … With wit fra ȝowthis fellon rege
1587-99 Hume v. 77.
I feele thy fellon wraith against me kendled het

3. Extreme in intensity, force, or size; very loud, strong, heavy, or great.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 589.
Sone wes herde a fellon bere Of thonir and of erdine
1513 Doug. ii. xi. 86.
A fellon dyn … of feit we heir
1513 Ib. iii. x. 32; etc.
A fellon bray and huge schowt vp he cast
1531 Bell. Boece I. p. vii.
I did sone espy ane fellown reird Of courtly gallandis
15.. Lichtoun Dreme 5.
I murnit and I maid ane felloun mane
(2) c1420 Wynt. iii. 334 (W).
Bot that nycht … Thai him maid a felloune fray
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 372.
He, or nowne, was in a fellowne dreid
1490 Irland Mir. I. 49/28.
He passis to purgatorie, quhar the pane is gret, bittir and felloune
c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 12.
This is ane felloun phary, Or ellis my witt rycht woundrouslie dois varie
1513 Doug. xi. viii. 57.
Ces not … with thy felloun raddour thame to fley
a1500 Id. King Hart 381.
The quene is walknit with ane felloun fray
15.. Lichtoun Dreme 85.
I … gat ane felloun faw
1570 Satirical Poems xiii. 127.
Tymothie wes in ane felloun feir
(3) 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 49.
A fellon rusch is maid
1513 Ib. x. xiv. 156.
Down swakkis the knycht sone with a fellon fair
a1500 Id. King Hart 536.
Ane felloun rout he layd on his rig bone
1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxxvii.
Thir fowlis … doukis, with ane fellon stoure, in the see
a1540 Freiris Berw. 533.
With that Symon a felloun flap leit flie
c 1570 Satirical Poems xx. 25.
In felloun feir at me thay speir, Quhat tythands in this land?
(4) a1500 Prestis of Peblis 21.
Thus sat thir thre besyde a felloun fyre
a1500 Ib. 38. a1500 Ib. 627.
Thay … fra the puir taks mony felloun fraucht
1513 Doug. vi. iii. 49.
The felloun elmys weltis down the hillys
1513 Ib. vii. xi. 62.
Ane felloun bustuous and grete lyoun skyn
a1500 Id. King Hart 275.
Grene luif lay bund with ane felloun blok
a1585 Polwart Flyt. 202 (T).
Lambes and lang taillit wedders, … In felloun flokis
(5) a1500 Henr. III. 152/66.
The ferd feisik is … of ane felloun pryce
1596 Dalr. I. 131/3.
Fergus … namet first King of Scottis in Albion for his felloune fortitude

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"Felloun adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/felloun_adj>

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