A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420, 1500-1599
[0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Infortune, -toun(e, -ton(e, n. Also: -twne, -towne. [ME. (c 1374) and OF. infortune, L. infortūnium.] Misfortune, lack of fortune.(a) c1420 Wynt. v. Prol. 28.
As the Est [kynryk] begouth to fayle Be infortwne and hard batayle c1420 Ib. viii. 3812.
This was bot erlys … Off infortwne that efftyr fell c1420 Ratis Raving 24.
Gif thow schapis thaim to wice, Infortune will undo thi price c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1193.
I trymmyll for to tell This infortune, quhow it befell 1580 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 671/2.
Twiching the lamentable infortune falling on your husband(b) c1420 Wynt. iv. 992.
All kynd off thing than falyhyde hym nere, As infortowne maid hym off stere c1420 Ib. viii. 6129.
Fra men saw this infortoun, Syndry can in thare hartis schwne c1420 Ratis Raving 553.
Sua that fortone and infortowne Is reward of punyschione 1533 Boece 24 b.
Of the infortoune of Scottis in that expedicioun 15.. Clariodus iii. 2035.
If that ȝe list reveale Ȝour infortoun, and ȝour misaventur a1585 Maitland Maitland Quarto MS xvii. 18.
And thy bak be at the wall Or sum infortoune happin thé(c) c1420 Wynt. v. 3113 (C).
Quhar that inforton sal ryse That the comete signyfyis c1420 Ratis Raving 38.
Nan vthir infortone can I kene Departit here amange thir mene c1420 Ib. 1251.
Thar is aithis set at nocht And infortone to mekil socht
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Infortune n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/infortune>
