A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1499-1596
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Ingenious, a. Also: ingeny(o)us, -ius, (-uns), inginious. [Late ME. ingenyous (Caxton), L. ingeniōsus. Cf. Engenyus.]
1. Intellectually gifted, talented, able. b. Clever, skilful, ingenious. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1616.
The profound wit of God omnipotent … Is sa perfyte and sa ingenious c1515 Asloan MS I. 244/21.
Allane Pantour that was … the mast ingenious man that was in Scotland & mast subtell in mony diuers thingis 1513 Doug. vii. v. 203 (Sm.).
Circes, crafty aud ingenyus 1528 Douglas Corr. 137.
[The house beseiged] baithe be gunnis and inginious menn 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxvi.
The Scottis … richt ingenius to every new inventioun
2. Cleverly, skilfully, or curiously devised, contrived, or made. a1500 Bk. Chess 39.
The quhilk gentill sport ingenyous 1536 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 318.
To … exerceis the … maist ingenious poyntis … of his craft 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 20/23.
The … tour of Babilone, … biggit be ane maist ingenius artifeis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1709.
With strang ingenious masonrye 1568 Lyndsay Pref. 3.
The craftie and ingenious poeticall inuentionis 1596 Dalr. I. 102/3.
Ane ingenious policie to dryue a pray and say thair prayeris
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"Ingenious adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ingenious>
