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: 1535-1568, 1683
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0]
Ken, n. [f. Ken,v.: cf. e.m.E. ken (1545), = range of sight, etc. In the following sense appar. chiefly Sc.] In the phr. out of ken (= perception, recognition or knowledge). — 1535 Stewart 48821.
For to put out of rememberance Quha biggit it, … Baith write and image … [he] Hes gart distroy and put all out of ken a1568 Scott xxxv. 28.
Every gait of wicket stait Sall perreis owt of ken 1683 Martine Reliq. Divi Andreae 189.
The gavell is now defaced and put out of ken
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Ken n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ken_n>
