A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1438
[0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Ostage, v. P.p. (? erroneous) osted. [OF. ostagier, ostager (13th c. in Godef.).] tr. To give hostages for, to obtain the release of (a captive) by giving hostages. — ?1438 Alex. ii. 6306.
I will ga with him … For to ostage the presonis [F. les prisons ostagier] Or delyuer thame for ransonis ?1438 Ib. 6859.
Ȝour presoun Is nocht ȝit osted [F. bien ostagie] with resoun, Ȝe ar with-haldin in my dangere
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Ostage v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ostage_v>
