Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pen(n)ance, n. Also: -ans, -aunce, -ence, -ens; penentis; panence. [ME. and e.m.E. penaunce (c 1290), -ans (a 1300), -ance (c 1330), pennaunce (14th c.), pennans (1556), AF. penaunce, OF. peneance, -aance, -ance, pennance (12th c. in Godef.), f. L. pænitēntia Penitence n.] Penance, in the usual senses.

1. Penitence, repentance. b. As one of the sacraments.Also personified.(1) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 421.
That in lele pennance we suld dwel Ib. xviii. 549.
Pennans Ib. xxix. 2.
Penance c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 4/4.
I haue … preponit to wryte … mekle of the hie and salutar mater of pennance Id. Mir. fol. 280.
The ferd motive induceand men to pennaunce is the gret certitud … of ded a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 877 (Asl.).
Pennans 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 181.
God grant … ȝe turn ȝou to pennans 1528 Lynd. Dreme 191.
Pennence 1535 Stewart 35313.
Amang the kirkmen rycht contemplatyve In greit pennance a1538 Abell 9* a.
Penens is peralus to be deferrit to the hend 1562-3 Winȝet I. 107/19.
Thir thre partis of pennance abone specifiit a1568 Scott xxxvi. 71.
Pennens of spreit thow noit despyis 1570 Leslie 96.
To dryfe furth the rest of his dayis in pennance(2) c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 245.
The sacrament of penans and schrift c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 8/25.
The haly sacrament of pennance … has thre partis 1551 Hamilton Cat. 18. 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 181/12.
The sacrament of baptyme and the sacrament of pennance(3) personified. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 12.
To go … Ontill the castell of pennance Ib. lxxii. 127.
Penance did walk the house within

2. The performance of some act of self-mortification in token of repentance and for satisfaction of sin; such action as officially enjoined by the priest or minister.Also once in a secular application: see (4).Also coll. or uninfl. plur.(1) 1375 Barb. xv. 104 (E).
Swa that thai mycht that haly tid In pennance and in prayer bid a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 596.
Thare-for wald scho sic penance tak Ib. xxxiv. 206.
The bischope … Iniungit hyr heileful pennance c1420 Wynt. v. 2880.
That he suld tholle and bare pennans Quha-ewyr [etc.] c1420 Ratis R. 753. a1500 Henr. Fab. 714 (Bann.).
To the thrid pairte [sc. of confession] of pennance lat ws ga Ib. 794. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 24/4.
Pennance a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 637 (Asl.).
Pennans ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 325.
Pennance c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 93 (M).
Of vndone pennence and satisfactioun sure Ib. xc. 2.
Pennence c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. iii. 2.
Pennaunce 1531 Bell. Boece II. 116.
vii douchteris quhilk levit with him in gret pennance on beir breid and wattir a1538 Abell 84 b.
And eftirwert did gret pennance c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 96. c1540 Id. Kitteis Conf. 71.
[The priest] gaue me pennance ilk ane day Ane Aue Marie for to say Arundel MS. 148 a/114.
Grant me to do pennance for my synnis a1585 Polwart Flyt. 45 (T).
And to mak pennance [H. And drie pennaunce] sone prepair thé 1644 Strathbogie Presb. 48.
How the said Mr. Richard vas guiltie of selling pennance for money, … he had taken four dolouris from vmquhill William Creichtoun for his fornicatioun and had never brought to publict repentance 1668 Dumbarton B. Rec. App. 9.
Jonet Allan entered to penance upon the public plaice in sackcloith(2) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 252.
In Godis name For quham this penans thou has tane c1420 Wynt. v. 3824.
Yhoure part is, fadyre, till injwne The pennans that yhe wald war dwne 1490 Irland Mir. I. 49/35.
And thou complet that pennaunce jniunyt in this lif 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7645.
Suld I not … On my persoun sum pennance for to take 1590–1 Crim. Trials I. ii. 217.
The Divell … enjoyned them all to a pennancecoll. c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 81.
Of all his pennance I was glaid I had thame all parqueir(3) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 155.
Sa suld that ald his penance mak In prayer, almus and in wakk c1420 Wynt. v. 2873.
Lowsyd qwyte off thare pennans Ib. viii. 3219.
He … fullfillyd his pennans welle c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 6/5.
Or thi pennance be sufficient and meritor to clenge thi synnis Ib. 4/25. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxv. 10.
Ȝe heremeitis … That takis your pennance at your tablis 1534–5 Prot. Bk. Sir J. Cristisone 35.
That na bonnet cum one his heid the tyme of his pennance 1586 St. A. Kirk S. 579.
The sessioun … ordanit him to be ressavit agane to humiliation and his pennens absolvit Sonday nixttocum(4) 1479 Newburgh B. Ct. 23 b.
Henry Tomsone wys in amersyment for fawt of entres to the curt … & tyll entyr to the ferde curt as day of penentis

3. a. Punishment. b. Suffering. c. Deprivation.a., b. (a) 1375 Barb. xix. 51 (E).
Tharfor sone eftre he wes sent Till his pennance [1571 panis] to Dunbertane c1420 Wynt. iii. 912.
For ay in a delyt wes he Men towrmentid in payne to se And for to se thaire kowntenans That thai wald mak in thaire pennans Ib. vii. 1533.
Quhat wes sum tyme thi pennans? Befor my dede my hewy chans c1420 Ratis R. (S.T.S.) 767.
And gyf he hapnis sua [sc. in mortal sin] to de It is na dout his sawll sal dre To mekle pennans and to fell Gyf he enchapis the pyne of hell a1500 Quare Jel. 108.
Allace hir chere … For to behald it was a grete pennaunce c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 324.
Merlyng … deceissit with greit pennance 1535 Stewart 41225. Ib. 49243.
With grit pennance tha la In strang presoun 1596 Dalr. I. 194/25.
Quha violates the statutes … he receiue due pennance conforme to the institutiounis of the countreye(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 73 (M).
And ȝit more panence wald I haue Had I rewarde amang the laifc. 1531 Bell. Boece I. ii.
Ane hes that mycht ane hundreth weil sustene And leiffis in wo and pennance at his table And of gud fallois comptis nocht ane bene