A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1500
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Pen(n)oun, -o(w)n(e, n. Also: pin(n)-, pyn-. [ME. and e.m.E. penoun (Chaucer), penon (1387), pennon (15th c.), OF. penon, also pennon. Cf. Pannoun(e n.] A long narrow flag or streamer, as borne at the head of his lance by a knight under the rank of banneret; a pennon.For further examples, see Baner(e n. (a). 1375 Barb. xi. 132 (E).
Mony helmys and haberiownys Scheldis and speris and penownys [C. pennownys] 1375 Ib. viii. 227. ?1438 Alex. i. 3124.
Thair truncheonis Of speris strekand weill thare pennonis ?1438 Ib. ii. 2834.
Pennounes c1420 Wynt. viii. 2614.
Thai lefft bot few that bare pennown Off Inglis men c1420 Ib. 1801.
The lordis armys off Scotland … apperand On bayneris payntyd and penownys c1420 Ib. iv. 225.
Penowne 1456 Hay II. 45/9.
And be the pennoun on the spere end it … schawis him to falsehede sayand ay quhen it movis [etc.] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 935.
It was gret ioy to se thair proud penonis Thair baneris, standartis and thair gunphionis c1460 Ib. 1240.
Syne plantis standartis, pansallis and penonis c1460 Ib. 1284.
Mony ane proud blasone In cott of armes in baner and pennone a 1500 Coll. St. Salvator 156.
Quhan thai ar … ilkane retrettit to his baner or pennoun; Lindsay MS. 9 b. Tua bannaris and thre pennownis of red(b) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 792.
Swordis steill speir pinsall and pinnon c1460 Ib. 1338.
Thay saw thair standartis and thair gonfanonz Thair baneris, pinsallis and thair proud pinonz c1460 Ib. 1463.
Pinone c1460 Ib. 4234.
His banner and pynoun
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"Penoun n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/pennoun>
