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: 1400, 1456-1600
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Perditio(u)n, -icioun(e, n. Also: -itione. Also misread or with altered prefix: predicioun. [ME. and e.m.E. perdicyun (Rolle), -icioun (1382), -ition (1563), OF. perdiciun (11th c. in Littré), -ion, F. perdition, L. perditio, n. of action f. perdere to make away with, destroy, lose.] Perdition, in the usual main senses.
1. The destruction or ruin (of a person or persons, nation, community).(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1047 (C).
Anthenor … gan se Hym of Agamenone to be Impungned and of vtheres sere Of Gregeois … And willand hys perdicioune [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 244/19.
Till a wis man all the lettres of asseurance and sauf conditis of the warld is nathing in comparisoun of his predicioun the quhilk puttis lyf land and honour in were for a lettre of paper 1456 Ib. II. 115/15.
For ellis thou art cause of thy perdicioun and [that] … of mony otheris 1456 Ib. 154/17.
Be the destructioun and perdicioun totale of thy realme 1490 Irland Mir. I. 6/6.
In the perdicioune of the fif citeis 1490 Ib. 14/19.
Eftir the perdicioune & tinsall of mankind 1490 Ib. 80/25.
Eftir the syn of man and perdicioune of humane linage ȝit the hie diuinite lufit him 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 388.
As thay wha ar tormentit with the het feure … ressaues halsome meates to thair perdition(2) 1456 Hay I. 87/35.
For the parting of him and his company out of the ost put all the lave in poynt of perdicioun 1456 Ib. 102/10.
For default of a king ane hale realme is oft in perdicioun 1456 Ib. 272/12.
Quhen … the parties fechtis lang the tane … [is] at the poynt of perdicioun the prince seis that and has pitee 1533 Boece viii. x. 272.
He had exponit the weill of Britan to extreme perdicioun
b. The destruction or ruin (of a thing or things).In the first quot. also partly in sense 2. 1456 Hay I. 269/32.
The princis … suld be … full of … pitee of manis blude schedding and of perdicioun of bathe saulis and lyfis the quhilkis in all syk dedis of armes standis in grete weris 1456 Ib. II. 120/4.
All unthrifty maladies as feveres fluxis perleseis perdicioun of membris [etc.] 1528 Lynd. Dreme 481.
His [sc. Saturn's] intoxicat dispositioun … puttis all thyng to perditioun
2. Spiritual destruction or ruin; eternal damnation. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 61/24.
The enemy of mankynd … inducis the ȝoung person … beand in syn fynahe tendand to his perdicioun and tynsall 1490 Id. Mir. II. 125/10.
Men haldand that fals doctrine … ar … in the way of tinsal and finaly in perdicioun 1490 Ib. 146/24.
Thai ar the reprobat and dampnit pepil sonnis and dochteris of perdicioun a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 489 (H).
Syn is the caus off oure perdicioun a1499 Ib. 503.
Thare witt thare strynth thai spend in perdicioun a1538 Abell 114 a.
I expreme nocht heir thai sall pas the hie gait to perdicioun c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2579.
I speik to ȝow auld bosis of perditione c1552 Ib. 5230.
That sonne of perditioun 1553–4 Knox III. 132.
God grant that the eyes of men be not blynded to their owne perdicion 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 17.
With … the euerlasting perdition of their soul & body
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"Perdition n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/perditioun>
