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

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Religio(u)s, -e(o)us(e, adj. and n. Also: relyg-, rellig-, releg-, relieg- and -ious(s)e, -iows, -yows, -ius(e, -yus, -ieous, -ieux; (religisi.) [ME and e.m.E. religius (Ancr. R.), -ious(e, OF religius, religious (c1112 and c1190 in Larousse), L. religiosus.]

A. adj. 1. Of persons: Bound by monastic vows; belonging to a religious order; ? dedicated to a religious, as opposed to a secular, life (see the note to 2 below).attrib. (1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxii 776.
Quhare the body Of this religiouse martyre cane ly c1420 Wynt. vii 1130.
Off Cystews Ordyr is that hows, And Quhyt Mwnkys relygyows 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 292/19.
With religious wemen as nunnis 1494 Loutfut MS 23a.
A religious monk 1501 Acts Lords of Council III 59.
Becaus thai ar religious ladeis and spirituale personis 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 162/19.
He compellit pure speritual men baytht regular and religiouse preistis monkis and freris [etc.] 1554 Carte Northberwic 68.
Ane devoit and religiows lady, deym Isobell Howme vmquhill priores of Northtberwyk 1562-3 Winȝet I 127/28.
Tha religious persones quha now gredelie embrassis the warld agane 1659 House Gordon II 124.
[Genealogical table] William, a relegious moncke(2) 1389 Liber Melros 449.
The religious men the Abbot and the Conuent of Meuros 1402 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 9.
That the forsaid religeouse men sal haf perpetuale heretable state c1420 Wynt. v 1597.
This pape than … Send twa religious [C. religiousse] men 14.. Acts I 107/2.
That name fra hyn furthuart herbry in the … grangis of religious men or of kirk men in distruccioun of thaim or thar gudis 1456 Hay I 284/19.
The religious men ar cled in blak wede commonly, to schawe mekenes in hert c1459 Liber Aberbr. II 105.
Religios 1464 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XVII 315.
Religius c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 161/10.
A religious man he slew, And cled him in his abeit new 1512 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 188.
Ane richt venerabil and religius man Dene Robert Swyntoune sacristan of Dunfermling 1531 Bell. Boece I 217.
Relligious 1531 Criminal Trials I i 156.
Religiuse menne and preistis, hynis, wifis, and barnis, quhilkis war nocht risponsale to our souerane lord 1586 Reg. Cupar A. II 294. 1665 Inv. Pictures in Clerk of Penicuik MSS (Reg. H.) 3 (1 Jan.).
The picture of 2 religious old men done on a paisse board in blak and whyt(b) a1538 Abell 9*b.
Relegios evyl men nayn ar wer na tha(c) a1578 Pitsc. II 143/21.
The proud and presumptous bischopis and hiepocreittis and finȝeit reliegeous men(d) 1603 Fraser Sir-Name of Baird 39.
Now, praissit be God, I am an religieux manpredic. a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii 71. &
For he religiouse sa apperyte, He blyssit hyme a1400 Ib. xxvi 273.
hyme transfourmyt … In lyknes of a ȝung womane Semand relygiouse fore to be 1596 Dalr. I 146/12.
This crafte he vset: finȝieng him selfe religeous, he gangis to the Ile of Man to the druides, and takeng fra thame Euen his sones, he slayes thame al

b. Applied to a votaress of a religion of antiquity. 1513 Doug. iii vi 202.
Wirschip this haly religyus woman cleyn 1513 Ib. iv ix 74.
The religyus nun, with hair down skaill

2. God-fearing, godly, devout.In some instances, perh. with special reference to a commitment to Protestantism (cf. Religio(u)n(e n. 4 b).(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints iii 864.
Ane bischope … Religeouse lyf liffand ay [L. religiosam habens vitam] c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts ii 5. Religiouse women [L. mulieres religiosas];
Jewis, religiouse [L. viri religiosi] men, of ilk natioun that is vndir heuen c1520-c1535 Ib. xiii 50. c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 324.
Conwal succedit to his brothir Eugenius, ane devoit and religious prince 1638 Henderson Serm. 434.
These who are called Puritans, who will be precise, and would be religious beyond their neighbours 1695 Douglas Corr. 286.
Of the inteyr trust you heue both as a good morrall and relligius man(2) 1626 Garden
That thow was one of these, religious lord, … Who did … accord, From Romish roots religion to restore 1626 Worthies 84. 1633 Lithgow Poet. Remains 126.
All these bee … thy darlings … Being religious lords, and wele reformd From superstition … As for my papist lords [etc.] 1661 Acts VII 26/2.
Childreen vnder popish parents [etc.] … shall be taken from them and committed to the education of some well affected & religious freind

3. Of places or things: Of, pertaining to or connected with monastic life or a religious order.(1) c1420 Wynt. v 5431.
He … fwndyd abbays relygyus c1420 Ib. vii 156.
Ilke famows plas That seculare or relygyows was He rypyd c1515 Asloan MS I 212/16.
This king Richert distroyit mony abbais & religious placis in to Scotland c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 165/3.
Sanct Francis did to me appeir, With ane religious abbeit in his hand 1535 Stewart 23873.
His father … Maid him ane monk in ane religious place 1537 Douglas Corr. 352.
Relygeous 1546 Acts Sederunt I 46.
Religeus c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5440.
Quhat dois auaill religious wedis? a1578 Pitsc. II 147/17.
In casting done of abbayis and reliegieous placeis 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 63b (Table).
It is not lesome to analie lands to ane religious house(2) 1533 Boece 199b.
Haly devote persouns … levit ane haly religious [L. monasticam sanctissimaque] life 1622-6 Bisset II 106/17.
A religius brotherheid

4. Connected with, or concerning, religion. 1533 Bell. Livy I 48/31.
That … the religious maneris … inducit be him suld [not] be troublit be negligence 1626 Garden
In those religious stormie stours and strife 1626 Worthies 95.

B. noun. 1. coll. Persons bound by monastic vows; members of a religious order; those devoted to a religious life.(a) 1398 Liber Melros 489.
And payement to the forsaidez religiouse thair house of Melros … be … made c1420 Wynt. vii 820.
Luwand he wes … Till clerkys, and all relygyus 14.. Acts I 61/2.
That iustice salbe done … to all religiouse … and alsua to husband men 1456 Hay II 20/18.
Bot that is nocht the rycht ordre of … charitee, that suld be in religious 1533 Boece 311b.
Sanct Colm … reduceit monkis and religious that war skalit and vagabund 1541 Blackfriars Perth 151.
We are poor religious, and has nae expense to persew lawpley 1596 Dalr. I 106/12.
In administratione of the kirk, schynes thrie digries, by the rest, in that ordour, to wit, bischopes, priests, and religious 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 61.
Its very rare to sy any of the women religious, they are so keipt up(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xl 380.
A gret house Of gud men & of relegiouse, Godis seruice thare to say(c) a1538 Abell 51b.
At in the wail of pure religisi he mycht [etc.]

2. A person dedicated to a religious life, a votaress (cf. A 1 b above). 1513 Doug. iv ix 52.
For so the religyus commandyt has To omdo and distroy al maner thyng