A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Rewin(o)us, Ruin(o)us, adj. Also: rewinis, revinus, rewyn(o)us, -ois; ruinows, ruyn(o)us, -os, rwin(o)us, rwynous, -ows, rwenous, ruwynowsse; rwiyne(o)us, ruyneous; rwngous; rouinous, rowin(o)us, -ois, rowynous, -ois; (rwnyneous). [ME and e.m.E. ruynouse (Wyclif), -ose (a1450), OF ruinus, ruineux (12th and 13th c. in Larousse), L. ruīnōsus, f. as Rewine n.] Of a material thing, chiefly (a part of) a building: Falling, or fallen, into ruin or dilapidation. Also fig.(1) 1533 Bell. Livy II 228/18.
The tribunis of pepill ceissit nocht to persuade the pepill … to leif the desert & rewynus housis of Rome 1555 Edinb. Guild Ct. 29 March.
The eist gavill of George Kincaidis wall … wes rewynus and mycht nocht stand without the hurt of the nychtbouris 1557 Edinb. B. Rec. III 7.
Sanct Rowkis chapell quhilk is allegeit … to berewynous and falling doun 1565 Bentinck Dornoch 121.
Oure said fortalice … is … rewynois in wallis, thek [etc.] 1585–6 Rec. Earld. Orkney 357.
Quhilk croce hous [etc.] … [are] all presentlie rewinus and mister of greit beitment 1588 Exch. R. XXI 350.
The rewinis dowcat of Faukland 1604 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XI 133.
The tenement of land … being now altogidder waist and rewinous [pr. rawinous] 1618 Elgin Rec. II 155.
Revinus 1622-6 Bisset II 420/7.
As the [auld] rewynus wallis and boundis thairof [ȝit] recordis(b) 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece I 69.
Of this town remanis nocht … saif onlie the ruinus wallis thairof 1533 Boece 144b.
Ruynos 1540–1 Edinb. B. Rec. II 104.
That thai … repare … thair saidis waistis and ruynous housis 1549 (c1580) Ib. 146.
Quhilk land wes now sua ruinous that it wes able to decay and fall down a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 45.
Rwinus 1563 Inchaffray Reg. 88.
Ane chapell or ane hous ruynous callit the chapell of Oure Ladie 1576 Crail B. Ct. MS 19 June.
[The tenement is] ruwynowsse and wastit in ruiffe and wallis 1577 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 379.
Ruinows 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII 77.
He throuch his negligence … sufferit … the said duelling place … to fall decay & cum rwenous 1587 Acts III 437/1.
Rwinous 1588 Ayr Chart. 56.
Rwynous 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I 137.
[They] past to the mylnhous and fand twa kippillis of the same rwinus 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I 5.
The … bulwarks, peir, schoir [etc.] … is now be occasioun of … hie springis becum ruynus 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 114.
Rwynows 1645 S. Leith Rec. 63/2.
Be reasone William Ruddoch his gavill and chymney lumbs was ruinous, … thei gave order to take doun the said lumbs 1661 Acts VII 226/2.
The forsaids tuo frie fairs formerlie holden within the said rwinous burgh of Rosemarkie 1692 Misc. B. Rec. 92.
Three ships … lyen up these three or four yeares for want of trade and soe are ruinous(c) 1583 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 310.
The Castell of Stirling is rwngous in sic sort that the greit hall thairof is in poynt of tynsall(d) c1563 Reg. Panmure I xxxvii.
He reparit the hows of Panmor, that befor … wes rowinous 1571 Old Ross-shire I 365.
Rowynois 1583–4 Perth B. Ct. 23 Jan.
Fand … the wallis therof rowynous 1616 Black Bk. Taymouth 47.
Rowinus 1662 Peebles B. Rec. II 51.
Rowinois 1664 Glasgow Merchants House 120.
Althoe the said brew hous and stabell become altogither rowinous in thack and kaber 1692 Conv. Burghs IV 622.
The pennie maills, annualls and stallange, after deductione of rouinous houses(e) 1601 Conv. Burghs II 113.
Ruyneous 1602 Ib. 150.
Rwnyneous 1605 Ib. 206.
Thair sey porte and herberie … being rwiyneous and falling doun except tymeous remeid war prowyditt Ib. 209.
Rwiyneusfig. c1592 R. Bruce in Wodrow's Life of Bruce 31.
The only band-temporal that holds up the commonwealth here, which is ruinous on all sides, and is mislike to fall down(2) 1579 Reg. Privy S. VII 312/2.
The ruynous estait, decay and misorder of his hienes artaillierie and munitioun 1597–8 Edinb. B. Rec. V 209.
The awld Tolbuith for the ruinous estaitt thairof was tayne doun
