A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1550-1671
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Traduce, v. Also: traduse. [e.m.E. traduce (a1533), traduse (1574), L. trādūcere to lead across.]
1. To understand, interpret. c1550 Rolland Court of Venus Prol. 287.
Anis reiding oft tyme it garris authouris Incur reprufe be wrong interpretouris And not of thame, that sic warkis can traduce, Bot of thame that of sic things hes na vse, Nor can … vnderstand
2. To defame, slander, speak ill of.(a) 1581 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 534.
The Kirk beand traducit be pasquilles and infamous lybells 1586 Calderwood IV 521.
David when he was traduced and leed upon before Saul the king 1586–7 Reg. Privy C. IV 141.
To detract, traduce and utter speichis full of dispyte 1597 Misc. Maitl. C. I 89.
Diverse persones … quha traducis and sclanderis vnjustlie the ministerie 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 30/9.
I uas neuer ashamed to giue compte of my profession housomeuer the maliciouse lieing toungis of some haue traducit me 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 115.
It is tryit that Olaw Nicolsoun and Olaw Andersoun hes leit and traduceit utheris 1608 Douglas Corr. 192.
They sould nocht haue sa maliceouslie traducit me to your majeste in complening quhair they haue na caus of complaint 1671 Kingarth Par. Rec. 76.
The minister reported that Patrick McKaw … had slandered him and traducd his name(b) 1638 Hamilton P. (Camden Soc.) 22.
I am infinitlie tradused and left by manie of my neirest freinds
b. To deal with (something) in such a way as to slight, harm or diminish (it); to reduce (something) in some fashion. c1590 Fowler I 16.
I wes spurred … be translatioun to mak thame sum what more populare then they ar in thair Italian originall; and especiallye when as I perceawed, bothe in Frenche and Inglish traductionis, this work not onelie traduced bot evin as it war magled … and dismembered a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 50.
To extinguish (if it had been possible) the very memory of the nation, he abolished all the ancient laws of Scotland, traduced the ecclesiastical rites to the form of England [etc.]
3. To transfer (possession). 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 441.
An auncient and famous kingdome … traduced to the Castilian king by marriage
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"Traduce v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/traduce>
