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: 1520-1567, 1638
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Unbeleve, -beleife, -belief, n. [ME and e.m.E. un-bileue (c1200), vnbelefe (Tindale); Beleve n.] Lack of (religious) belief. — c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xiii 58.
And he did nocht mony virtues thar for the vnbeleue [W. vnbyleue, P. vnbileue] of tham c1520-c1535 Nisbet Prol. Rom. 327/37.
Al is fals ypocricy ande syn, quhat sa euir is donne without faith or in vnbeleife 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 13.
Saif vs … from dispair From unbeleue, and Lollardis lair 1638 Henderson Serm. 131.
Unbelief … makes evermore a foul hinderend 1638 Henderson Serm. 149.
They had unbelief ringing into their hearts
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"Unbeleve n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/unbeleve>
