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

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Unctio(u)n, n. Also: unctioune, unctyon, unc(c)ioun, unccion(e, unxioun, uncton, wnctyown(e, ounction. [ME and e.m.E. vnccioun (Wyclif), unctioun (Lydgate).]

1. The action, or an act, of anointing. 1566 Knox VI 415.
David, upon the unction of Samuell, did pacientlie abide the persecution of Saul 1632 Lithgow Trav. (1906) 235.
We saw … the place of unction, which is a foure squared stone … on which (say they) the dead body of our Saviour lay, and was embalmed

b. specif. The sacramental anointing by a priest of a mortally ill person. Chiefly, extreme (last) unctioun. c1420 Wynt. vii 336.
Scho tuk the haly Sacrament Off Goddys body blyst werray Wyth the last wnctyowne 1490 Irland Mir. II 71/4.
The sacrament of … the extreme vnccioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 16/45.
Uncioun a1538 Abell 11*b.
Unctyon 1551 Hamilton Catechism 228.
That we suld nocht want spiritual help … in tyme of our last seiknes … our Salviour Christ Jesu hes providit for us the sacrament of extreme unctioun a1578 Pitsc. II 67/22, 25.
The Accusar: Thow falls heretik did say that extreme vnctioun was nocht ane sacrament. The Ansuer: My lord … I nether taught any thing of extreme unxioun in my doctrene quhither it war ane sacrament or nocht 1581 Satirical Poems xliv 304.
The seik lying in paynis strang … To quhoum … ȝe do vrang, Barring auay that … sacrament … A neidfull meane vnto that kingdome sueit, As lykuyse is that holy vnction 1602 Colville Paraenese u j.
Dispysing the sacrament of the altar, celibat and extrem vnction as many do nou a dayis

c. The action, or an act, of anointing a monarch as a symbol of investiture. c1420 Wynt. vii 317.
Willame Rede … in Westmonastere tuk wnctyowne [C. vnccion, W. vnctioun], Sceptyr, and coronatyowne c1420 Wynt. viii 3134.
The byschape … made his [sc. David II's] coronatyown Wyth solempne and halowyd wnctyown c1420 Wynt. ix 1408.
Wnctyown [C. vnccione] 1456 Hay I 189/28.
To verify His sawe that He said to thame [sc. the Jews] that fra the halyest of all haly come in erde, thair unctioun suld than ces … suld nocht be away tane fra the princis of Jowry quhill the saynde of God … war cummyn 1456 Hay I 295/26.
Unctioune c1515 Asloan MS I 324/4.
Than sesit all grace vnctonis and prophecys of Jowis for misknawyn of thair God and scripturis c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 337.
By a speciall bull from the paip … he receavit the haly unctioun, na King of Scotland haveing evir bene anointed before him

d. fig. 1490 Irland Mir. III 17/8.
[During the sacrament of confirmation] the inuisible vnccioun that God wyrkis within the saule throw the operacioun and grace of the haly spreit 1604-9 Grahame Anat. Hum. 27.
A … lawyer … whose ever-gaiping hand must still be anoynted in the palme with the holie ounction of gould

2. An ointment or salve. = Un(c)tment n. 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 324.
It were more fasable to imput this second sight to a qualitie infused into the eye by an unction: for witches have a sleepie oyntment that [etc.]