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: 1436-1612
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Vell(o)us, Well(o)us, Velu(o)us, n. Also: vellwows, vellowis, vell(v)is, velluise, wellwus, welliuis, wellowis, veluos, -uis, velv(o)us, velvo(i)s, velves, velwos, velwus, velwes, welu(o)us, weluos, weluouis, welvus, welvois, welwous, welwo(i)s, vailvos, waluous, wolwous, woys. [OF velo(u)s, velvis, velwis.]Since it is not clear whether each individual case of the form expresses a consonant or a vowel, exceptionally, in the list of variant forms, the v/u spelling commencing the second syllable is displayed as both v and u as they occur.
= Velvot(e n. b. Wellus upon wellus. c. attrib.(a) 1436 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 142.
Tria vestimenta … vnum de nigro vellous c1500 Coll. St. Salvator 152.
Vellowis c1500 Coll. St. Salvator 154.
j blew claith wellowis … abuff the alter 1460 Exchequer Rolls VII 35.
Vellus 1474 Treasurer's Accounts I 26.
Rede crammasy vellus for the couering of the litil bering swerd … xx s. 1495 Halyb. 108.
Vellwows 1496 Treasurer's Accounts I 297.
Wellus 1498–9 Acts Lords of Council II 297.
Vellvis 1500 Halyb. 263.
Vellis 1500–1 Acts Lords of Council II 499.
Velluise 1503 Treasurer's Accounts II 227.
Flemys wellus 1503 Halyb. 271.
Wellwus 1505 Treasurer's Accounts III 36.
For ane elne wellus to be schone and pantonis xl s. 1506 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 249.
Wellous 1508 Treasurer's Accounts IV 22.
To Pieris payntour for to cut out letteres for cotis and bardis for hors hosouris ij½ elne wellus 1519 Wigtown B. Ct. 96a.
Ane web of vellis 1521 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. IV 21.
Ane gown of brown begaret wyt welliuis [pr. wellinis] and furrit xxx and ane doublet of blak veluus(b) 1473 Treasurer's Accounts I 32.
Tanny veluous for a govne to the quene 1474 Treasurer's Accounts I 21.
Veluous for j jakket to the king 1488 Treasurer's Accounts I 97.
Veluus 1488 Treasurer's Accounts I 164.
Velwus 1488 Criminal Trials I i 114.
Velwos 1495 Treasurer's Accounts I 256.
Velvous 1495 Treasurer's Accounts I 261.
Velvous c1500 Coll. St. Salvator 152.
Of red veluis [C. reid purpoure veluot] 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 540 (L).
Veluot robbis maid with the grand assyse, Dames, satyn begaryit mony wyse. Cramessy satin, veluos [E. veluot] enbroude in diuers rewis 1506 Exchequer Rolls XII 464.
Welwois 1511 Treasurer's Accounts IV 198.
Weluus 1511 Treasurer's Accounts IV 227.
Welvus 1515–16 Treasurer's Accounts V 66.
Weluous 1516 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 70.
Velvos 1529 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 230.
Velvus 1530 Edinb. B. Statutes 4 May.
Ane scheit of grene weluos 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 124.
Velvois 1562-3 Winȝet I 114/18.
Gold and siluir, velwes [pr. welwot], silkis, and wtheris fyne clathis 1565 Inv. Q. Mary 18.
Ane claith of stait of blak veluos 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 122.
Weluouis(c) 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Ane schort coit of vailvos 1545–6 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XX 102.
Ane govn … wanit with waluous(d) ? 15… Aberd. B. Rec. MS XVI (Jam. s.v. Wolwat n.).
Cramasse wolwous(e) a1500 Coll. St. Salvator 154.
Ane off blak woys gevin be Maister Martyn Balfour [B. gevin be Maister M. Balfour … a blak velvet cap]b. 1503 Treasurer's Accounts II 236.
v quartaris wellus apon wellus crammesy, to be ane collair to the kingis gounc. (1) 1482–3 Acts Lords of Council II civ.
A welwous goun 1503 Treasurer's Accounts II 297.
For ane wellus bonet to the Erle of Murray 1506 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I 249.
Welwos 1538 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 91.
The persouns … till be on horsback with fute mantill veluos harnesing and swa mony as ar ordanit for the paill till haif thair veluos gownis c1564 Glasgow Test. II 7.
Ane pair of welvois slevis a1585 Maitland Quarto MS 5/92 (see Velvot(e n. b (1)).
Veluous 1599 Exchequer Rolls XXIII 318.
3 bolts velvous pasmentis 1612 Brechin Testaments II 230b.
Ane velves pairtcleit(2) 1503 Treasurer's Accounts II 220.
iiij elne wellus crammesy to covir ane sadill c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 135/13 (see Velvot(e n. (c)).
Velves
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"Vellus n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/vellous>


