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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Aventure, Aventour, Aventuire, n. Also: aventur, -wre, -ar; au-, awentur(e, avingture; au-, awentour, avintoure, aventor; aventeure, -uyr. [ME. aventure (c 1225), aventour, etc., OF. aventure. See also Eventure, and cf. Adventure, Aunter.]

1. An incident or event happening to a person; a chance or accident; an occurrence or enterprise of an unusual nature. 1375 Barb. i. 298.
Thair wes nane aventur that mocht Stunay hys hart Ib. ii. 525.
That thai … forsakis nane auentur That euyr may fall a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 448.
Thai … tald Hale that awenture to that alde c1420 Wynt. viii. 6059.
Nane awenture fell than off fychtyng, That men suld mak off great menyng Ib. 6638.
In to this tym … Ane awenture in Franse befell … worthé baithe to wryte and reid 1456 Hay I. 41/22.
Quhilk of thame that befell in that mountayne the fairest aventure, he suld be king Ib. 245/23.
The lawe sais that in sik mysty aventuris is lytill remede c1475 Wall. i. 95.
Be this fals awentur, Of trew Scottis chapyt na creatur 1499 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 77.
To do … thair lawbouris thairintill quhen ony sic aventures or cais occurris and happinis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 528.
This vneouth aventur, quhilk airly me happinnit Id. xxiii. 6.
Be blyth in hairt for ony aventure 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 117.
To town agane I sped … , Wilful al aventuris newlyngis to assay 1533 Bell. Livy I. 12/4.
How Eneas foundit Lavyne, and … of his sindry aventuris and deith 1540 Acts II. 360/2.
For the honorabill support of his estate riale in all aventouris and cais 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 27.
Quhen seiknes or sum uther rekles aventure … sould cut him of 1596 Dalr. I. 145/24.
Throuch quhilke experiens … thay mycht be maid … the abiller to al auentouris

b. The chance, fortune, or risk of something. 1456 Hay I. 87/6.
He suld erar ches to tak the aventure of dede … na to flee 1497 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 70.
To tak thame with all aventouris of deid and weir, spaitt and watter 1521 Acts XII. 40/1.
We will … tak oure aventure of pece or were as sall pleys God to send it 1567 Sat. P. iv. 172.
Quha may sustene the perillous auentuire Off fals fortowne

c. One's fortune or fate. 1456 Hay II. 9/37.
All my grace and gude aventure throw it I had Ib. 159/15.
Bydand his aventure that sum gude man suld help him a1500 Henr. Fab. 642.
My auentour is cleirlie to me kend a1500 Doug. K. Hart 844.
Ofttymes … Myn aventure will schape out of ȝour sicht 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. vi.
Our life, our giding, and our aventuris, Dependis from thir hevinlie creaturis 1549 Compl. 97/1.
To pas in ony straynge cuntre to seik ther gude auenture a1578 Pitsc. I. 112/10.
The earle glorieit in his happie aventar

2. Without article: Fortune, chance, accident. 1375 Barb. v. 27.
It wes bot auentur that thame led 14.. Acts I. 8/2.
Gif … aventur fall that he eschapis out of that ilk ward 1456 Hay I. 268/21.
Gif his wappin schot out of the barrieris be ony cas of aventure c1475 Wall. iv. 51.
The hors thai tuk for awentur mycht befall 1493 Acta Conc. 275/1.
The hale schip wes tynt and brokin be aventure of sey and wedder 1513 Doug. vii. xiii. 124.
Gif forton war so heynd By aventour of weir to be his frend 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 185.
The actione suld be decidit be vther iudges then be aventwre of arms 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 167.
With aventure of deid and weir and all other aventures

b. In the phrases to be, to put or set, in, into, or on aventure = in danger (of, etc.). 1375 Barb. i. 606.
He wes in full gret auentur To tyne his lyff Ib. vii. 70.
He put his lif in auentur Ib. xvii. 710.
Thai … defendit manfully thar stede, In-till gret auentur of dede c1420 Wynt. v. 1977.
Hyr lyff Scho wald have put in awenture 1456 Hay I. 183/34.
Syndry … sais that he suld put all in aventure Ib. 264/29.
Suppos he war sa fule hardy that he wald sett on aventure c1500-c1512 Dunb. xx. 11.
Put not thyne honour into aventeure 1513 Doug. xii. v. 19.
Aschame ȝhe not … A sylly sawle to put in aventour? 1560 Rolland Seven S. 68/7.
Thairfoir wald thow estemit be, set all on auenture 1596 Dalr. II. 186/24.
I euir … put my body in auenture for Scotland

c. Throuch, of, on, or be aventure, by chance.(1) 1391 Lennox Mun. 43.
[If he] thruch auenture … happyn to be to mary 14.. Acts I. 28/2.
Gif … thruch aventure the wyfe deys a1500 Bk. Chess 2166.
Bot so it be throw awentur he wyn The ower bar(2) 1402 Dundee Chart. 18.
Na shipp of auentur in the watyr of Taye Ib.
Al shippis comand on auenture wythin the water of Taye 1423 Edinb. Chart. 56.
Quhat guddis salbe brocht … of schippis cumman of auentur 1456 Hay I. 269/7.
In sik cas extravagantes that cummys of aventure oft tyme 1503–4 Edinb. B. Rec. 98.
Gif thai failyie of aventur and beis nocht levand 1537 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 413.
As may of auentour happyne(3) 1456 Hay I. 87/30.
The prouffit that hapnis to cum tharof be aventure c1475 Wall. i. 41.
Quhen Alexander … had lorn Be awentur his liff besid Kyngorn a1500 Henr. Fab. 1775.
Be auenture and cace The samin birdis … lychtit doun 1513 Doug. i. vi. 31.
Saw ȝe walkand heir By aventur ony of my sisteris deyr? a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. xxvii. 5.
As plaigis come be aventure

d. In aventure, in case, lest. 1502 Acta Conc. MS. XII. 110b.
In avingture gif it happinnis ony of tham til be in seiknes 1531 Bell. Boece I. 17.
In aventure thay fall as pray to thair ennimes Id. Livy I. 247/25.
He persewit na forthir, in aventure his tentis war left in dangere c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 307.
In auenture gif sic castis cautelous Be raisit agane 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 127.
In aventure ȝe fall baith in the fowsie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 284/20.
He durst not to the ladie ga neir In auenture that Gwydo suld espy 1567 Sat. P. xi. 92.
Be crous, … In auenture ȝe cry allace

3. Chance of gain or loss; commercial enterprise or risk. 1400 Maxwell Mem. I. 140.
Gyf the sayd Schyr Jon … had lefar chese the fyfty mark na the aventur of the land 1456 Hay I. 141/25.
He has payit thame all that he promyttit thame, and thai tuke thame to thair aventure 1480 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 38.
The customes of the aventures of schippis ar sett … with all daynger of weir 1492 Acta Conc. 209/2.
Patrik Hume and John … maid faith … that the said salmond war … ladin on thar awin auentur to the port of Berwic 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 201.
Quhare ony strangear cummis with wyne of thair awin aventur 1549 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 270.
All maner of … ry meill that hapnis to come to the tovn frathinfurth one the avin auentour 1571 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson 116.
Provyding … the said Johnne Conynghame beir the awenture of the said halfe quartar of the said schipe

b. The wild aventuris, dues levied on commercial undertakings of a hazardous nature. 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 42.
The wild aventouris set to the said thesaurare for … xij c. and x markis 1515 Ib. 158.
Gif it sall happin the toun to hald … the wild aventouris into thair awin handis vnset this yeir 1525 Ib. 223.
Fermorar of petit customes and wyld aventouris of Leyth 1552–3 Ib. 277.
Thomas Cok … beand in Leith in the townis service uptakand the wyld aventors 1555–6 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 173.
The firmorars of the wyld aventurs