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.
Quotation dates: 1375-1650
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Blind, Blynd, adj. Also: blinde, blynde. [ME. blind(e, blynd(e, OE. blind, ON. blind-r.]
1. Destitute of sight; unable to see. a1400 Legends of the Saints vii. 401.
He that gert blynd men clerly se c1420 Wynt. viii. 5879.
Blynd off bathe his eene fell he 1456 Hay I. 195/24.
Blynd men, def men, dum men c1460 Consail Wys Man 194.
Man but resone is ver na blind 1503 Acts II. 242/2.
Crukit folk, blind folk c1500-c1512 Dunb. xc. 33.
Ane blynde man is led furth be ane uther 1572 Peebles B. Rec. 343.
The counsale … ordanis ane blynd man to be suttit
b. Used absol. in sing. or plural. Also blind born. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 53.
For cry of cruikit, blind, and lame c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3877.
To the blynde borne he gaif the sycht 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 151.
Quhen the blynde ledis the blynd a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxxv. ii.
I am lyik the blind that blamis the licht
c. Used allusively with personal names. c1500 Crying ane Play 10.
I am the nakit blynd Hary That lang has bene in the fary Farleis to fynd c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 12.
Nescimus quando vel qua sorte Na blind Allane wait of the mone 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 396.
I vnderstude no science spirituall No more than did blynd Alane of the mone 1570 Satirical Poems xxii. 59.
I traist in God that anis sall cum the day, 'Pluk at the Craw' quhen barnis sall with this bird, Or blind Hary with hir to sport and play
2. fig Lacking discernment; ignorant, foolish. 1375 Barb. i. 91.
A, blynd folk full off all foly c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1671.
Throw a blynd fulische desyre c1420 Wynt. v. 5470.
Ingland, That blynd in hethynes wes lyand c1420 Ib. vii. 938.
Lyk a blynd wyld hethynes c1420 Ratis Raving 711.
A gret delyt is blynd alway a1500 Bernardus 93.
Wrang iugment … and sentence blynde c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvi. 99.
Blind ignorance me gaif sic hardines c1500-c1512 Ib. lxxxiv. 3.
The blind discretioun … off woman-kynd 1513 Doug. i. vi. 76.
For blind cw[v]atyce of gold 1513 Ib. ii. iv. 82.
Intil our blynd fury 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 140/18.
Thair is nocht ane mayr ignorant and ane mair blynd thyng a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lxxxix. 27.
So sall affectioun not be blind
3. Of natural features: Not patent to the sight; covered, hidden.Occurring early in place-names, as Blyndewelle (c 1200), Blindsyke (c 1350). 1446 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 245.
Strekand vp til a blind furde 1513 Doug. i. iii. 87.
The scharp rolkis blynd 1513 Ib. viii. 74.
Orion Amang blynd bankis cachit us onon 1513 Ib. iii. v. 87; etc.
On blynd stanis … hyrslit we 1534 Bamff Chart. 65.
Ane blind well heid anent the entries of ane burn 1563 Echt. Forbes Chart. 98.
To the blind watter ee of Bragacht quhair the watter discendis under the eird a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS clxxvii. 29.
Chanellis, craggis, beddis, & bankis blind
4. Obscure, dark; without opening; closed up. 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 98.
Gan[e] we ar Amang the blynd wallis waverand far c 1520 Abbot Mill Vitæ Dunkeld. Episcop. in J. H. Parker Gloss. Arch. (1845) I. 57.
Construxit usque secundos arcus, vulgariter le blyndstorys 1531 Bell. Boece I. 254.
Five auld bukis … war brocht to us … ; but thay wer sa blind, we micht nocht reid ilk tent wourd 1567 Edinburgh Testaments I *. 43 b.
My wyfe … to haf the erd hous with the blind ȝaird 1614 Chron. Perth 15.
The bow of the brige … being eveill biggit … and but ony blind pend c1650 Spalding I. 36.
Tua books … resembling claspit bookis, callit blynd bookis 1635 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 88.
The … counsall expresslie discharges … any blind bowattis to be cariet throw the toune heirafter
5. Blind sail = Blind n.1 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XIV. 152.
Ane blind sale worth xxx s. grett
6. Executed without full knowledge. c1650 Spalding II. 317.
Follouit efter this ane band, devysit be the Estaitis, commounlie callit the blind band, whiche everie honest welthie man within Edinburgh, or cuming to Edinburgb, wes vrgit to subscrive c1650 Ib.
These persones, presentaris of this blynd band 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 124.
It is no bairns market nor a blinde block, we know well what we get and what we give
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"Blind adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 26 Apr 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/blind_adj>
