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.
Clerenes, Cleirnes, n. Also: clernes, cleyrnes. [ME. clerenes(se, clernes (c 1300), from Cler(e,a.] Clearness (lit. and fig.).(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 273.
In the ayr Wes clernes sene gret and fare 1456 Hay I. 6/15.
The schynyng of the licht that come fra him disteynȝeid all the lave in clerenes of schynyng 1513 Doug. ix. viii. 3.
Be this Aurora … had the erth ourspred With new cleirnes a1586 Lindsay MS. 38.
Ane … stane quhilk giffis cleirnes scheynnand in all myrk places(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1105.
The hole clernes of hyr schame c1420 Wynt. v. 2646.
He leryd hyr off mynystralsy, And off all clerenes [C. cleyrnes] off clergy 1490 Irland Mir. I. 40/16.
The clerenes, rest, and pece that it has than, quhen it is … clene of syn 1562-3 Winȝet II. 78/8.
That he be the lycht … of clerenes mot ornate … the faith of our elderis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 49.
T.he force of the ressonis and cleirnes of the haill deductioun
