A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1420, 1489
[0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Felny, n. Reduced form of Felony n. (Cf. Prov. felnia, var. of fellonia.) — a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiii. 294.
That I suld succure this towne Fra the felny of this dragone a1400 Ib. xxxvi. 548.
Quhen he cowertly To sauf his aith did felny c1420 Wynt. ii. 1444.
Thare wyffys … In felny brynnand as a fyre c1420 Ib. v. 641; etc.
He gert in tyll his felny sla Hys awyn maystyr 1489 Brus x. 65 (E).
Thai … lettyt thair fayis to fulfill The maist part of thair felny [C. felony]
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Felny n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/felny>
