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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Peril(l)ous, -el(l)ous(e, -alous(e, a. (? adv.) Also perr- and -ilouse, -illows, -ilus, -ylows; -ielous; -el(l)us, -ellis; -alows, -alus, -alis; -ol(o)us(e, -oles; -owlus, -ulus, -wollous; -ualous; -iolus; also superl. perillous. [ME. and e.m.E. perilous (c 1290), -elous (c 1350), -yllous (Caxton), also superl. parelloust (1545), AF. perillous, OF. perillos, -eus (mod. F. périlleux). Cf. Parellous a.¹, Perllous a., Parlish a., and Periculous a.] Perilous, in various usual senses and collocations.

1. Chiefly, of material and non-material things.a. Occasioning, involving or accompanied by risk or danger; (potentially) dangerous; hazardous. b. ? Harmful; injurious.(1) 1375 Barb. x. 595. (C).
The crag wes hye … And the clymbyng rycht perelus a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 2.
Lat penance is rycht perolouse 1389 Charter (Reg. H.).
Thare was na gyving to borch bot excusacons delators the qwilk the forsaid Alan thocht perillous c1420 Wynt. ii. 1382.
Peralows [W. peralouse] 1442 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 307.
The gret & perowlus strywys betwix owr wele belouide cosingis c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 86.
And this is a perelus temptacione 1456 Hay I. 250/8.
Perilous a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1104.
Ane wounder peralous poynt … To souer in thi gentrice c1475 Wall. iii. 56.
[His] cusyng … baid with him in mony peralous place Ib. v. 833.
Rycht peralous [v.r. perillous] the semlay was to se 1490 Irland Mir. II. 21/31.
The fals and peralus heresie of Arrius 1513 Doug. v. xiv. 43.
Wilt thou I traste this monstre perellus Ib. vii. Prol. 96.
The peralus persand cald Ib. viii. Prol. 81 (see Pauk n.), xi. vi.62. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 40.
This perualous vennom c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 354.
Perwollous 1567 Sat. P. iv. 172.
Perillous a1568 Bann. MS. 212 a/20.
Peroles 1579 Black Bk. Taymouth 142.
In the yer thair is thre peralis dais … quhat chylde is … borne on … ony ane of thir tre dais … he sall … de suddanle [etc.] 1584 Gowrie P. 27.
Perielous 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii. 779.
Perillows(b) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1158 (Asl.).
Quhais perrellus [Harl. pereles] panis na speche can expreme c1500-c1512 Dunb. lv. 34.
Be war with that perrellous play That men callis libbing of the pockis a1538 Abell 3* b.
Consel of ȝovng men is perrolus 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 4.
Sa perrillous tressounis 1639 Fugitive Poetry II. xvi. 7/18.
More perrellous I find the seasoun(2) 1375 Barb. iii. 685.
Quhar als gret stremys ar rynnand And als peralous Ib. x. 21. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 46/4.
A schip to pas throw the peralus seye of this waurld 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 13.
Ȝour peralus [v. rr. perellus, perellis] frutis and oncorn Ib. i. viii. 77. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxvii.
Mony sinkand sandis sa perilus that [etc.] a1538 Abell 8 b.
Ane hird passand be perilus bray c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 151.
[For vei]ll I knaw I stand in perrellous place 1590 James VI in Bruces of Airth App. xcvii.
And perellouse puftes and quhirluindes aryse c1590 J. Stewart 34/146.
Perrelus a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlix. 10.
The perillous gredy gulfe of Perse(3) 1456 Hay II. 143/17.
In a mistemperance perilous 1560 Rolland Seven S. 728.
Ane plaigue perrellous 1596 Dalr. II. 352/23.
His sone quhilk amang the commoune peple steiret vp seditioune verie perrelous(4) 1375 Barb. viii. 496.
The … castell … That to kepe so perelous was ?1438 Alex. ii. 5918. c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 14.
In-samekile is the ded of it mare perulus and doutabile to be tholyt a1500 Henr. Fab. 1189 (H).
It is richt perrillous Till enter in pley before ane iuge suspect Ib. 2814 (Bann.).
Perrellus a1538 Abell *9a.
Penens is peralus to be deferrit to the hend 1551 Hamilton Cat. 125.
How perelous it is to misken thai thingis a1578 Pitsc. II. 134/34.
Sowme wyse men … schew that that matter was perralus to cleng him c1600 Medical Recipes 94 b.
Perrulus … to lat bluid bot gif it be of gret neid(5) 1375 Barb. v. 420 (C).
And it is to perelous thing In castell till assegit be ?1438 Alex. i. 712.
And to byde it is perrillous thing c1420 Wynt. viii. 211.
And perylows [Barb. wnfayr] thyngis may fall [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 7/7.
Be caus it is mare mervailous and perilous thing(6) superl. ?1438 Alex. i. 1277.
This is the perrillous battale That euer I saw

2. Of persons and their attributes: Capable of inflicting injury or harm; dangerous, deadly.Also applied to Pegasus.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii. 51.
King Robert that weill can ken That the archeris war perelous a1500 Henr. III. 141/30 (Bann.).
Thir teltellaris … Is … Moir perrellus than ony pestillence 1513 Doug. vii. v. 117.
Quhilk fury quent of kynd sa peralus 1531 Bell. Boece I. 270.
Levand behind him sa perrellus [M. perrellous] ennimes 1540 Lynd. Sat. 496 (Ch.).
Thou art ouer perillous ane page sic practik[i]s to preife 15.. Clar. ii. 1764.
Sir ȝe ar perrellous Amongs ladies in companie to stand That so can thring thir billis in thair hand 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3198.
Thow fikkill feindis quene, thow perrellous ill emprice(2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 889 (Bann.).
The Pegas perolus Transformit be assent of socerre(3) a1500 Henr. III. 141/43 (Bann.).
O wicket tung … Moir perrellus than ony fell pusoun c1490 Porteous Noblenes 20 (Asl.).
Ane invious hert and perillous hand garris all men be hatit c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 150.
Thow hes ane perrellus face to play with lambis Id. G. Targe 196 (Ch. & M.).
Perilouse 1531 Bell. Boece II. 339.
This Gwalo wes so periolus fontane of al … vice that [etc.]