A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Swoun(d, Soun(d, v. Also: swoune, swown, swon(e, suoun, sown(d. [ME and e.m.E. swoȝen, swoune(n (14th c.), suoun (Cursor M.), sounye(n (Piers Plowman), sounde (1480), sownde (1530).] intr. To swoon, faint; to become or be unconscious. Also fig.pres. (a) 1375 Barb. xvii 648.
Thair fais … left lyand, Sum ded, sum hurt, and sum swonand [C. swownand, Sk. pr. swavnand] 1460 Hay Alex. 2188.
In thair armis the king begoith to swoun 1460 Hay Alex. 18096.
With that [he suelte] doun suounand on the ground c1460 Regim. Princ. 167 (Maitl.).
Wyffis and barnis swownand for falt of breid a1500 Henr. Fab. 2188 (Ch.).
The foxe … leuch on loft, quhen he the uolf sa seis … fall swonand on his kneis a1500 Rois Garlandis 210.
Quhen Thou saw Thi sueit moder swone vnder the croce c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 225.
With that I seme for to swoune, thought I na swerf tak c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 71/14.
Sum standis in a nuk and rownes For covetyce ane uthair neir swownes 1533 Bell. Livy I 91/6.
The king swownand in the dede-thraw a1568 Scott xxxiv 50.
Thay [sc. women] swoun to se ȝow smartit a1568 Bann. MS 144a/32.
Now is he fled And left the madin swownyng seik a1586 Lindsay MS 27b.
Bot sum folkis sayis thai [sc. pelicans] ar clekkit swownand lyk as thai war bot life a1700 Mare of Colinton 379.
For fau't o' food whils did I swown(b) 1659 A. Hay Diary 41.
My wiffe … fell exceeding sick of her payne … and did often swound(c) a1568 Bann. MS 143b/39.
Me think ȝe ar in poynt to soun a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxiv 4.
Scho can not chuse Bot sigh, and sobbe, and soun, vhen sho suld sleep(d) c1475 Wall. viii 251.
He saw weill his ost sownd in thair weid 1609 Garden Garden 76.
Sob for thy sinnes and sound 1632 Law Memor. lix fn.
The said Thomas … gave him two great wounds, and left him sounding in his bloodp.t. ?1438 Alex. i 3258.
The great blude that he hes bled … sa hard him led That he suouned c1420 Wynt. v 1967.
Thare quhylle scho swonyd and quhill scho swete c1420 Wynt. vii 1294 (W).
Scho swounyt and swelt and deit thare 1460 Hay Alex. 3622.
Emenedus … for deseis of Sawsoun almoist swownit a1500 Henr. Fab. 2181 (Harl.).
He … hit him with sic will vpoun the heid, Quhill neir he swonit and swalt a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1053.
Mony sweit thing of sware swownit full oft c1475 Wall. x 388.
Schyr Jhon the Graym swonyt on his arsoun a1500 Peblis to Play 239.
The dewill a wourde that scho micht speik for kyndnes Bot swownit that sweit of swair 1603 Haddington Corr. 211.
The hows being commandit to be ischit, scho swownit(b) c1500 Makc. MS iv 55.
Thi woful moder sownit slef & cald, Quhen thow inclinit with consummatum est 15.. Clar. i 1481.
Scho sounit deidlie, that peitie was to see 1584 Gray Lett. & P. 2.
The poore lady … sowned … in the open streat a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 203 (L).
My agony was so exstreme I swet and sownit for feir 1622-6 Bisset II 178/26.
His maiestie tuik sa soir ane fuit that he sowned with it(c) 1600-1610 Melvill 248.
A heavie feat of the tertian overtuk me … and seased sa on me that I swined and lay dead(d) 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 504.
Scho oftymes soundit almaist to the death 1633 Johnston Diary I 160.
Going up the staire, I sounded the second tyme and vomited mutch blakisch blood 1640 Baillie I 282.
So soone as the Deputie saw the articles of the Lower House … he sounded 1698 S. Ronaldshay 69.
One day he was so waik that he sounded in the pulpitp.p. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 190.
Quhen this bird had swounit twyse or thryse(b) 1597 Crim. Trials II 27.
Scho put the samin vpoune him wat; quhairthrow he maist haf sownit(c) 1648 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIII 381.
If … he had not bein walkned and directed out he had sounded in a deadlie oblivionfig. 1562-3 Winȝet II 35/24.
Quhen the auctoritie of the Kirk drew thame fra this side, and the familiaritie of thair techear drew thame abak agane … sua thai, sweand and swounand betuix thame twa, determinatis nocht [etc.]
