A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1615
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Milȝ(e)o(u)n, Milȝioun, Millio(u)n(e, Mulȝeo(u)n, num. Also: mylȝ(e)o(u)n(e, millȝeoun, millioin, milleoun, myl(l)yon, myllioun. [ME. milion (1362), mil(l)ioun, e.m.E. millyon, myllyon, F. million (1359 in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. n. A million, a huge number (of anything).Plur. with or without inflexion.(1) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1354.
The cheriottis with thair ryche aray Off men ane millioun riche mycht haue maid a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1292 (Asl.).
A milȝoun [Harl. millȝeoun, Arund. mulȝeoun] of mirthis mundiale a1568 Bannatyne MS 274 a/473.
Mony a millioin Off luvaris trew — a1500 King Hart 42.
Thir folk … Quhilk nummerit ane milȝon and weill mo(2) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 83/5.
Mony thousand and mylȝeoune of pepil(3) 1615 Mure Early Misc. Poems xiv. 12.
Contrarie fortoun … Metamorphos'd his thowsands in milleounes of lyce
b. adj. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1238.
Of thousand mylȝeoun ȝeris the slyding
2. A huge amount (of gold, also, treasure).(1) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 142.
Thai had leuir haif seyne him … Than of cler gold a fyne mylȝone and mor 1540 Lynd. Sat. 288.
Milȝeoun, milȝioun 15.. Clariodus iv. 222.
He … gave to them of gold ane millioune(b) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace (1570) vii. 1280.
Thocht he him gaif ane mulȝeoun of gold weil met(2) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace x. 464.
Worth fer mair meid … Na v mylȝon off fynest gold so round 1535 Stewart 12462. 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 69.
With fiftie thousand millioun of tresour 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 5317.
Ane thousand millioun of reid gold(b) c1550 Rolland Court of Venus 225.
Ten mulȝeoun(3) c1420 Wynt. viii. 7114.
Gret sowmys of mone As of gold mylyonys thre c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1350.
The chapletis that on thair helmis war Passit milȝeonis of gold and stanis fare 1535 Stewart 5847.
Mulȝeonis of gold thai haif aneuch to spend
3. Elliptical: A million units of money, a huge sum of money, a ‘fortune’.(1) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 351 (B).
Ȝe wald … spend on hir ane milȝeoun [Ch. millioun] Hir luve til obtene c1552 Id. Mon. 353.(2) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4560.
One treassoure Off gold and syluer, by mesoure … Weill fyue and twentye myllioun 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts ii.
Pope John … left behind him … some sayth 25 mylȝeon
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"Milȝon num.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mil3eoun>
