Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1722-1728, 1803-1828, 1880-1883, 1993-2004
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VIRTUE, n. Also vertue (Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes lxxx.); and in sense 2. verter, -ur. Reduced form ¶virt.
Sc. usages:
1. Specif. (the virtue of) industry or diligence (Lth., Rxb. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1722 T. Mair Ellon Presb. Rec. (1894) 354:
He allows her own and women's vertue to keep her pocket.Sc. 1728 P. Walker Life A. Peden 119:
His landlord, digging stones at the end of that village, told the officers that he was afraid the soldiers would plunder his cottage; they said, 'Poor man, you deserve encouragement for your virtue; be not afraid for your house, for we shall order two soldiers to stand at the door, that none may enter to wrong you.'Sc. 1803 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) I. 189:
In many parts of Scotland the word virtue is limited entirely to industry; and a young divine who preached upon the moral beauties of virtue was considerably surprised at learning that the whole discourse was supposed to be a panegyric upon a particular damsel who could spin fourteen bundles of yarn in the course of a week.Mry. 1828 W. Gordon Poems 211:
Ye must gather Wi your virt to keep us right.
2. Power, efficiency, esp. in healing (Bnff., Edb., Ayr. 2000s); in combs. verter-spring, -water, -well, waters which are reputed to have therapeutic properties, medicinal wells (Slk. 1825 Jam.; Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 49). Also in place-names, as Verturwell near Duns in Bwk.Rxb. 1811 T. Pringle Autumnal Excursion (1819) 25:
They sit beside the Verter spring.Bwk. 1880 Hist. Bwk. Nat. Club IX. 231:
In the moss there is a well-known "verter", i.e. virtue well, which has a strong tincture of iron.Sc. 1883 W. Black Folk Medicine vi.:
Warts were washed with water that had accumulated in the hollows of gravestones. . . . I have above noticed the 'verter' water found in hollows of tomb-stones and rocks.Uls. 1993:
There's no virtue in that ointment any more. Edb. 2004:
Thon coaf medicine's loast its virtue by noo. Look at the 'sell by' date.
