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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Enchesone, Enchesoun, n. Also: -onne, -on, -oune, -own; enchessoun, -on. [ME. encheson (c 1300), encheison, -chesoun, etc., OF. encheson, encheison.]

1. Reason, cause; occasion.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 173.
For litill enchesone or nane He was arestyt Ib. 204.
Thai suld fynd sone enchesone To put hym to destructione a1400 Leg. S. xvii. 119.
Vith a voyce syne thai sad Of his drownynge the enchesone Ib. l. 56.
Quhen scho wist the enchesonne Quhy sic noys was 14.. Acts I. 11/2.
Gif ony … passis in the kyngis court … thruch ressonable enchesone hym movand Ib. 372/2.
Gif he puttis nocht fullely his hand … apone the buk … throv encheson of evill contenance making a 1600 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 112.
And the king be encheson [marg. be reason, or because], that the overlord is within his ward, afterward giues that land to any man as escheit(b) 1375 Barb. i. 280.
Sum thai put in presoune, For-owtyn caus or enchesoun Ib. iv. .
I wate nocht for quhat enchesoun, … he maid that conwyn ?1438 Alex. ii. 1559.
I se the enchesoun apperand Ib. 3168.
Nocht to defoull, … Na disheris but enchesoun a1500 Henr. Fab. 2549.
For quhat enchessoun this doggis skyn haif ȝe borne?

2. Objection, dissent. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 136.
It that ȝe think richt or ȝit resoun, To that can I nor na man haue enchesoun c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 64.
And thocht this nobill cunning sort, … Rewardit be, it war bot ressoun, Thairat suld no man mak enchessoun