Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Our-self, pron. Also: oure- and -selff, -selfe, -sell. [ME. (14th c.) ur-self, ME. and e.m.E. our(e)self(e, reflex. (14th c.), in emphatic use (a 1400–50), in apposition to we (1484): cf. ME. us-self (14th c.), (south-western) us-sulf, -sulve, and OE. we selfe, us selfe, us selfum. (Cf. Our-selfis.) Chiefly written as two words.]

Ourself, ourselves.Emphatic and reflexive pronoun, corresponding to we, us.

1. In emphatic or contrastive use, taking the place of we or us.a. With plural reference.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 40.
Lordyngis, … gyff yhe fecht with thaim agayn We sall tyne off our small mengȝe And our-selff sall in perill be a1400 Leg. S. i. 718.
Of our-selfe haf we na maucht Ib. xxxvi. 236.
In oure-selfe we suld be meke c1420 Wynt. v. 2778.
Gyffe we wyth mare cruawte Amang oure-self discumfyt be Ib. 5323.
And throwch oure-self we [sc. mankind] nevyr fell Ib. 2786. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 92/9.
The hevinly heretage … that we may na way recouer be oure self ore oure wertu Ib. 17/12. 1502 Douglas Bequest 10 Sept.
That I nor thai sall newir be our self … cum in the contrar off this my ratificatioun 1533 Boece ii. i. 58.
Giff we sua do we sall wilfully amang oure self kendill ane bleis of … discorde 1535 Stewart 50051. Ib. 812.
The realme befoir oure fatheris brukit lang … Fra ws on force tha think it salbe reft, … Oure self also tha think for to distroy(b) a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xcvii. 78.
I pray God … We gre amang our sell [: tell] 1567 G. Ball. 16.
Our natiue sin in Adame to expell And all trespas committit be our sell 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 5 b.
To weir ocht amang our sell

b. In reference to a single person, as the granter of a legal deed or the sovereign. 1420 in W. Meyer Flexionslehre der ältesten schottischen Urkunden (Halle, 1907) 42.
As til our self in propir person 1567 Echt-Forbes Chart. 113.
[Having] dewlie and faithfully servit our grandschir, gud sir, gud dam, muder and ourself 1603 Wemyss Corr. 57.
Seing our people hear langis na lesse for our dearest bedfellow the Quene … than for ourselff 1694 Red Bk. Menteith I. 429.
Tuo statues … one for ourselfe and the other for our deerest spowse

2. In simple reflexive use.In a. plural, and b. singular (sc. royal), reference.a. 1533 Boece iv. xvi. 152.
We … sall to liberte deliuer oure self at the first ionyng 1551 Hamilton Cat. 251.
Let us al thairfor ken our self to be brether in God 1567 G. Ball. 186.
Suppose we suld wrack our selfb. 1569 Ayr & W. Coll. III. 188.
We [sc. Queen Mary] staying ourselff alhaill and depending thereupoun