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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.

The, pron. Also: thee, thie. [ME and e.m.E. þe (Orm), þi (Cursor M.), thee (Wyclif), the (1470-85), late OE ð, þ.]Cf. Thow pron., Ȝe pron. and Ȝow pron.

1. Thee, the second person singular objective of Thow pron. as a direct or indirect object or as the object of a preposition, also following Than conj. Also used in addressing God or a sovereign.(1) 1375 Barb. iv 480.
I sall reward thé but lesing a1400 Leg. S. i 94.
I sall helpe thé in this nede c1420 Wynt. vi 2155.
Ha, ha, frend, I leve thé thare … I will na langare karpe wyth thé 1456 Hay II 149/12.
Be that sall thou knawe quha best lufis thé 1460 Hay Alex. 2161.
Tratour I thé defy a1500 Henr. Fab. 6.
Feinȝeit fabils … the caus quhy thay first began Wes to repreif thé of thi misleuing a1500 Seven S. 359.
The sagis sevyne That will distroye thé quyte away a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 397, 398, 399, 400.
I sall degrade thé … of thy greis, Scaile thé for scorne and shere thé of the scule, Ger round the hede transforme thé till a fule And syne wyth tresone trone thé to the treis 1513 Doug. i Prol. 75.
Maist reuerend Virgill, of Latyn poetis prynce … I am compellit thé to translait 1549 Compl. 17/32.
I exort thé (gude redar) … til interpreit my intentione fauorablye 1551 Hamilton Cat. 239.
The man sais to the woman, I tak thé to my weddit wyfe, and the woman sais to the man, I tak thé to my maryit husband 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 98.
My father and mother will nawayis consent that I mary thé a1624 Edinb. Univ. MS La.ii.319.
What doeth my foe … That he thé so deteenis(b) a1605 Montg. Sonn. xli 5.
My lyfe … To folou thee it from my body fled a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxiii 7.
Quhat furious feynd inflamde thee so to fl[yte]? 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 24.
I charge thee to depart(2) 1375 Barb. iii 170.
It semys it likis thé perfay That he slayis ȝongat our mengȝe a1400 Leg. S. v 627.
Nocht ellis had to gyf hym til Thane, fore that thu ves thé alane a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 187.
Jhesu … has thé gyfine lyf & aynde 14… Edinb. Univ. MS La.ii.318.
I sal … tel thé On quhilk men the feynd has pouste ?1438 Alex. ii 2267.
Ane vthir grant heir mak I thé c1420 Wynt. v 3668.
Saynt Ambros … Hym met, and sayd … ‘I mak thé inhybytyowne In Goddys kyrk to make entre' c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 106.
Ȝong man … I will thé schewe the more of myn entent a1500 Colk. Sow ii 61.
The said secound penny I sall gife thé c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 13/16.
Gif thou hes ane wounde That caussis thé gret panis for to feill 1513 Doug. iii vi 151, 152.
This a thing, son of the goddes, I thé tech, Abuf al othir, this a thyng I thé prech 1513 Doug. xiii i 82.
Lavynya has thé cost na litill thyng c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 131.
[A priest] sall … The sacramentis schaw thé 1567 G. Ball. 75.
All micht & fortitude We offer thé, Lord(b) 1562-3 Winȝet I 7/27.
Schir, quhat sall we geve thee [orig. ed. thé]?(3) a1400 Leg. S. i 16.
And sad til hym … ‘To thé I gyff the keys of hewyne' a1400 Leg. S. xxv 454.
Gud Julyane, God has send me To comfort & to say to thé, That [etc.] ?1438 Alex. i 346.
I will abyde with thé, neid-wayis c1420 Liber Calchou 450.
The venome … makis a byle or a bolge in som part of thé 14.. Acts I 386/2.
Hertis … ar wnderstandin to be thin als lang as thai haf thar will and desyr to cum again to thé 1456 Hay II 107/11.
Ay do honoure and loving to the maist wyse and worthy men, and that sall encresse thair bountee and the honour and worschip doublis ay agayn to thé c1475 Wall. x 575.
My best brothir … In thé was wertu with outyn warians; In thé lawte, in thé was gret largnas 1490 Irland Mir. I 22/37.
Lord of hevin and paradice, we ask at thé, that [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 15/1.
To Thé, O marcifull salviour myn, Jesus 1528 Lynd. Dreme 1050.
Dame Fortune … hes lairglie kyith on thé hir cure 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4836.
Thankis ane hunder fald To thé doctour for the taill thow hes tald a1578 Pitsc. I 258/26.
Schir king, my mother hes send me to thé 1654 Lamont Diary 68.
His text … ‘Feare not, for I am with thé; be not dismayed, for I am thy God' 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 78.
Oh what wil word of thé who hath lead so vicious a life(b) 1562-3 Winȝet I 11/17.
O gracius Souerane … His mony maist excellent giftis geuin to thee [orig. ed. thé] amangis al princis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxvii 14.
I leiv to thee the hairt wes nevir fals, About thy hals to hing 1640 Baillie I 268.
My Heart, I wrote to thee from Edinburgh(c) 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 85.
Eftir the said Androwis departour from thie, he tuik bed(4) ?1438 Alex. ii 1217.
Thow sall neuer haue that paramour Nakit vnder thy coueratour, Scho sall al out haue ane better than thé, To quham that scho sall geuin be

b. In the above constructions in a religious context referring to mankind.(1) c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 36b/101.
O man unmercifull … That is to me vnthankfull and vnkynd Quhilk is thi makar and maid thé as my [pr. thy] maik 1551 Hamilton Cat. 244.
He hes gevin command to his angellis to gyde thé fra all perellis 1567 G. Ball. 2.
I am the Lord thy God, quhilk haue brocht thé out of the land of Egypt(2) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 244.
He giffis thé meit, drink, and claith and harbory … Besyde al this, quhen thou was … condemnit to hel … he send his awin natural son to be incarnat for thi saik(3) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 7/16.
O mankynd, for the luif of thé 1551 Hamilton Cat. 244.
And think quhat God hes done for thé in thi creatioun, makand thé to his awin ymage and lyknes 1562-3 Winȝet II 51/34.
And of his wrytingis it suld be said: Gif a prophete ryse in the middis of thee; And, eftir: Thou sal nocht heir the wordis of that prophete 1567 G. Ball. 7.
Followis the power of binding and lousing, grantit to the trew preicheouris of Goddis word … The keyis of heuin will I gif vnto thé

2. In reflexive use as the object of a verb or preposition.(1) 1375 Barb. v 250.
I pray thé sped thé sone to me a1400 Leg. S. ii 137.
Thu … callis thé seruand to that kinge a1400 Leg. S. iii 960.
He … Sall thi … protectore be, Sene thu til Hym has gewine thé a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 189.
Thu ma wele cal thé man For, tho thu be a woman Manlyk ar thi dedis al ?1438 Alex. i 2799.
Vassale, turne thé to me! To greatly thow defoulles thé, That fleis and leiffis thy folke lyand! a1500 Bernardus 169.
Man, of thi fa gef thow hafe ony dowte, Be wakyr al tyme … Thé to conserffe with vertu fra his ile [= ill] c1475 Wall. i 395.
Thow sall haiff leiff to fysche, and tak thé ma a1500 Seven S. 901.
Hald thé thar son cum nocht to me For better is ane na we baith de c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 14/43.
Avys thé weill or thou cum to the preist Of all thi synnes … Thow sulde not cum to schryfe thé in haist 1538 Lynd. Justing 28.
Keip thé fra my knokkis a1568 Scott xx 46.
Thow wald nocht rest bot raik And lair thé in the myre a1585 Maitland in Maitl. Q. 42/9.
Hauld thé in honest companie Thy persoun gyide ay honestlie(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 339.
Tak this gret sowme of gold thé till c1460 Consail Vys Man 340.
Rus nocht thi-self na loif na lak, Na want, na wanglore to thé tak c1590 Fowler I 353/13.
Cast from thé thy geare

3. Used for the nominative and vocative. a1400 Leg. S. vi 617.
Thé Venys that my god wrath wil be With me c1420 Wynt. vii 56.
On fwte … Or on hors … As thé [W. thov] thynk best, now ches thow thé c1450-2 Howlat 750 (A).
Lady, luke to the laid that thé so leile lufis c1475 Wall. ii 93.
Go hens, thé Scot a1500 Seven S. 574.
The herd thi son is for to say That fordo thé wald nycht & day The quhilk thairfor clymmis in the tre Of science and of subtilte a1538 Abell 91b.
Gife thé will sa that [etc.] 1596 McNeill Prestonpans 41.
Blis us gude Lord and ther Thi creatures quhilk Thé prefarest for our nurishment 1661 Black Sc. Witches 39.
Doe my freinds with her what thee will

4. In emphatic use, chiefly in quasi-imperative construction.c1420 Wynt. vii 56 (see 3 above). c1450-2 Howlat 516 (A).
Thow sall nocht de thé allane, quod the Dowglas 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5331.
Thay … powrit his mouth of meltit gold thair fow Saying to him tak thé aneuch of it now. Thow couet gold with sa gredie desire