A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1420, 1492-1583
[0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Converse, v. Also: -wers. [ME. converse (Chaucer), OF. converser, L. conversārī.]
1. intr. To hold intercourse, to be in company or society, with others. a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 979.
We sal nocht be ws ane twa Conuerse for-owtine witting ma a1400 Ib. xl. 61.
With wemene wald he nocht conuerse c1420 Wynt. vi. 2426.
He wald ger send Tha … That than war wyth hym conversand a1500 Bernardus 6.
It is na wyt, … For to conwers wyth strangeris inwartly 1513 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 139.
That na infectit persoun … convers with clene folkis vnder the pain of deid 1568 Pref. Lyndesay 5.
That samin King, … with quhome from his ȝouth vp he conuersit 1583 Melvill 155.
Na obstinat Papist … hes it sufferit lang to converse amangs us, untean ordour withe
b. To have sexual intercourse. 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 293/16.
Ȝit throw the delectation of the flesche scho conversit with a preist of thare law 1492 Ib. 294/26.
This nvn with quhom he had conversit before tyme 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xix.
This Albyne, with hir fiftie sisteris … conversit with devillis in forme of men, and consavit childrin
2. To behave, conduct oneself. a1568 Scott xxxiv. 118.
To compt how ȝe convers, I ug, for villanie, Ȝour vycis to rehers
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Converse v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/converse>
