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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.

De, Dee, Dey, Die, v. Also: deye, dye, dea; p.t. and p.p. deyed, deied, deid(e; deyit(t, deyet, deyt(e, deit(t, dieit, diet, dyeit. [Northern ME. de, dee, ME. deie(n, deye(n, early deȝe(n, OE. (Angl.) *dēᵹan. In Barbour still rhyming only with words originaly ending in -ēȝ.]

1. intr. Of living beings: To die.(a) (a) 1375 Barb. i. 548.
To dey with mar honeste Ib. iii. 98. a1400 Leg. S. l. 425.
He that mycht nocht thole, deye mycht c1420 Wynt. vi. 2188; etc.
I sall dey into the payne 1487 Buccleuch MS. II. 88.
Befor all wther at leiff or deye may 1490 Irland Mir. I. 166/15.
Quhen that I sall deye 1558-66 Knox II. 446.
To dey the deith(b) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 105.
For his luf to de Ib. xxxiii. 251.
Les hurt is I de me ane c1420 Wynt. iii. 861; etc.
Thai dowtyd all to de c1450 Cr. Deyng 186.
Thus he that suld de suld gladly de c1475 Wall. iv. 718.
In bayle fyre sall thou de a1500 Bk. Chess .
Erar for to de Than for to leif c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 167.
It garris us think that we mon de 1513 Doug. i. ii. 66.
Euery thing manassit the men to de 1521 Douglas Corr. 79.
We sal de and liff in the querrell 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 20.
Aganis all deidlie or at de may 1561 Crim. Trials I. 415.
Mair willing to de nor to leif 1570 Sat. P. xiii. 19.
Be seiknes in to thair beddis to de 1579 Black Bk. Taymouth 142.
He sall owthyr be brint or dronit or de suddanle(c) 14.. Acts I. 44/2.
Gif a man … that is burges dee in the burgh 1456 Hay I. 85/30.
Gif a man suld ches erar to dee … na to flee Ib. 203/25.
Sum tyme mon he dee, and to dee wele is grete grace 1482 Reg. Morton II. 246.
I sal tak … part wyth hyme … aganis all thaim that leife & dee may c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. xxvi. 35.
Thoche it behufe that I dee with thee 1549 Compl. 25/23.
Cleopatra vas lyike to dee in melancolie 1562-3 Winȝet I. 58/12.
Thai still remane preistis ay quhil thai dee 1581 Burne Disput. 119 b.
It behouit Christ to dea, and ryse from the dead a1605 Montg. Sonn. lix. 5.
To see Sa many lovers but redemption dee 1604 Craig i. 18.
[To] curse life and wish to dee(d) c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 481.
For hunger he man die [: necessitie] a1568 Bann. MS. 155 b.
Quhen he wes lyk to dy a1570-86 Maitl. F. xcii. 23.
He never rememberis that he mon die [: be] 1604 Craig i. 13.
To cause true Phocion die [: thee] 1633 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 85.
Millions which … car'd not for to dye [: thee] 1640 Ib. 167.
His worme shall never die [: see](2) 14.. Acts I. 28/2.
Gif … thruch aventure the wyfe deys 1456 Hay I. 168/14.
A mortall man that deis in ire … deis out of cheritee a1500 Bernardus 106.
He leffys in sorow and deis in syne 1520 Thanes of Cawdor 136.
Gif that son deys(3) 1375 Barb. v. 369.
Men mycht sely The twa part dede, or then deand a1400 Leg. S. iii. 642.
Deand but drede in lestand car c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1976.
Cryes of thaim that ware deand c1420 Wynt. iv. 1006.
Quhill deand at thai fallyn were a1500 Henr. Orph. 316.
Ay deyand, and newir more may dee c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4023.
Atheris deand in vtheris armis c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 121.
Aye daylie deand, and neuer yit can de 1600 Colville Palinode 19.
Edward … deing before the king his uncle(b) (a) c1420 Wynt. iii. 508.
His mudyr at his beryng deyd Ib. 634.
Hys faddyr deyde or he wes borne 1456 Hay I. 46/34.
He deid be poysoun Ib. II. 161/12.
He deide sone eftir 1525 Misc. Bann. C. III. 107.
Efter my fader deide in Ȝetland 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 47.
Eftir the king deid 1649 Lamont Diary 10.
The Lord Lindors deied 1653 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 270.
Thrie childrein, quhairof twa deyed(b) 1375 Barb. i. 430.
Hys fadyr … deyt tharfor Ib. 535.
Or he deit, his land delt he 1398 Acts I. 574.
In the tyme … of kyng Robert that last deit c1420 Wynt. viii. 5282.
He deyt off the dynt welle tyte Ib. 6790.
Off Franche men thare deit nayne 1466 Acta Aud. 4/1.
Landis that hir husband deit vestit & sesit of 1494 Dunferm. B. Rec. 52.
It is found that the said Thomas deit at the faith and pece of … the king 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 248/1.
Johne, quhilk deit … without ony lauchfull ayeris 1509 Ib. 285/2.
Williame, quhilk deit in defens of his realme 1531 Bell. Boece II. 299.
He … deit ane chartour monk c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5621.
Thay quhilk deit lang tyme afore 1570 Leslie 100.
About this samyn tyme … deyet ane godlie wise man 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. V. 65.
For eirding of Suppak, quha deit in prisoun 1606 Melrose R. Rec. I. 14.
His clame, that he deyt vest, and seaseit into c1650 Spalding I. 18.
Thus deit this noble viscount 1650 Nicoll Diary 15.
They deyit … verrie obduredlie(c) 1570 Leslie 51.
This duke … wes woundit … and thairof dieit 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 39.
Mony peipill diet with greit skant a1578 Pitsc. I. 55/6.
He dieit … in ane goode actioun c 1614 Melrose P. 601.
Within twa houris … he diet 1623–4 Peebles B. Rec. 412.
The twa prissoneris that dieit in waird

2. Of things: To come to an end, to cease. 1472 Lennox Mun. 90.
Quhen the said Erle … dissesyt, the rycht fe deit with hym a1500 Seven S. 776.
His renoune will neuer de c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 411.
With him deit all my dule a1570-86 Maitl. F. lx. 22.
Gif that honour fra thé die