Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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Defame, Diffame, v. Also: deffame, diffaim. [ME. defame, dyffame (1303), OF. diff-, defamer, L. diffāmāre, med. L. defamare.]

1. tr. To cast discredit or dishonour upon (a person); to speak evil of. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxi. 533.
He … sa forsuth has hyme defamyt, And his name to the puple blamyt c1420 Wynt. iv. 1688.
Scho defamyt that abbot hale c1420 Ib. v. 4524.
Wyth dispytws wordys he Deffamyd the Haly Trinyté 1533 Boece iv. xviii. 157 b.
Marius … with sangis & rymys defamyt Romanis 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 9.
Defame na man in ony sort, Suppose his fault or vyce thou ken a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS cv. 8.
With sclandrous wordis thay do all thing thay can For to defame mony gude honest man 16.. Herries Mem. 75.
To diffaim her and incense her husband 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. xxv. 2.
Such as diffame them as bribers are punishtabsol. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xli. 22.
Be nevir he to sklander nor defame

2. To bring dishonour or infamy upon (one); to disgrace; to render infamous in law. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1264.
For swych with smyt of gret defame Perpetualy diffamede ar we 1456 Hay I. 280/36.
Gif … he war … a tyran … that mycht defame the armes in ferr contreis c1460 Thewis Gud Women 185.
Quha defamyt war, … Wald al the laif war to thaim lyk c1515 Asloan MS I. 178/30.
He … that in his doyngis … makis him self to be defamit c1500-c1512 Dunb. xx. 25.
Ffle frome the fallowschip of sic as ar defamit c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 72.
Gude Williame Meldrum … Quhilk in his honour was neuer defamit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 776.
Quhilk … Eua eftirwart was namyt, Quhen for hir falt sche wes diffamyt 1571 Satirical Poems xxxii. 10.
Thy hous hes ay bene trustye and enteir, Defamitt nocht with fraud and fickilnes 1575 Reg. Privy C. II. 472.
The ane being defamit and under dangeare of the law, and the uther not valiabill the Kingis unlaw 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 69.
Gif he be defamed (convict) of the death of his overlord