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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Infirmité, -itie, n. Also: infermité, infyrmyté, -mité, -firmyté, -meté, -mitee, -mitey; -metie, -matie. [ME. infirmyty (1382), -itee, e.m.E. -itie, -ity, L. infirmitas.]
1. Bodily weakness, illness. (2) An instance of this.(1) 1375 Barb. xx. 244.
The kyngis infermite Woxe mair & mair a1400 Leg. S. ix. 20.
Fulis trewit wele that he Thame heylyt of infyrmyte c1420 Wynt. v. 3694.
We … That felys the infyrmyte Off brukyll fleysch 1456 Hay I. 175/24.
Mortall infirmitee [to] tak in prisoun, or to dee utterly c1450 Cr. Deyng 109.
Thir men … thole in thar seknes meruolus dolur and infirmyte 1531 Bell. Boece II. 413.
Erle Thomas … sate in ane chiar, dissimuland his gret infirmite, as na thing alit him 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 124.
At the said daye hyr assonȝe of aige and infirmite [she] produced befoyr us 1575 Rep. Hist. MSS., Var. Coll. V. 100.
I was … hawillie vexit … with gret infirmite of seiknes(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 3.
I … am trublit now with gret seiknes, And feblit with infirmitie 1535 Stewart 35750.
This king Duffus with greit infirmitie Soir vexit wes 1560 Rolland Seven S. 192.
Scho being tuichit with sair infirmitie 1562-3 Winȝet II. 13/10.
With … diligence of a guid medicinar thai may be cuirit fra al infirmitie a1578 Pitsc. I. 296/22.
Being lang vexit with great infirmitie 1615 Highland P. III. 189.
It behouethe me in regaird of bodilie infirmitie to craue pardone(2) a1400 Leg. S. x. 485.
His wlatsum infirmyte Mycht be helpyne be na way Ib. xvii. 264.
He … hele gat of his infyrmite c1420 Wynt. vi. 1491.
In his last infermyte Quhen noucht wes bot he suld de 1456 Hay II. 120/24.
Othir infirmiteis that cummys of travailis in were 1509 Crim. Trials I. 110.
To cure … the infirmite of the grantgor that he was infekkit with 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxxvii.
It helis mony infirmiteis, speciallie sik as cumis be gut and cater c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5109.
Strange infirmeteis Quharein mony ane thousand deis 1584 Rep. Menzies MSS. 10.
Vexit almaist continewallie with … paneful … infirmiteis(b) 1497 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 425.
For the eschevin of the infirmitey cumm out of Franche and strang partis 1535 Stewart 59656.
Than sperit he The cours and kynd of his infirmitie 1531 Bell. Boece I. 51.
Few infirmities war sene that time bot gravellis, caterris, and siclike maladyis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9701.
Him of all dignitie Thay quite denude for his infirmitie [sc. leprosy] 1576 Edinb. Test. V. 13.
Befoir I convales & mend of this my present infirmitie a1578 Pitsc. I. 59/6.
Ane poore man lyand wexit with great infirmaties
2. Weakness, lack of strength. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 62/24.
The efficacite and gretnes of meryt cummys nocht of oure infirmite … bot of the gretnes of the werk in the self
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"Infirmité n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/infirmite>