A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Offend, v. Also: offende. P.p. offendit etc., also offend(e. [ME. afende (c 1320), ME. (Rolle) and e.m.E. offend(e, p.t. offended etc., also (north.) offende (c 1440), OF. offendre, L. offendere.]
1. tr. To injure, harm, hurt, physically.c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1151.
She hurt als ser with stones cast Of Gregeois which so wondre fast Sho stoned thame in offendand Rytht gretumly and not cessand c1450-2 Howlat 593.
The armes of the Dowglas … Quhilk oft fandit with force his fa till offend c1500 Crying of Play 56.
The fende durst nocht offend hir 1535 Stewart 36236.
God … Ane sarar plaig sould amang thame send With greit furor quhilk sould thame all offend 1591 Crim. Trials I. ii. 252.
Ye … directit Jonett Drummond … with sum of youre charmes and inchantmentis to offend the persoun of the said Marie
2. To injure or harm, more generally; to do wrong to, to wrong; to sin against (God).Passing into sense 3.c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1900.
That none wald in that quarell ficht And so offend him nocht thai mycht Ib. 2604.
And als fer as he did him scaith Me think he thé offendit baith c1460 Thewis Wysmen 24.
He synnys mar excedandly And offendis God mar grewosly 1490 Irland Mir. I. 47/22.
Quhen a persoune offendis ore iniuris us he is oblist to satisfaccioune Ib. 90/9; etc. Id. Asl. MS. I. 68/11. a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 111.
God infinit becaus he [Adam] had offende 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 410.
And netheles into sum place … My mastir Chauser gretly Virgill offendit 1531 Bell. Boece I. 238.
Consider that our ennimes ar to fecht aganis us, quhome we nevir offendit with injuris c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2551. 1567 G. Ball. 13.
Forgeue our sinnis … As we forgeue all creature Offendand vs 1568 Lyndesay Pref.
How thay baith God and man had sore offendit 1586–7 Elgin Rec. II. 6.
In caice that scho offend Janet McCome be hir sklanderous toung 1596 Dalr. I. 125/15.
In sa gret honour is he that quha offendis him athir in worde or deid is euin sa aestemet as he had offendet the Kings maiestie 1614 Elgin Rec. II. 142.
Never to offend wtheris be flyting … heirefter wnder the pain of jogging them
b. passive, to be harmed, to suffer detriment. c. ppl. a. in partie offendit, injured party.b. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4954.
The hoill Christin religioun Throuch thame ar scandalizat and offendit 1562-3 Winȝet I. 54/16. Ib. 60/8.
And thairfor that the waik suld nocht hef bene offendit be my silence 1572 Reg. Privy C. II. 159.
The hartis of thame that able hes bene offenditc. 1567 Acts III. 41/1.
In lawborrois thair wald alsweill be ane pane to the partie offendit as to the prince 1640 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 212.
d. intr., const. to (unto) and aganis (God, the person injured or wronged, a law, etc.).Also as passive and impersonal.(1) c1460 Regim. Princ. 290.
And quhen thow giffis a playn remission … But gudly caus, thou offendis to the cron 1480 Acta Conc. I. 70/1.
That he offendit nocht to the King in the takin of the said gudis 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 76.
I never offendit to na erdlie man sen I com to mannis aige 1561 Inverness Rec. I. 58.
And he be fundyn offendant to ane officeman … he salbe banist 1567 G. Ball. 122.
Onlie to thé I did offend And meke euill hes done(2) a1570-86 Dunb. Maitl. F. lxix. 13.
Offending and rebelling Aganis thé my God 1512 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 137.
That all persouns … that hes offendit agane the said statutes [etc.] 1561 St. A. Kirk S. I. 110. 1584 Reg. Privy C. III. 682. 1599 Edinb. Masons MS. 4 b.
That he had offendit agane the dekin and maisteris for placeing of ane cowane to wirk [etc.](3) 1552 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 277.
And all personis perteining to him that it is offended to 1569 Reg. Privy C. II. 42.
And all Scottismen offendit to sen the Kingis coronatioun 1579 Acts III. 144/1.
Betuix the King and the pairty offendit vnto
e. intr. or absol. To do wrong or a wrong, to commit a sin, crime or fault, to transgress.c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 63.
In to thir poynttis, O Lord, quhair I offendit I cry Thé mercy 1528 Lynd. Dreme 361. 1535 Stewart 29965. 1554 Knox III. 95.
Ane partie offendant, and the other partie whilk is offendit a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xviii. 41.
Gif scho hes offendit In hir office lat it reformit be 1570 Peebles B. Rec. I. 318.
All persones quha hes offendit to stand vnder arrestament c1575 Balfour Pract. 680.
That member that offendis, quhidder it be fute, toung or hand, sall be cuttit fra him 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii. xxi.
Adultrers … Stand awe for till offend 1639 St. A. Baxter Bks. 106.
That gif … George Moffett … sall offend in disgraceing and lichtlieand ony neighbouris breid heireftir [etc.] 1682 Ch. in Orkney 25.
[A fine] to be payed be the pairty first offendant
3. To wrong or sin against and so bring about resentment or anger in; also, to displease, annoy, anger, more generally; to vex, irritate.tr., intr., impersonal and absol. (as prec. sense).Said chiefly of persons, but also of events etc.(1) tr. c1420 Wynt. i. Prol. 35.
I dowt sare thaime tyll offende … Gywe [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 243/29.
Is nane sa grete bot he will sare drede till offend him 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 472.
Forgeif me, Virgill, gif I thé offend Ib. v. 13.
Quhou mycht myne Ene sa gretly thé offend Ib. xi. Prol. 169. 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii. 111.
Quhair I offend thame in my landwart leid I salbe reddy to reforme(2) intr. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8229.
Had thow tane heid quhome of you was discendit Thow wald neuer sa far to me offendit(3) impers. 1513 Doug. vi. vi. 32 [see Like v.1 2 (7)]. a1578 Pitsc. I. 128/5.
It offendit him … that his enemeis raigit mair in thair insolencie(4) absol. 1610 Misc. Spald. C. II. 95.
But quhar he hes offendet, gif ever I come in Scotland againe I sall make yow ane mendis(5) tr. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 443.
Gif ony thing hes ȝow in hart offendit 1596 Dalr. I. 204/7.
Quhilke quhen the Romane legat Placidie vndirstude offendet him sair
b. In passive, (to be) injured and resentful, displeased, annoyed or vexed, angered or outraged (with or at someone or something, etc.).1456 Hay I. 302/19.
For quhen princis prayis for unworthy personis God is offendit and displesit tharat 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 25.
Troianys offendyt eik To sched my blude … dois seik 15.. Dum Wyf 138. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 128.
Quhair scho befoir with strange termis was offendit Ib. 10225.
Had ȝe the treuth than kend … ȝe had not bene offend Ib. 9119. a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 127/15.
Quharefore ar thow mair offendit therwith nor with Moyses, quho [etc.] Id. Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 171/5.
Nochttheles I will speir ȝit ane questioun at ȝou … sua ȝe will nocht be offendit 1562-3 Winȝet I. 10/3.
We suspect nocht ȝoure gentle humanitie … to be offendit with vs ȝour pure anis Ib. 55/2.
To collect almaist the haill summe of thai thingis quharein I wes offendit in the doctrine … now auctorizit contrar all auctoritie 1558-66 Knox II. 423.
The courteouris at first semeit nocht a lyttil offendit that [etc.] a1570-86 J. Maitland Maitl. F. lxxxviii. 11. 1596 Dalr. I. 2/15. 1603 Moysie Mem. 58.
He … sent ane excuse … ; the King, offendit heirwith, wes measit be my Lord Hamiltoun 1600-1610 Melvill 554.
The King … did schaw him selff mychtily offendit at the minting to keipe the samyn 1614 Breadalbane Lett. (Reg. H.) 7 Dec.
My lord is verrie much offendit with me c1650 Spalding II. 186.
c. intr. = b above.This use appar. only Sc.1561 Q. Mary in Spotsw. Hist. 178.
The Queen offendeth that I vse the title and arms of England 1558-66 Knox II. 460.
At this … monie offendit a1578 Pitsc. I. 6/6.
That he wald onnawayis offend To luik on thé [a book] c1590 J. Stewart II. 70/27.
I cair no thing thocht rurall Pan offend Gif I do veill my brycht Apollo pleis 1624 Calderwood VII. 617. Forbes Rec. 546.
That his majestie will offend with the lenitie alreadie shewed 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 200.
I offend not that my adversaries stay at home at their own fire-side with more yearly rent than I a1639 Spotsw. Hist. 174. Ib. 370. 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 24.
Some think the deprivation of so many conforme ministers of late hath been summare eneugh, and that England may offend at it
d. To offend or irritate (another's ears).c1550-c1580 Art of Music 54.
An vnplesand discord and ane sound offendent the eyris of the auditouris
4. intr. and tr. In the Biblical senses of L. offendere, to strike with (the foot) against or at (a stone), to stumble spiritually.c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. ix. 32.
Thai offendit aganes [W. offendiden in to, P. spurneden aȝens] the staan of offension; marg. … him thai belewit nocht, and sua thai offendit aganis and stomblit at 1562-3 Winȝet II. 67/2.
Thai sal lift thé wp … that perchance thow offend nocht thy fute at a stane Ib. 68/8.
That thai neuir may offend thair fute at a stane, that is, neuir may be sclanderit
5. intr. or absol. To act on the offensive.1622-6 Bisset II. 221/12.
That the men be guid in ordoure to offend and defend
