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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Recours(e, -curs, n.¹ [ME (Chaucer) and e.m.E. recours(e, F. recours (13th c.), L. recursus a running back, f. recurrere v. See also Rescours(e n.²]

1. A return; ? opportunity to return. 1564 Stirling B. Rec. I 82.
Ane native man … passand furth of the realme … and remanand thair … without recours agane in Scotland

2. To have recours to (til, unto), (a person, institution or thing), to resort or apply to for advice, assistance, etc.Also, once, to make (one's) recourse to.(1) 1424 Acts II 8/2.
The party plenȝeand sall haf recours to the king 1456 Hay I 211/31.
Bot gif thare war a soverane to quham all men suld have recours to sett remede of lawe [etc.] Arundel MS 282/104.(2) 1456 Hay II 62/7.
He mon have recours to fors of corage 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1535. a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun p. iii.
Quha … desyris to knaw the dait of the regnis of the said kingis, may have recurs to this table a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 112/5.
Mennis saluacione is to haue recours to the doctrine of the kirk of God 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 2b.
Ve mister not to haue recourse to the dayis of Roboam c1590 Fowler II 41/35. c1600 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIX 268.
That faylinge they have recourse … to the ymperiall civill lawe(3) 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 241.
We learned … to make our recourse to God

3. To have recours (to, til a place), to have access; to have the right, or opportunity, to enter. 1438 Reg. St. A. 430.
Sen Ovirmalgask is fundin a tenandry in yhour awn court of the fornemmyt lordschip that I mycht have fre recours therto 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 55.
Quhen ony man may nocht haf entra na recours til his land 1489 Wemyss Chart. 114.
To haue recurs and full regres to hir said landis 1533 Boece 130.
This ile … was ane resett quhare fugitivis had recurs

b. To make a visit (to a place). — 1632 Lithgow Trav. viii 369.
The chiefe mosque too in which … I had three sundry recourses

4. To haue recours, ? (to have the right) to bring a cause back before a court for further consideration, or to claim costs or the like.Cf. F. recours procedure by which a litigant can bring back before a court for a fresh judgment a case already settled (1465 in Larousse). Cf. also later Sc. recourse ‘the right to demand pecuniary compensation from someone’ (OED) (1722–).absol. 1462 Cal. Charters Suppl. 9 Nov.
Than the party plenȝeand sal have recours and persew thar party makand defaut 1688 Galloway P. 22 Feb.
My lord [is] to have recourse at the said tenents for what will mak up the [defective] housses