A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1438-1513, 1567-1586
[0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Semblance, -aunce, n. Also: semblans. [ME and e.m.E. semblance (Cursor M.), semblaunce (Chaucer), OF semblance (c1119 in Larousse), f. sembler to seem. Cf. Sembland n.]
1. Physical appearance, passing into demeanour, air, behaviour.?1438 Alex. ii 2460.
I se Hir fare semblance [F. Bel vis et bel semblant] and hir bounte ?1438 Alex. ii 3089.
Quhen he had serued hir lelely And throw fare seruis and courtessy And throw fare semblance [F. biau samblant] and franchys To pleis hir [etc.] a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i 84.
And mony vthir … Off all evill ordour … And a man merrour An evill wyffis mirrour In all thair semblance sour 1494 Loutfut MS 3b.
That we sal nocht do nor say na schaw takin chere nor semblance in nokin maner that may help or noy ony of the parteis that ar heir a1570-86 Dunb. Maitland Folio MS 213/78.
So mony kitte drest vp with goldin cheinȝe … With apill reinȝe to schaw thair semblance schene a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitland Folio MS 56/37.
Craft and dissait is callit quyk ingyne And fals semblance is callit courtesie a1570-86 Balnaves Maitland Folio MS 357/35.
Considerance hes no lowance Fra thow be bair thair ben. At that semblance is no plesance Quhone pithles is thi pen
b. Sweit semblance in a metaphorical context: A virtue. Also personified.a1568 Bannatyne MS 228b/37.
Hir slewis suld be of sueit semblans … Weill cuffit with continewancepersonified a1500 King Hart 307.
Fayr Calling is grit garitour on hicht That watchis ay the wallis … And Sweit Semblance is merschale in hir sicht As scho commandis so swyth all is done
2. The appearance, physical or otherwise, of someone, something, etc. used as the basis for a. lit. A statue. b. Mankind (as made in the image of God).a. 1456 Hay I 63/14.
Ane ymage was maid efter his semblaunce and was nereby the capitoyleb. 1456 Hay II 103/3.
And schape thé nocht to tak the office of God the makare, to wrangwisely undo the mankynde that he has made till his awin propre semblaunce 1456 Hay II 156/29.
Sen God has maid us all till his semblaunce of a brukle mater
c. In a comparison: Likeness, similarity in appearance. Also in the samyn semblaunce, similarly.(1) 1456 Hay I 270/6.
This bataill in clos felde is figurit to the semblaunce of a plede that is maid before a juge ordynare in a plede hous 1456 Hay II 103/7.
For and fayth and leautee war away fra men in this warlde all wald be nocht, but turne agayn … to that ilke state that thai war at the begynnyng of the warlde, that is to say to the semblaunce of unreasonable bestis 1513 Doug. v x 71.
Thai … gan excers by semblance vndir scheild The symylitude of batell or a feild [L. pugnaeque cient simulacra sub armis](2) 1456 Hay I 24/19.
God maid twa grete lichtis in hevin … And in the samyn semblaunce maid he twa grete governouris of all this warld here doun … the pape and the emperour
d. Be semblance, in appearance, passing into apparently.1456 Hay II 7/11.
He was worthin rycht lene, pale and wan, with hevy chere and holl eyne, sa that be semblance his behalding was lyke to be as of a haly man 1456 Hay II 129/23.
As the crabbe gais be semblaunce backwart sa dois the sonne fra thyne furth
3. To mak semblance a., b. tr. F. faire semblant. a. To pretend, orig. hyperbolically. b. To allow (an attitude) to show. c. To give a sign or indication of being about to do (something) or which will reveal (something).a. ?1438 Alex. i 2462.
He was douchty at deuyse And na semblance [F. fait samblant] maid of cowardyse ?1438 Alex. i 2773.
He maid na semblance [F. ne fait nul samblant] ȝit for-thy To be abaissit greatumly 1494 Loutfut MS 25b.
And quhen men cummis ner hir nest scho makis semblance [F. fait semblant] scho may nocht fleb. ?1438 Alex. i 3108.
He was wa … Bot he to do weill had sic will That he na semblance [F. ne fait nul samblant] maid of illc. 1456 Hay I 272/6.
The defendour suld byde quhill he persave the provour step furth … or that he mak semblaunce to step furth, etc. 1494 Loutfut MS 4a.
That na man … spek word nor cry na ȝit mak contenance takinnis semblans or noyis quhar throw ony of thir parteis may tak avantage
