A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1586
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Suthfastnes, n. Also: suthfastnese, sutht-, suthefastnes, swth(t)fastnes, schut-, schoutfastnes, suithfastnes(s, suythfastnes, sothfastnes. [ME and e.m.E. sodfestnesse (c1175), soþfasstnesse (Orm), sothfastnes (Cursor M.), soothfastnesse (1571), OE soð-, soþfæstnesse.]
1. Truth, truthfulness. Also with qualifying adjective, and attrib.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints i 378.
To ger thé knaw suthfastnese, The thrid day, as I sad to thé, I am resine, as thou ma se a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxi 171.
Quhilk of thame … mycht nocht bryne, Al his sawis ware suthfastnes, & his that brynt ware al les 1384 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 6 (see Suthfast adj. 2 b (a)). 1438 Misc. Spald. C. V 391 (see 2 (1) below). a1450 Fifteen Ois 238.
O Jesu, mirrour of clennes, And taikin of all suthfastnes a1570-86 Maitland in Maitland Folio MS 23/76.
Grund all thy doing vpon suthfastnes And hald thé ay gude cumpanie amang(b) 1451 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi 25 (see 2 (1) (b) below).
Schutfastnes(c) 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 29.
Tyll all that thir lettres heris and seis, … we mak a knawin berand witnes til suythfastnes as we awe ado of our office(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xliii 563.
Thu has leyt ilke deile Agane opyne suthfastnes 14.. Acts I 26/2.
That thai say it nocht for hatrent of the ta part na for luferent of the tothir part bot alanerly for lele suthefastnes to be wytnessyt 1461 Liber Pluscardensis 383.
Be caus the tother part … is verray suthfastnes me think it gud to put mare of it c1515 Asloan MS I 193/13.
Sa that we may say this day be werray suthfastnes [etc.]attrib. 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 144.
Neidful & meritable it is to bere lele & suthfastnes witnessing to the werite
b. To gif (kepe, mak) the athe of suthfastnes, to swear on oath to tell the truth. c. (To bere) witnes to suthfastnes, (to demonstrate, give) proof of one's veracity. (See 2 (1) below for instances with the.)b. 1484 Acts Lords of Council I *93/1.
Batht the said partiis has made litiscontestation and gevin the aithe of suthfastnes 1495 Bk. Carlaverock II 450.
The aithe of suthfastnes, of manrentschip, and lawte to be kepit 1500 Acts Lords of Council II 473.
Litiscontestacione to mak the aith of suthfastnes in my saule til swere [etc.] 1518 Lag Chart. 54. 1568 Lennox Mun. 274.
Suithfastnesc. (1) 1411 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 45.
Sin meritable thing is til bere witnes til suthfastnes forthy we witnes that … Alane of Lawdar gafe in perpetuale almous … the landis of Dallincathe till the Freris Prechouris of Are 1418 Melville Chart. 19.
Syn it is spedful and meritabill to ber witnes to suthfastnes [etc.] 1453 Melville Chart. 37.
Sen meretabille thing is tille bere witnes tille swthfastnes, and naymly tille officiaris in the administracione of thair office, quhare the occultatioun of verite ma gennyre preiudice tille innocentis 1460 Charter (Reg. H.) C.O. No. 56.
Suthfastnese 1490 Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 47.
Swthtfastnes(2) 1420 Analecta Scotica II 3.
And to the mare witnes of suthfastnes the selis of the said Williame and Alane … ar entirchangiabli to put
d. personified. e. transf., as an additional name or epithet of a person.d. a1400 Legends of the Saints ii 449.
Rowme … thu Wes mastres of errour; and now Discippil mad of suthfastnese. a1400 Legends of the Saints i 209.
A man, … That Symon Magus had to name, And be his crafte did fele men schame, And hym callit ‘suthfastnese’ [L. qui se primam veritatem dicebat]
2. With the definite article: The true or actual state of affairs. Also with qualifying adjectives, with dependent clause or const. of.(1) 1375 Barb. i 457.
Bot and we say the suthfastnes, Thai war sum tyme erar may then les a1400 Legends of the Saints vii 172.
The suthfa[st]nes, we pray thé sa 1436 Coll. Aberd. & B. 393.
Forthi that medeful and meretabill thingis is to ber witnas to the suthfastnes and namly in tha thingis that befor jugis ar done 1438 Misc. Spald. C. V 391.
Sene medeful and meritabill thing is to ber witness to the suthfastnes, and namly in the cas quhar the hyding off suthfastnes ma gaur scathe 1438 Rec. Earld. Orkney 71. 1456 Hay I 108/25.
Bot as to the suthfastnes, othir lordis may nocht command bataill na weris, bot anerly emperouris, kingis or princis 1464 Liber Aberbr. II 138.
To beir leil witnes to the suthfastnes in it that sal be inquirit at thaim c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii 917.
I haiff had blayme to say the suthfastnes 14… Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 249.
That he be distreignyt to schawe his charter for the suthfastnes to be knawin a1568 Bannatyne MS 44b/86.
Mesure … The suthfastnes it garris thame se Sen it is grund till all glaidnes(b) 1451 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi 25.
Sen meritabil and medful thyng is to ber vitnes to the schoutfastnes and mast in the cause quhar in the consellyn of schutfastnes may hurt or ingenir pregatys till innocentis(c) c1575 Balfour Pract. 511.
Sen it is neidful and meritabill to beir suithfast witnes in the suithfastnes, and speciallie in tha thingis quhilk may ingender prejudice to the innocent(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2322.
Thelamocus … told the certane suthfastnes c1420 Wynt. iii 197.
Hym behowyd apon nede Tell hyr all the suthfastnes, Set lang tyme that he gruchand wes a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2506.
The morne the child sall speike but leis And declar all the suthfastnes(3) 1375 Barb. i 7.
The fyrst plesance [sc. of stories] is the carpyng, And the tothir the suthfastnes, That schawys the thing rycht as it wes a1400 Legends of the Saints xix 485.
& quhene the kinge the suthfastnes Wyste, quhou thay Cristine wes, Gret ennoy he had in thocht(4) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxi 678.
The prefet that had sene Of this the suthfastnes with ene 1456 Hay I 31/18.
The quhilkis lordis … may nocht be boucht to be agayne the lautee na the suthfastnes of the faith(b) 1535 Stewart 37218.
The suith fastnes thairof rycht sone was schawin(c) 1456 Hay I 12/28.
Rycht as the see is foundit apon the ferme erde, … sa is the faith foundit apon the sothfastnes of haly wrytt
b. With possessive pronoun, put for or ? erron. for, the definite article.?1438 Alex. ii 2230.
He said ‘schir, … Thy suith-fastnes sais to ȝour King [F. Que dites verité a vo roy]’
