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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Danger(e, Dawngere, n. Also: daung(i)er; dangier, -geir, -gear(e, daneger; day(i)nger, dainger, -gar(e; denger, -geir. [ME. daunger (a 1225), dawngere and danger(e, AF. daunger, OF. danger, -gier.]

1. Power to command or control another. Usu. in phr. in (or under) one's danger. c1400 Troy-bk. i. 179.
It war mar ese to ȝow … Ne byd in danger of oure kyng, That will do bot hys awne liking c1420 Wynt. vii. 2048.
Alkyn strayt condytyownys That Henry … Off Willame … had, Wndyr hys dawngere quhill he bade Ib. viii. 4922.
All the lordis … In Scottis mennys dawngere ware Wyth-in thai thre wyntyr 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 28.
To that effect that successioun mycht put … him out of the dangeare of the Hamiltonis

2. Power to hurt or injure; range of doing harm.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 435.
Gud is we pas off thar daunger Ib. xix. 709 (E).
We sall gyit be graithly, Quhill we be out off thair daunger c1420 Wynt. ii. 1396.
The Egyptys … for radnes fleand fast, Wan fra thare dawngere at the last(b) c1475 Wall. iii. 251.
He tholyt dede that come in thar danger Ib. v. 283.
Throw strang danger thai had him ay in sicht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1226.
Quhan onfortone quhelmys the quheill … Quha may his danger endure? c1515 Asl. MS. I. 177/31.
Thai … that … fleis the scharpe assaltis & danger of thar enemys 1596 Dalr. I. 279/19.
Monan … fled vnto the Maii, to chaip the daneger of the Danes 1605 Stewart Mem. 114.
Thay will nocht feill to bereiff him of his lyff in cace thai can apprehend him in thair danger

3. Risk of harm or injury; peril. Also const. of.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 6085.
Qwhy couth he noucht have in to pes Haldyn his land, … And hym-selwyn owt of dawngere? 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 107.
Thingis that I will nocht writ for daunger of tayking be the gait(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 870.
He wald … forgyff thame all The danger that thai suld in fall 1456 Hay II. 36/37.
And … a lord mak ane unworthy creature knycht, he puttis his honour in dangere Ib. 112/19.
Ellis all suld be in dangere of dede or of grete malady a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 948.
He … leit hym destanyt to danger and dreid c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii. 38.
He … wald … Bot dreyd of danger, de in thi defence 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 18.
Quharthrow mair dangeir apperis now in the spring … than in sesion of winter 1549 Compl. 90/32.
Sen ȝe knau the apering dangeir of ȝour natif cuntre 1556 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 254.
In cais ony skayth or danger come to the pannellis that ar put vp 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
In dangere to be taken reid hand and puneist efter his meritis a1570-86 Maitl. F. xcix. 41.
To put thame selffe in danger of the hell 1596 Dalr. I. 55/27.
Schipis may sail baith in and out without al danger 1614 Highland P. III. 168.
That it may worke the awine effect without dangeir to the pledgeis(c) a 1470 Liber Aberbr. 106.
In contemptioun of God and … in greit daynger of thar saulis 1480 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 38.
Quhilk sett is maid with al daynger of weir 1498 Ib. 74.
Till eschew the daynger of perilous seiknes of pestilence 1562-3 Winȝet I. 3/21.
Sen the mater standis in dainger of our bodeis and saulis a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxviii. 34.
In perrellis all to play my pairt & dainger set asyd 1596 Dalr. I. 81/13.
Quhome thay vsed to cal vpon for helpe … in all dainger Ib. 271/6.
Mair for feir of daynger, nor defending of the realme 1650 Blairs P. 28.
He uil to Scotland, bot uil not haue his brother … with him, not for dainger bot amulation(d) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvii. 40 (B).
Quhair I had denger and diseis, My breist all confort dois contene 1583 Reg. Morton I. 137.
Ȝe haue hard … quhow ȝe ar relevit off the denger ȝe micht haue incowrrit 1642 Rep. Maxwell Stuart Mun. 33.
To … auert so great a denger as threatened(e) c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 196.] Onles the persones be [so] knawin, that no suspitioun of dangear may arise; Knox II. 248.
[Furth can he fair … Throw wildernes in woddis, & greit dangeir 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 21.
To incur … the blame of neglecting the publict dangeare 1622-6 Bisset II. 233/8.
Skantlie may ane schip saill thereby … but cuming in dangeare

b. An instance or cause of peril. 1485 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 51.
The customes … to be sett with all aventour and dangeris of deid and weir 1513 Doug. i. iv. 71.
Ȝe haue sustenyt grettar dangeris onkend Ib. 73 comm.
Sylla and Charybdis bein twa gret dangeris in the Sycill sey 1552 Hamilton Cat. 270.
Delivir us fra all dangears … of seditioun and battil, of pleyis and cummar 1570 Leslie 303.
To deliver the Quenis Majestie, … furth of all perrills and daungiers 1596 Dalr. II. 384/11.
Weiris on ilk syd, daingares on al handes

c. The state of being in debt. a1500 Bk. Chess 1573.
All thir folk suld kepe thaim our all thing Fro awaris, danger, & of det 1570 Three Reformers 26.
Nochtwithstanding that … the said Patrik wes in his danger, and he not in his 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 40 b.
How he … was in dett and dayinger of sindrie sowmes of money to Ionett Carmichaell

4. Difficulty, reluctance, grudging. 1375 Barb. v. 283 (E).
He but daunger till him gais Ib. x. 196.
He assentyt but daunger c1420 Wynt. vi. 2000.
Owre the wattyre than wes he sete Bwt dawngere or bwt ony lete Ib. viii. 5256.
He thaim grawntyt but dawngere ?1438 Alex. ii. 3158.
Sic seruice … Is gude and thankfull, that sa sone Is foroutin dangere done

5. Disdain; displeasure, enmity. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvii. 62.
I haif a luve farar of face, Quhome in no denger may haif place Ib. lx. 74.
Ȝete thy danger ay me deris, Bot efter danger cumis grace a1568 Bann. MS. 226 a/26.
Gif scho gravis me to deid With doggit dangeir a1578 Pitsc. I. 27/14.
Ellis but ony tryall … [thay] sould incur his danger or indignatione 1596 Dalr. I. 96/3. Ib. II. 416/20.
Excepte thay wil incur al manis danger and hauie offence

6. attrib. Dangerous. c1475 Wall. viii. 202.
We ar our ner, sic purpos for to tak; A danger chace thai mycht vpon ws mak