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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.

Depart, Depairt, v. Also: depart(e, depert(e. [ME. departe (c 1300), OF. departir.]

1. intr. To go away; to remove oneself.(a) a1350 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 14.
Dicti [homines] … recedent [gl. sal depart] 1375 Barb. vi. 552.
Than Iohn of Lorn com to the plas Quhar-fra the kyng departit was 1456 Hay I. 117.
He that departis fra the ost in the tyme of semble c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 226.
Scho … at the last departing culd hir dres [etc.] c1515 Asl. MS. I. 265/19.
He fenȝeit himself to depart hamwart 1531 Bell. Boece II. 53.
Ane devill … quhilk come to him, … and departit ay in the breking of the day c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1775.
I wait it wes aganis hir hart That sche did from hir lufe depart 1568 Buch. Indict. 38.
He departit furth of Stirveling towardis Glescow 1596 St. A. Baxter Bks. 58.
That nane depart nor gang away(b) 1554 Grant Chart. 113.
Quhen scho … depertis furthe of Knokendocht 1567 Sat. P. ii. 65.
Scho did depairt than with ane vntrew traine 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 53.
The quenis grace depairtit to Dunbar a1578 Pitsc. II. 208/16.
The … murthurar cowartlie depairtit be the quenis convoy 1606 Conv. Burghs II. 228.
Giff ony persoun sall depairt without payment of thair … feyis c1650 Spalding I. 216.
His Majesteis schipis to depairt … with the first fair wynd 1655 Blairs P. 171.
I haue neuer recaiued on letter … since I depairted from thence

b. To leave this life; to pass away.(a) c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii. 87.
As I think … Or thow departe, at lenthe for to discry 1535 Stewart 35459.
King Ethilstone into the tyme wes deid, … And Malcolme als departit wes and gone 1549 Compl. 155/2.
Quhen ve depart ve sal be vile and abhominabil 1568 Pref. Lyndesay 4.
And now ȝour maister Tailȝeour at the plesure of God is departit 1576 Edinb. Test. IV. 119 b.
In cais the cheild … depart & leve not 1590 Digest Justiciary Proc. M. 18.
Thy said nwreis … immediatlie departit be the said poyssoun(b) 1562-3 Winȝet I. 124/18.
That the sanctis depertit heirfra sai be alyke … to the angelis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 296.
Capitane Skougall depairtit at the plesour of God, of ane hurt a1578 Pitsc. II. 310/5.
The Earle of Argyle … depairtit of this presentt lyff verrie haistelie 1603 Moysie 27.
Ane great wynd that bred sundrie disseases … and maid aidged personis depairt 1625 Elgin B. Rec. II. 188.
George Dowglasse quha depairted the aleavint of Januar

c. tr. (With life as object.) 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 177.
Captane Meiving departit this lyfe 1585 Misc. Spald. C. II. 343.
Ony of my … executouris that hapinis to depairt this lyfe 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 157.
The said Iames wes depairtit this lyff 16.. Hist. Kennedy 67.
Scho depairtit this lyff in Stiltoune

2. intr. To go asunder or apart; to separate. 1375 Barb. ii. 169.
Thus gat maid thai thar acquentance, That neuir syne … Departyt quhill thai lyffand war a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 386.
Other for to tyne the lyf Or depart thare fra his wyf c1420 Wynt. vii. 1370.
Thir kyngis twa togyddyr met, … Thare thai departyd nowcht all sawcht 1456 Hay I. 12/24.
As of the see departis all othir wateris c1475 Wall. x. 527.
Thus thai depertyt; the Bruce past his way 1492 Myll Spect. 291/17.
He was maire hevy to depart with hyr na for all the laif 15.. Clar. i. 923.
Ah! sall I now forgoe my warld blise, That so we sould depairt c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1810.
That sall I do … or we depart c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4698.
Tha y haue grit prerogatyffis, That may depart ay with thair wyffis 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 138.
Sair I rew … that we twa suld depart 1567 G. Ball. 65.
Lat nocht my hart vnkyndlie depart From the rycht lufe of thy mercie 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 6.
Ther [they] aggreit weill togidder, and depairtit syndrie agane a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxix. 12.
Adeu nou; be treu nou, Sen that we must depairt

3. tr. To put or keep asunder or apart; to separate, divide. 1375 Barb. vii. 626.
Schir Amer, that wes vis, Departit thame with mekill pane a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 958.
Fra the saule & the body War departyte Ib. xxix. 144.
Licht & merknes I can ma, & syne departyt thame in twa c1420 Wynt. v. 5171.
That se departand Off Frawns the kynrykys and Ingland Ib. vii. 270.
Wyth hyr hys lyff … he thowcht to lede Departyd quhyll thai suld be wyth dede ?1438 Alex. ii. 8435.
Betuene thame salbe great melle, Bot gif thay sone departit be a1500 Henr. Fab. 1923.
Quhen saull and bodie departit ar in twane c1515 Asl. MS. I. 154/28.
Europia & Affrica is departit be the arme of the se c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1194.
Imaginand, intill his hart, How he thir luiferis micht depart 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2368.
I … neuer sall, quhill deid vs twa depart

b. To separate or divide (one thing or person) fra another. a1400 Leg. S. l. 597.
Fra his luf I neuirmare sall Be departyt c1420 Wynt. i. 218.
The brukyd bestys and the wayre He gert depart fra quhyt and fayre Ib. v. 5550.
Fra that the saule frely Departyd wes fra the body 1456 Hay I. 236/27.
We say that the state … of men of kirk is departit and disseverit fra the temporale 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 143 b.
This haly saule … suld na manere of way bene departit or seuerit fra his diuinite c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxviii. 23.
The blisfull day [is] departit fro the nycht 15.. Clar. i. 1380.
I am adread … That ȝe from me Clariodus depairt

4. To separate or divide into two or more parts. 1375 Barb. v. 432.
The Douglas syne his menȝe Gert in seir placis departit be Ib. x. 40.
His men departit he in twa a1400 Leg. S. ii. 440.
With a balance … Thai banis he departit thare 1392 Lennox Mun. 47.
The sayde landis sal ewynly be departyt be the sycht of gud men c1420 Wynt. i. i. 5.
I wylle departe now this tretis In nyne bukis Ib. 149.
[The Nile is] Departyde syne in fyffe and twa Syndry partis ?1438 Alex. ii. 4325.
Porrus … Thirles the battellis and departis 1438 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 48.
The halfe of the tenement … that was quhilom Schir Robert Adeson as it is … be hym departit and biggit 1513 Doug. x. iii. 35.
Lyke as ane gem … Departis the gold set amydwart the ryngrefl. 1375 Barb. vi. 543.
Thar-for departis vs in thre Ib. 563.
He bad till his menȝhe … in thre depart thame soneabsol. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 818.
Ilke stage, quha wil depart, Is of a myle the auchtand parte

5. To divide between two or more persons; to distribute. 1375 Barb. v. 118.
The king gert be departit then All haill the reif amang his men a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 245.
The byschepe the quhet … has departyt thane Ib. xl. 1099.
Thar departyt thai thar pray 14.. Acts I. 68/2.
A kow and a schep … to be depertit betwen the kyng and the thayn 1445 Peebles B. Rec. 10.
A pund of wax … to be departyt evinly be the balyheis and the vicar 1456 Hay I. 152/30.
How the gudis suld be departit that ar wonnyn in bataill Ib. II. 5/8.
He … had devisit and departit his landis … till his barnis c1420 Ratis R. 38.
Nan vthir infortone can I kene Departit here amange thir mene 1513 Doug. v. xii. 169.
Eneas … Be cavillys syne the tenementis dyd depart 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
Doctor Cranstoun depertit to him largelie of the spoyle of Sanct Saluatouris College

6. intr. To part with a thing. Of a woman: To give birth. (Also const. of.)(1) 1491 Inv. Wardrobe 18.
That thai … be callit to thare compt … to schew how thai departit with the said gold or jowellis and quham to 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 118.
Gywe it [the bishopric of Aberdeen] waikis, I will nocht want it nor depart with it in na sort(2) 1533 Boece iii. xvi. 114 b.
Be suddane displesoure scho departit with hir birth 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 305.
Sche hard Margaret Brown say that sche had departit of bairn 1598 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 165.
Elspet Cuming, quha is laitlie departit witht barne to him