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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1456, 1513, 1567-1593
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Desert, Dis(s)ert, n.1 Also: dyssert, disserte, desairt, desart. [ME. desert (c 1300), desserte, e.m.E. desart, OF. desert.] Desert, deserving, merit or demerit.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xlviii. 244.
For the desert that thu can ma To God 1456 Hay I. 68/20.
To punys thame efter thair desertis as justice requiris 1456 Ib. II. 81/18.
The merit and the desert that is the caus of gude service 1513 Doug. iv. vi. 106.
Thy gude deid and desart is mair worthy Than thou with wordis or tong may expreme 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 159.
It plesit Christ without desart For his ennemie to die a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xciv. 13.
Thou sall his glore, with his desairts, proclame c 1593 Reg. Morton I. 186.
The King … hes becumit mair resonabill nor ȝour desert deseruis(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxv. 662.
Bischop Albert That wes a man of gret disert c1420 Wynt. v. 1329.
He said, it suld suffice that he … but dyssert regnyt empryowre c1420 Ratis Raving 1161.
Gif ony grace be grantyt thare Fore gud disert c1420 Ib. 1428; etc.
Gud dissert will nocht vpspring, But hail purpos
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"Desert n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/desert_n_1>
