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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Discend, v. Also: dis(s)end. [ME. and e.m.E. discend(e, common variant of descend(e Descend v.]

1. intr. = Descend v. 1. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1929.
[Thai … kest richt fast Quhilk of thaime thre suld first discend c1450-2 Howlat 863.
Thai wald Natur beseike … To discend that samyn hour a1500 Henr. Fab. 2638.]
All heuie thing man of the self discend 1490 Irland Mir. I. 5/21.
Quhen it plesit his hie maieste … to discend in the virginale hall 1495 Reg. Cupar A. I. 248.
The medow discendand fra the toft til the cartfurde c1515 Asl. MS. I. 314/3.
Iacob … saw a ledder … with angellis on it ascending & discending 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 34.
The larkis discendis from the skyis lycht 1543 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 112.
To … mend thair calsay … to begyn at the Over Bow and discend toward the West Port c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1178.
His saul discendit to the hell Ib. 1474.
So that the rane no more discendit 1567 G. Ball. 41.
Leist thay in to this cairfull place discend c1590 J. Stewart II. 13/56.
Quhair Dvrandal discends Vas no defens 1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 371.
Sua discending doun the Fluiket burne Ib.
Fra thyne … disending doun to the head of the Seytoun Boigfig. 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 471.
Bot forthirmor, and lawar to discend, Forgeif me, Virgill [etc.] 1558-66 Knox I. 338.
To move the hartis … of the trew servandis of God … to discend within thame selfis and deiplie to considder [etc.]

b. To land; to alight (from horseback). 1513 Doug. vii. xiii. 110.
To schaw … Quhou Troianys war discend in Latyum 15.. Clar. iv. 264.
They com to it, quhair thay discendit doune Ib. 2296.

2. = Descend v. 2. c1420 Wynt. iv. 1810.
Fra this Fergus evin be lyne Kynede discendyd Makalpyne Ib. vi. 1669.
Fra that mylnare discendand Kyngys come 1492 Myll Spect. 287/18.
Scho brocht furth … thre children of quhom discendit Egestus a1500 Bk. Chess 1273.
Speir gif that better be nobilite In me growand or discendand in thé 1513 Doug. i. i. 34.
Of Troiane blude a pepill suld discend, Wailliant in weir Ib. iii. ii. 55.
O ȝe dour pepil discend from Dardanus 1549 Compl. 3/25.
Ȝe ar discendit of the maist vailȝeant princis that ar vndir the cape of hauyn 1571 Sat. P. xxvii. 99.
Scoitland … hes bene alwayis bruikit be ane bluid, And kin of Kingis discendit grie be gre a1578 Pitsc. I. 48/1.
Baith [being] dissendit of the Earle of Douglas house Ib. 191/3.
Quhair they fand Harie … discendit latelie from Harie the fourt 1622-6 Bisset II. 175/19.
Adama … of quhome ar cum and discended the erlis of Huntingtoun

3. a. To enter into particulars. b. To assent or agree to. = Descend v. 3. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 20/5.
Of synnis that ar nocht gretly vsit he suld nocht speire mekle na discend particulary 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 5.
Quhen he discendit in mair particular, requyring gif thai vald approue thair authoretie [etc.] — 1533 Bell. Livy I. 160/18.
The Romanis wald haue discendit to peace, gif the Sabinis [etc.]