Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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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.

Dispare, Dispair, n. Also: dispar, dyspar(e, dispaire, dispear. [ME. dyspayr (c 1325), dispeyr, etc., variants of despeire, -peyr, OF. *despeir. Cf. Despair(e.] Despair.(a) a1400 Leg. S. x. 577 (fal in dispare). Ib. xvi. 145 (haffand na dispare of hyre syne). c1420 Wynt. viii. 3453 (dispare gyvys hardyment). c1450 Cr. Deyng 77 (in dyspare of mercy). c1475 Wall. i. 260 (in till a gret dispar). a1500 Lanc. 892 (boith … of hym vare in dispare).(b) 1456 Hay I. 16/26 (that … lyvis in dispaire). Ib. 50/32 (his men tuke sik dispaire). a1500 Henr. Orph. 312 (pit of dispair wythout remission). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxi. 36 (of thi cuming we haif grit dispair). c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 173 (he was betaucht all with dispair). Id. Seven S. 728 (it is ane greit dispair). a1578 Pitsc. I. 406/35 (quhilk pat the kingis grace in dispair). 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 388 (the damosell that wes in dispair). 1596 Dalr. I. 273/23 (in sa deip dispair of gude luck). 1611-57 Mure Dido i. 38 (discorde, death, dispair).(c) 1600-1610 Melvill 25 (I was cast in sic a greiff and dispear).