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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.

Dispit(e, Dispyt(e, n. Also: dispyit(e, -picht; dyspit(e, -pyt(e. [ME. dispit(e, dispyt(e, etc., variant of despit Despite n.]

1. Scorn, contempt, disdain. 1375 Barb. v. 46.
The Persy … Wes in the castell thar besyde, Fulfillit of dispit and pride Ib. 80. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 146.
He that Ihesus … for dyspyt crownyt with thorne ?1438 Alex. i. 1775.
Thai had thairat sa great dispyte, That thay prysit nocht worth ane myte Thair strenth nor ȝit thair cheualry 1456 Hay II. 93/13.
Our mekle syk hamelynes … nurisis and engenderis dispite and lesse honour a1500 Quare Jel. 308.
Of quhom in to contempnyng and dispite, My willis gude for to declare and write 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 24.
Weyn thai to murdrys me with thar dispyte? c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1790.
Quhen he so furiouslie did flyte, Than turnit his pryde in to dispyte

2. Animosity, ill feeling, spite. = Despite n. 2. 1375 Barb. ii. 455.
He … For dispyte bad draw and hing All the prisoneris a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 116.
Syk wykyt wordis of dyspyt In that dekine ware wengyt tyt c1420 Wynt. v. 4052.
Scho gert that cunnand clerk … Be put owte and banysyde qwyte, In till gret ire and in dyspyte Ib. vii. 2623.
In till felny and dyspyte All Scotland he gert interdyte ?1438 Alex. ii. 4429.
For pure dispite and for outrage He was as quha war in ane rage 1492 Myll Spect. 278.
Scho … cuttit hir sone in pecis, and maid him to be seruit in a sew befor hir husband in dispyte 1513 Doug. x. xi. 104.
Tharat he In gret dispyte a quhirrand dart leyt fle 1531 Bell. Boece II. 275.
He … for unnaturall dispit, tuk up his [brother's] bonis, and set his heid apon ane hie staik 1549 Compl. 45/14.
Ther ringis na thing amang them bot … hatrent, dispyit, discention, & mony vthir detestabil vicis 1558-66 Knox II. 331.
He began to taxt the ignorance, the vanitie, and the dyspyte of princes against all virtue 1572 Reg. Privy C. II. 121.
To execute thair prevat dispyte and revenge upoun certain of the said inhabitantis a1578 Pitsc. I. 292/26.
Thai gat sum of thair cairtis … and for dispyte cast thame in ane great draw wall 1611 Mure Misc. P. i. 4.
Ressoune alone, to ratifie my right, To Cupid then replyed, suolne with dispicht 1615 Crim. Trials III. 361.
The wiked cryme of setting fyre in coil-heuches … vpon privat revenge and dispyte

b. In the phr. to have (or take) dispite (at). c1420 Wynt. viii. 4335.
The Schyrrawe thare-at had dyspyte 1456 Hay I. 47/5.
[The Samnites] had grete dispyte quhen thai saw that the Romayns had sa grete powere c1420 Ratis R. 621.
Scho has dispyt at all inwy, And ȝarnis na thing vrangvisly a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 873.
The bischoppis, quhilk had at him dispit 1513 Doug. viii. xi. 20.
Thou mycht behaldin eik this ilk Porsen Lyke as he had dyspite, and bostandmen 1567 Sat. P. iii. 213.
At thir traytouris I find thow hes dispyte a1578 Pitsc. I. 98/4.
Quhairat the said laird tuik sic dispyt that [etc.]

3. To have (or take) in dispite, to regard with contempt or violent dislike. a1400 Leg. S. xi. 268.
The apostolis … The quhilkis than for thar clethinge Thai had in dyspyt & hethynge c1420 Ratis R. 671.
Sum men mycht have me in dispyt, And call me lyk ane ypocryte a1500 Henr. Orph. 14 (A).
A monstour … Had in dispyte and foule derisioun 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2066 (B).
Ilk man hes [Ch. halds] me now at dispyte, That reidis the new testment c1552 Id. Mon. 1323.
Thay … tuke his precheyng in dispyte Ay followyng thare foull delyte 1570 Maitl. F. xxix. 93.
With temperance I wald vse meit and drink And hes all surfat banket in dispyte

4. In dispite of, out of disdain or dislike towards; in spite of. Also without in. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 54.
Thai than in dispyt of hyme, In fyre the house set Ib. iv. 228.
With his appostil thu sal be Vnheidyt in dispyte of thé c1420 Wynt. vi. 626.
In dispyte off Crystyn fay In to the land thai slwe mony 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 202.
The smell of it sall, in despyte of thé, Keip ay twa realmes in peice and amite 1562-3 Winȝet II. 5/12.
Our wallis suld be biggit incontinent in dispyte of Sathan and of al his ministeris 1567 Sat. P. vii. 90.
Thair laude … Salbe disperst in dispyte of inuy Ib. viii. 19.
He sall prosper in dispyte Off thé 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 108 b.
In dispyt of the antichrist and all thir his antichristiane members 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV. 305.
The said Alexander … distroyed the saidis turvis, dispyte of the said Mr Walter

5. An act (or acts) displaying contempt or malice; an outrage or injury. 1375 Barb. x. 6.
The gud king, that thoucht on the scath, The dispit and the felony bath, That Iohn of Lorn had till him done c1420 Wynt. ii. 1450.
To qwyt Wytht gret revengeans that dyspyte Done tyll thar husbandys that ware slayn ?1438 Alex. ii. 5598.
For to the kingis rialte It war great dispyte and velany a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 304.
For the dispyte to Cupide scho had done Id. Orph. 521 (A).
For this dispyte [he] … Was dampnit in the flude of Acheron 1533 Boece iii. xiv. 112.
Praying he will with ws revenge the dispitis done to his sister Voada Ib. ix. xx. 341.
The quene hevily weyand this dispite meikly counsalit the king [etc.] 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1315 (B).
This is ane grit dispyt, I think, For to ressaif sic ane cowclynk 1567 G. Ball. 190.
Quhome suld we wyte of this dispyte

6. Contemptuous or malicious language. 1533 Boece xiii. xvi. 536 b.
Aganis the prior of Sanctandros he spak mony dispitis 1567 Sat. P. viii. 50.
All detours ar bot discommendit That speikis dispite in speciale 1572 Ib. xxx. 174.
Thow bure the toung that neuer spak dispyte