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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.

Douchty, a. Also: douchtie, -tye, dowchty, -ti(e, doughty, -tie, duchty, -tie, -te, dughty, -ti, dochtie. [ME. douȝti, douhti, dughti, duȝty, duhtiȝ, doȝty, late OE. dohtiᵹ, replacing OE. dyhtiᵹ.]

1. Of persons: Bold and active; strenuous, valorous, valiant. Also const. of.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 166.
He thocht weill he suld be worthy, For all his eldris war douchty Ib. 232.
He had thar … Full feill that war douchty off deid c1420 Wynt. iii. 812.
Tyll hym succedyd Diocles, That in all dedys douchty wes Ib. viii. 6716.
Wicht and apert, stark and douchty ?1438 Alex. ii. 259.
He burde be douchty in ane thrang c1450-2 Howlat 391.
Off the douchty Dowglas to dyte I me dres c1475 Wall. v. 491.
Butler is slayne, with douchty men and deyr a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 184.
With dukis and digne lordis, doughty in deid 1513 Doug. v. ii. 55.
Lyke a douchty campioun into fyght Ib. x. x. 138.
Sa mony douchty corpsis brocht on beir 1531 Bell. Boece I. 126.
Nocht unworthy to be noumerit amang maist douchty campionis 1562-3 Winȝet ii. 10/8.
Quha wald be haldin a Dauidsone sa douchty, that [etc.](b) 1375 Barb. i. 538.
Iulius Cesar als, that wan Bretane and Fraunce as dowchty man c1420 Wynt. v. 2625.
This Costans wes a dowchty knycht Ib. vi. 561.
Dowchty man he wes and stowt 1513 Doug. vi. x. 48.
The maist dowchty lynage sprang … Fra King Teucer Ib. xiii. vi. 16.
The Troian duke and dowchty knycht 1567 Sat. P. iii. 166.
The worthy wyfe of dowchtie Duik Jason(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii. 21.
Welcum our Scottis chiftane most dughty Ib. 45.
Welcum most dughti, digne, and honorable 1533 Boece ix. iv. 295.
Suld ȝe herefore (maist duchty campiouns) fere Saxouns? 1535 Stewart 516.
Ȝit harme it wes sic duchtie men suld de Ib. 26809.
The duchteast that da wes maid to de a1570-86 Maitl. F. xl. 20.
Thir wordis war said in the presence Of the duchtie duik of Orlyance(d) a1578 Pitsc. I. 148/19.
The dochtie Douglas clame most presumpteouslie c1590 J. Stewart 27/434. Ib. 57/14.
Ȝon is the strong redouttit dochtie steid, The bralling, bustwus Bayard

b. Absol. in plural sense, esp. mony douchty. c1420 Wynt. iii. 852.
Thare the Medys war so felle … That mony douchty thai gert de a1500 Rauf C. 695.
Quhair mony douchtie of deid war ioynit that day a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 67.
With the doughtyest in thair dais 1535 Stewart 8575.
Mony douchtie to the erth wes drevin Ib. 14358.
Quhair mony douchtie dung wes fra his hors a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii. 44.
Fortun … Dings dounuards ay the duchtiest lyk duiks

c. Absol. in sing. with ony, na, that, ȝone. Also in pl. with tha. a1500 Rauf C. 796.
Discouerand the doun, Gif ony douchtie that day for iornayis was dicht Ib. 955.
Digne bischoppis that day that douchtie gart bring a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 329.
Gif ȝone douchty in deid wil do your deuise Ib. 712.
With daggaris derfly thay dang thai doughtyis on dase

2. Of actions, etc.: Displaying, performed with courage or valour. Freq. with deidis.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 532.
Alexander … That conqueryt … all this warld … throw his douchty deid c1420 Wynt. iv. 1261.
Off his douchty dedys sere Contenyd in othir bukis ere Ib. viii. 5142.
He has herd spek, how the Dowglas … Dyd mony dowchty jwperty ?1438 Alex. ii. 1839.
Cassamus … did feill douchty vassalage a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 542.
Forthi makis furth ane man, … Doughty dyntis to dell 1513 Doug. ix. v. 164.
Thy commancement and stowt begynnyng Is sa douchty Ib. xiii. v. 34.
The douchty constance of thy spreit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3654.
Quhare he did mony ane douchtye deid Ib. 3576.
Quhose douchtye deidis ar weill kende 1596 Dalr. I. 71/7.
The gret … actes, and douchtie deidis that thair he wrochte(b) 1533 Boece xi. ii. 404 b.
Eftir mony duchty actis he rade in vesying his realme 1535 Stewart 29987.
He gart collect … Thair nobilnes and all thair duchtie deidis a1568 Scott ii. 11.
Doutles wes nocht so duchty deidis Amangis the dowsy peiris 1596 Dalr. I. 347/3.
The duchtie deides … appeiris rather to proceid [etc.](c) c1590 J. Stewart 12/17.
Quho dyuers dochtie deids did manifest Ib. 67/65.
No corslat … nor habirȝoune Mycht the redoubling dochtie dints defend