A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1438, 1490-1599
[1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Empris(e, Emprys(e, n. Also: empryis, emprice, empryce; impryse. [ME. emprise (c 1300), empryse, OF. emprise. Cf. Enpris(e.]
1. An enterprise or undertaking, esp. of a bold or adventurous nature. 1375 Barb. xiv. 506.
[Thai] … had gret ferly That sa quheyn durst on ony wis Wndertak sa hye empris [E. enprys] c1420 Wynt. ix. 1081 (E2).
Quhen thai hade endyt thair emprice Thai went than to Boloun ?1438 Alex. i. 1090.
Mony worthy man he saw, Reddie to … vndertak full hie emprise ?1438 Ib. ii. 5007.
We sall wele … Send to purches this empryse 1490 Irland Mir. I. 167/11.
Prey thou for ws, as euir has bene thi wone; All suich emprice sekerly bene thin 15.. Clariodus iv. 710.
The honouris and the grit impryse That him was gevin a1568 Mersar Bannatyne MS 213 b/56.
Leif hir nocht, thocht scho be nevir so he emprys
2. Enterprising character; readiness for great undertakings; distinction. 1375 Barb. xvi. 490.
Schir James of Dowglas … Throu his vorschip and gret empris Defendit worthely the land c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1123.
Hyr vergynite … To all the goddes of empryse … She offred wp c1420 Wynt. ix. 1078 (E2).
Men at him had mair inwy For his empryce a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 3.
Ane empriour … Wonnyt in welth and hie emprys 1531 Bell. Boece p. viii.
Thir goddesses … him desirit for his hie empryis Ane of thaim two unto his lady cheis
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Empris n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/emprise_n>
