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.
Quotation dates: 1420-1646
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Failȝeing, vbl. n. Also: falyhyng, -ȝheing, -ȝeing. Also by confusion with the pple.: failȝeand. [ME. failing (Wyclif), fayllynge. Cf. Failling.] The act of failing, in various senses. c1420 Wynt. ii. 56.
Semyramys … gert thame mak thare wpe assawte, Wythowtyn falyhyng or defawte ?1438 Alex. ii. 5222.
And [= if] I Clarus … May at myscheif or failȝeing finde c1420 Ratis Raving 877.
Thar is a makar of al thinge, That gouernys thaim ay, but falȝeing c1420 Ib. 1579.
To endur for-out failȝeing c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 281.
He had greit dreid For failȝeing or he wan to a strenth 1546 Montgomery Mem. 140.
To … pay … vithin fourty dais eftir the samyn failȝeand and brek be notourlie knavin 15.. Clariodus i. 1024.
But failȝeing, My father was of Portingall ane knicht 1646 Baillie II. 368.
Their former failȝeing when most wes expected, will let us promise nothing till afterwards
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"Failȝeing vbl. n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fail3eing>
