A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1490-1622
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Haly spreit, n. Also: halie, hellie, (holy), and spirite, spyrite, spereit, sprit. [Northern ME. hali spirite (a 1300), midl. and south. hooli spirit.] The Holy Spirit.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints x. 130.
Eftyre Cristis ascencione, The haly spyrit of Criste come done 1590-1 Bruce Serm. Sacr. I. 3 b (J).
Not be ane carnal band … but anelie be the band of the halie spirite 1587-99 Hume 14/85.
Thy halie sprit in me let rest(b) 1490 Irland Mir. 27/33.
Oure Lord Jhesus has oblist ws to … keip in oure mynd the haly spreit a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1673.
In forme of fire this Haly Spreit apperit c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 65.
I trow in to the blissit Haly Spreit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 259.
Iesu, Quhilk wes consauit be the holy spreit 1581 Burne Disput. 13.
Christ … also hes … geuin to vs the arlis pennie of the halie spreit in our hairtis 1622 Edinburgh Testaments LI. 198 b.
I leive my saull to … that hellie spereit quha sanctifies all the … faithfull
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"Haly Spreit n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/haly_spreit>
