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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.

Himself, pron. Also: -selfe, -sellf(e, -sellffe, hymself(e, himeselff, hymeself(e, himselve, himsell; his self, his sel.[ME. himself, -selve, OE. him self.] Himself.

1. Emphatic, in apposition to noun or pronoun.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 368.
He him-selff … hard and hewy dyntis gave Ib. x. 645.
The erll him-self … Wes the thrid man 1456 Hay I. 28/31.
Thai … ar als foule in the dede as he him selfe a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 201.
Than said king Arthur hym self c1500-c1512 Dunb. lx. 30.
He him-selff [being an] exampill of vys 1551 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 154.
That ony merchand be him selff or his seruands callis vpoun any man … to by merchandise(b) c1475 Wall. viii. 1348.
Than Scotland throuch he demayned him sell 15.. Clar. iv. 2764.
King Philoppon convoyit them him sell 1567 G. Ball. 69.
Sen on our syde is God him sell 1600-1610 Melvill 429.
Your cursed saull for Beelzebub him sell

2. Used alone with pronoun omitted. 1375 Barb. vi. 80.
He … fand na furd … Bot quhar hymself [our]passit was Ib. xi. 445.
Him-self suld wele Kepe the entre with his battale a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 178.
Thai … vthyre witnes nedit nane Bot God & hyme-selfe al-ane 1428 Wemyss Chart. 56.
Suylk lyke profyte as hym selfe has in the … cole and quarale c1475 Wall. vi. 400.
Him selff began a sair cusyng to mak 1479 Acta Conc. 42/2.
Gife him self hapynnis to decesse 1533 Gau 4/33.
Ve suld … pray to na oder bot to hime, as hime selff commandit 1535 Stewart 196.
With him he had Ane cumpany of siclike as him sell 1562-3 Winȝet I. 126/8.
His disciplis suld fast … quhen thair spous, quhilk wes Himself, suld be tane fra thame

3. Reflexive.(a) 1375 Barb. ix. 424.
He held with him self a gret menȝe Ib. xi. 330.
The ferd battale the … kyng Tuk till hym self a1400 Leg. S. xl. 1107.
He mycht nocht … Bryng his handis til his face To fed hyme-self ?1438 Alex. i. 2279.
He held him-selfe vpone Bursiuell 1456 Hay II. 68/13.
Quha honouris thame … honouris him self 1474 Acta Aud. 30/2.
The wrangwis & maisterfull appropring of the samyn landis to himself 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 71.
Knawyng himself gylty 1533 Bell. Livy II. 81.
He wrate himself consul 1540 Reg. Privy S. II. 487/2.
Patrik Neilsoun, quhilk is daft and hes na witt to gyde himself a1578 Pitsc. I. 101.
The Erle of Craufurdis cunsall to himselfe a1651 Calderwood viii. 144.
He retired himself to the girth … of Halyrudhouse(b) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1481.
Man his God wald knaw and eike him sell c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxi. 5.
He wirkis sorrow to him sell 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii. 252.
Ȝou carle … all prouisioun hes within himsell 1604 Craig I. 27.
Fearing least thy beams should burne him sell, Hee stole aback 1643 Bk. Pasquils 144.
The divil Perhaps … will take you to him sell(c) 1589 Reg. Privy C. IV. 821.
A rowpe … by the which he conveyed himselve owt of a wyndow 1657 Balfour Ann. II. 190.
With grate meiknesse he demained himselue

b. At himself, in full possession of one's faculties, in a state of mental composure (as in the mod. dial.). - a1658 Durham Scandal 204.
An answer to satisfy a man's own reason on conscience, if he were sober and at himself