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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.

Juparty, Jupardy, n. Also: juparté, juppartie, ju-, jwperty(e, -é, jupperty; juppardy, -ie, ju-, jwperdy, -i(e. [ME. jeupardy (14th c.) and jeupartie, juparty (14th c.), juperti (a 1300), OF. and AF. ju parti, later jeu parti, lit. ‘divided play, even game’, orig. a term of chess. Cf. also Jeopardy n.The Sc. uses only very approximately coincide with those of the ME. and e.m.E. word, sense 1 below being chiefly and sense 3 appar. only Sc.]

1. a. A hazardous enterprise of arms, a daring feat of arms; a warlike action or engagement; a surprise attack, a raid or skirmish. b. Venturesomeness in war, martial daring, valour, prowess.(a) 1375 Barb. vii. 364.
He suld nouthir haff hert no will Swilk iuperdy [E. juperty] till vndirta Ib. x. 145.
Now may ȝe heir … Interludys and iuperdys That men assayit on mony vis Castellis … for till ta Ib. xix. 632.
Sen that it swa is That we may nocht with juperdis [E. jupertys] Our felloune fais fors assale We sall it do in playn battale c1420 Wynt. iv. 389.
Eftyre mony juperdyis, And syndry changyd wyctoryis … this Cresus Wes tane Ib. viii. 2176.
All hale the wyctory The Scottis had of this juperdy And few wes slayne of Scottis men Ib. 4179.
Thare-in thai made a fortalyce Till hald and trete thare jupardyce [sic] 1456 Hay I. 88/12.
Sen it is sa that in gude entent … he undertuke the said juperdye a1500 Henr. Fab. 1470 (B).
His compeir [= antagonist] quhilk manly in battell Throw iuperdy of armes lang defendis 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 26.
Hiber … conquest be iuperdy of battale mony diuers townis fra the empyre of Spaynȝeartis 1533 Boece ii.
How be licht juperdis he molestit Scottis(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1093.
He wan wytht juperty that towne And off it slew twelf thousand downe Ib. viii. 5142.
He has herd spek, how the Dowglas … Dyd mony dowchty jwperty 1513 Doug. v. ix. 91 (Sm.).
Thir maner of renkeis and juperteis [R. iuppertyis] of batale Ascanyus hantit and brocht first in Itail 1533 Boece i. iii. 36.
Iber … having ȝong men … to vse thare vassalage at ony haisty juparte to expell inemys his rowmys Ib. vi. 46 b.
Ane grete man of Pichtis commovit contrare Scottis for slauchter of his broder in the first juperteis of were Ib. iii. iii. 93 b.
Twyis at the first tyme be licht jupartyis was contrare Romanis fochtin

c. The plur. form? put for the sing. c1420 Wynt. iv. 2140.
In this were and this juperdyis [: apon this wyis; C. iuperdysse: wysse] We sla thaim al anarmyd doun

2. a. Hazard of war, uncertain chance of victory or defeat. b. Peril or danger in war. c. Risk of life, jeopardy, more generally. d. fig. 1375 Barb. vi. 535.
The Kyng wes in gret iuperdy [E. juperty], That wes on athir syde vmbeset With fayis Ib. x. 413.
He that wes in iuperdy Till de, a lans till him he maid c1420 Wynt. iv. 600.
Sewyn hundyre thousand armyd men That … Wes set all in tyll jwperdy And offt in tyll gret dowt off dede c1475 Wall. ix. 1882.
Gydis thai chessyt, fra strenthis thaim to ghy, Thai thocht no mor to byd at juperty 1513 Doug. ix. ii. 162.
Thair lyfe is now in juperte, thai raif, Full neir thair ded thai stand 1513 Acta Conc. MS. XXVI. 22.
Now we ar in dayly juperty and perele of … slauchtir 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 98/35.
[Never] to tyne thair liberte but extreme iuppardy of batell Ib. 117/29.
He knew his realme nocht possibill to be conquest, but extreme iupparty of armysfig. c1420 Wynt. i. Prol. 48 (E²).
Bot, lordis, gife ȝoure curtasy Forbeir me in this iuperdy [W. ieperdy], And fra thair breith wald me defend That can reprufe [etc.]

3. A stratagem or trick (esp. in war). 1375 Barb. x. 524.
Gif ony man mycht fundin be, That couth ony gude iupardye To clym the wallis preuelye Ib. xiv. 421.
He thoucht than on a iuperdy; And gert his menȝhe halely Dycht thame the presoneris aray c1420 Wynt. vi. 1740.
Dame Em, thai sayd, … Be slycht gert cast this juperty [sc. the murder of Edmund Ironside] a1500 Henr. Fab. 422 (B).
[The fox] in his mynd he kest The juperteis [v.r. ieperdie], the wayis and the wile Be quhat menis he mycht this cok begile 1513 Doug. xi. xiii. 120.
So lang as fatis sufferit hym in fycht To excers prettykis, juperty or slycht

b. A (conjurer's) trick. c1450-2 Howlat 789.
Thus jowkit with juperdys the jangland ja