Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Substance, Substans, n. Also: substaunce. [ME and e.m.E. substance (Cursor M.), substaunce (a1325), substans (1402), F. substance (c1120 in Larousse), L. substantia.]

1. Essential nature, essence.Chiefly, of the divine essence common to, and uniting, the three Persons of the Trinity.(1) a1450 Fifteen Ois 276.
Jesu Christ … Of Thi Fader the schynand lycht And of ane substance begynnyng rycht 1490 Irland Mir. I 14/32.
Jhesus, … has foundit this … haly kirk, … on the faithe of the thre persounis in diuinite in a substaunce 1490 Irland Mir. I 96/27.
& sa are we producit & has our substans of our fader, and formyt eftir his ymage and similitud 1513 Doug. i Prol. 458.
Afald godhed, … In personys thre, equale of a substans 1513 Doug. x Prol. 21.
Thy maist supreme indiuisibill substans In ane natur thre personys but discrepans c1520-c1535 Nisbet Heb. xi 1.
Faith is the substance [P. substaunce] of thingis 1560 Conf. Faith in Acts II 533/1.
We mak ane distinctioun betuix Christ Jesus in his eternall substance & betuix the elementis in the sacramentall signis 1562-3 Winȝet II 37/19.
He wald nocht twa substances to be in Christe, ane diuine, and an wthir humane 1562-3 Winȝet II 41/22.
In Christe, also, the proprietie of bayth the substances [sc. body and soul] is to be retenit to euery ane thairof, saifing ȝit the vnitie of persoun a1568 Bann. MS I p. 24/3.
The sawle of man A perfect substance at na tyme abaitting 1581 Burne Disput. 37.
Be eating of this sacrament … ve ar maid ane substance vith his manlie nature 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 81.
There cannot be sik a monstrous change as … that the whispering of sa mony words suld change the awin substance of the bread 1600-1610 Melvill 69.
[He] nevir jarged a jot ather from the substance of the cause, or forme of proceiding thairin 1653 Binning Wks. (1735) 30/2.
Christ may be called the Truth indeed, the substantial word of God, for he is the very substance of the written and preached worduninfl. pl. a1400 Leg. S. i 403.
Richt as in Crist twa substance ar, Of God and man, … Sa in this Symon dwellis ay Twa substance, … Of devel and man(2) 1490 Irland Mir. II 11/6.
As substaunce is the rute and foundament of all accident … sua the faith is foundament of all spirituale lif 1573-1600 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 126/8.
Giff the mes in substance and ceremoneis contene the maner hou God suld be vorshipped

b. Corporeal nature, physical reality. 1490 Irland Mir. III 21/37.
In this sacrament nouthir remanis the breid na the wyne bot the forme & accedentis that war befor in thame remanis sine subiecto without the substaunce of the breid or of the wyn be mirakle 1562-3 Winȝet II 42/25.
We our selfis … in that we speik, vnderstand, leuis, and in substance ar, we præsent nocht wthir men, bot ar men in deid a1651 Calderwood V 100.
A poysonfull and venomous Psyllus so empoysouned with the venome of the old serpent and so altered in his substance and naturall that the deidlie poysoun of the viper is his familiar food

c. specif. The fruitful or nutritious element, the inherent goodness or nutritive content of cereal crops, ale, etc.; nourishment. Also fig. Also, the vital force promoting growth in a plant, etc.(1) 1456 Hay II 141/9.
Claret wyne … convertis the metis soner in substance and blude and flesche na othir wyne dois a1500 Henr. Fab. 1919 (Bann.).
Guidis temporall, Quhilk as the caff ar tome without substaunce 1561–2 Inverness Rec. I 74.
The maltmen … lat the beyr cum out at bayth the endis throw the quhilk the substance and frut of the malt is away 1605 Crim. Trials II 478.
Bewitcheing … of Bessie Saweris coirnes, and taking away the substance and fisnowme thairof 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 153b.
They let it [supra beir] acherspyre and shute out all the thrift and substance [Acts I (1814), all the pith] at baith the ends quhere it sould come at ane end onely 1662 Crim. Trials III 605.
We tak a litle qwantitie owt of each barrell … and … puttis it amongst an vtheris eall, and giwes her the strenth and substance and heall of hir neightbouris eall a1692 Kirk in Il Cappellano delle Fate 201.
The charmer … being of a bad fame, as one that can draw & convey the milk and substance of it away secretly from his neibours cowsfig. 1490 Irland Mir. I 46/17.
This hevinly body of Jhesu in the sacrament … has mare wertu and mare substaunce to nuris the saule spirituali na we may speik ore think(2) 1513 Doug. vi iii 96.
The gum or glew amyd the woddis wide Is wont to seym ȝallow on the grane new Quhilk nevir of that treis substance grew [L. quod non sua seminat arbos] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1488.
Ane better tre … Nor is the auld, … That pith inlaikis, sap, sapour and substance 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1503.
Gif this plant gat the substance and air That this tre gettis, belyue it wald grow mair Nor is the auld

d. The essential or distinguishing feature (of something). 1456 Hay II 84/33.
And the substaunce of largesse is to nocht remember apon the gyftis gevin 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 75.
I devide the messe in substantiall things and accidentall things. To the substance of the messe … are … craved … a priest … that the priest offer the bodie and blood of Christ [etc.]

2. A particular physical substance or material. 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 47/24.
The Deuilles parte therein, is but the naked carrying or expelling of that substance [sc. semen] a1568 Balnaves in Bann. MS 139a/59.
Few honour wynnis in to that innys For schutting at the schellis Out of thair schynnis the substance [? semen] rynnis Thay gett no genȝell ellis c1650 P. Gordon Brit. Dist. 138.
The commones of the north being feid with the lenifieing substance of oates and barly, hath greater bones

3. In substance: a. In reality. b. Essentially, by and large.a. 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 27/2.
There is the thing which I esteeme their [sc. witches'] senses to be deluded in, and though they lye not in confessing of it, because they thinke it to be true, yet not to be so in substance or effectb. 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 1049.
Poor simple laikes (they in substance say), By searching of the Scriptures erre yee may

4. Amount, quantity. a1500 Bernardus 110.
Geff thow … hase to sel wetale in gret substance

5. Wealth, riches; goods, possessions; means.In various constructions.(1) a1500 Colk. Sow i 47.
A harlot wynnit neir by … had no substance at all Bot this pur pig stall c1490 Irland Asl. MS 53/20.
God consideris the luf & cherite that the thing is gevin be mekle mare than the quantite of the gift and specialie quhen the powere and substance is litill 1491 Acts II 230/1.
Oure souerane lordis faider … haid gret tressour & substance of gold and siluer a1500 K. Hart 508.
He spendit spedellie The flour of all the substance that he wan c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 337.
Quhen I severit had that syre of substance in erd And gottin his biggingis to my barne c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 20/132.
Off flattering wordis for finyng of substance … I cry thé marcy and laser to repent a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 367.
I have cultur and pleuch, Substance and gere 1533 Boece 41.
This new affinite [sc. between Scots and Picts] maid the pepill to habound in substance and in tendirnes be proximite and nerenes of blude 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 242.
To remayn lang out of thair awn boundis apon thair awn exspenssis thai ma na way do the samyn wythout tha be suppleyit and helpit be substance 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II 216.
And that thai be maryit duelland within the burgh haiffand sufficient substance with stob and staik a1568 Bann. MS I p. 17/27.
For wardlie substance is nocht sure 1596 Dalr. I 72/24.
To fecht for the manteinance of the religione and priuat substancepl. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts ii 45.
Thai sald possessiounis and substancis, [W. substaunces, P. catel] and departit tha thingis to almen, as it was nede to ilk(2) 1478 Acts II 118/2.
A wardain & a master of his cunȝe of substans and knaulege 1488 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 55.
We think it expedient for the honour … of fremen … that ar of small substance … that … sic a burges … marrow him with ane maister of substance, and lay his penny to his a1500 Colk. Sow ii 20.
He was ane man boith of substance & wit 1497–8 Acta Conc. II 111.
That thai cheise yeirely … a man of substance, to be thare thesaurare 1527 Perth Convener Ct. Bk. No. 2.
Four personis of craftismen of best fame men of substance 1533 Boece 131b.
Invensiouns to caus men of substance deburs maist monye(3) a1500 Bernardus 262.
Lat thou nocht thi … wantonas Consum thar-one thi substance and rychas 1494 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 68.
That ilk persoun haif this said furnist geir besyde him, sic as … accordis for his substance to haif 1494 Loutfut MS 16.
It is a takin that he that bur it first wer pur in his first aige and his substans growin agane be proces of tyme c1490 Porteous Noblenes 177/30 (A).
Thai … that takis … the gudis and substance of pure commonis and lauboraris c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 394.
Quhen he had warit all one me his welth and his substance 1536–7 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 82.
According thairto taxt and extent ws and tharefter our power and substance 1540 Crim. Trials I i 228.
His mischevous naturall, his reddie wit, and grit substance 1557 Facs. Nat. MSS III xl.
[To] … applie … oure hoill power, substaunce, and oure very lyves to mentene … the maist blissed worde of God 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I 531.
I … sall nocht spair my body nor substance in hir Majesteis service a1568 Scott i 155.
Kirkmennis cursit substance semis sweit Till land men with that leud burd lyme ar lyttit c1568 Lauder Minor P. iv 7.
And thow layk substance of thy awin, and geir, Thow will be lytill regardit in this land 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II 121.
That na maner of persoun … sall pay or procure to be payit of thair awin substance … ony money … to the declarit tratouris … within the Castellpl. 1581 Pittenweem Ann. 10.
Sua that thai pretermitt nane that aucht to beir chairges, according to their substances(4) 1498 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 73.
Quhat nychtbour … that faltis and is nocht of substance to pay this xx li. 1592 Acts III 556/1.
To sett the saidis haill mynis … to … strangearis … quha nather haid substance to caus labour … the hundreth part of ony ane of the saidis mynis nor [etc.](5) 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 75.
The said Robert proponit aganys the assis … allegeand thai suld nocht be admittit … becaus thai ar sempill and sober of reputatione and substans 1535 Stewart 30580.
Gude Chairlis the michtie king of France, In all Europe most singular of substance 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 51.
To hald the haill cuntre in rebellioun … to consume at the lang the regent quhilk thai knew to be p[uir] of substance a1578 Pitsc. I 89/2.
Nobill men that was full of substance(6) 1492 Myll Spect. 294/2.
Mod[rat] … be the help of this Quanour and be the substance of hir lordis tressour that scho spendit thar on gadderit [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. (1814) 296.
This pryor … shew how bischope Forman had gathered all the substance of Scotland be his legacie 1616 Crim. Trials III 586.
All the substance and riches of Ægipt

6. Content, subject-matter. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 129/30.
My work … Als haill … In forme, in mater, and substance 1537 Boyd Fam. P. No. 13 (28 March).
Geif this obligatioun be nocht sikir enuch & bynd and oblys me … to reforme the samin … kepand the forme and substance abone wrytin c1575 Balfour Pract. 652.
Ane precept in Latin is written to the signet according to the substance and effect thairof c1650 Spalding II 317.
This wes the substans of thir thrie seuerall actis, one for excise, another for men and armes, and the thrid for lening of moneyis

b. Gist, basic import or theme (of a letter, petition, etc.). 1563 Melville Chart. 109.
That this present menwt be extendit, keipand the substance thairof, as efferis 1586 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 32.
I haif alreddie oppinnit the substance heirof to the quene 1617 Mill Mediæv. Plays 268.
This being the substance of the speche yow schall caus it be deliuerit in the best forme that may be 1655 Mouswald Kirk S. 9 Dec.
They have ane competent knowledge of the … Christiane religione … if they understand the substance of the lesser catechissime 1658 Cramond Kirk S. I 17 Oct.
The substance of which letter was that [etc.] 1661 Laing MSS 284.
I heir send you my thoughts of the papar you send mee, (quhois) substans is the same with yours 1695 Cullen Kirk S. 13 Jan.
To give in a petition to the Chancelor and Lords of Session carieing the substance of this instruction