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

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

Suppos(e, v. Also: suppois(e, supposz, supos, -ois. [ME and e.m.E. suppose (Manning), supose (a1450), OF supposer (c1120 in Larousse), L. supposit-, p.p. stem of suppōnere Suppone v.]

1. = Suppone v. 1.(1) 1375 Barb. xi 150.
He … weile supposyt that thar wes nocht In warld a king mycht him withstand 1405 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
For I suppos & yhe wist it ȝhe walde of ȝhour he worschipe ger it be refourmyte & redressit c1420 Wynt. i 451.
I suppos, quha than walde seke Amang thaim all wes noucht a breke a1500 Rauf C. 257.
Speir gif I be at hame, For I suppois, be Sanct Jame, Thow sall the better fair a1500 Lanc. 892.
Thei supposit, … He had hyme self to his confusioune broght 1535 Stewart 163.
Lak me nocht suppois ȝe can nocht ruse 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1516.
I suppois of ane thing, That is the hicht of this greit growand tre Haldis away the sone as thinkis me a1568 Bann. MS 220b/16.
Quhat wondir is than thocht I be with dreid Inly suppoysit for to askin grace Of hir [etc.] 1558-66 Knox II 16.
So mynd I nott greattlie to lawboure … to conciliat your favouris, quhilk I suppoise I have allreddy 1622-6 Bisset II 199/16.
Sum suppoise it wes the Samatrasianis and uthir sum alleges Atlas first fand schipping(2) 1400–1 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 44.
Be cause of kyn and the grete lewtee that I traist in thaim and as I suppose yhe traist in thaim on the tother part c1420 Ratis R. 169.
Sonar slais ill air na suord, As men supposis now veill, and mare … than thai did aire a1500 Henr. Fab. 295.
Thay taryit not to wesche as I suppose 1535 Stewart 23612.
‘Dreid nocht this tyme,’ he said, ‘as I suppois, To fecht with thame ar so meticolois And full of dreid’ 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3137.
Is nane within ane myll, Can better vse that craft as I suppois c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 57.
For no thing ellis, as I suppois, Bot for to schaw hir lillie quhyte hois c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 364.
The squyer … cheisit the best [horse], as he suppoisit, And lap on him delyuerlie

b. = Suppone v. 1 b. a1578 Pitsc. (1728) 10.
The Chancellor happened better than any man supposed [Pitsc. I 31/21, better nor ony man supponit], for … the king came out of the castle [etc.] c1590 Fowler II 145/29.
Thir irresolued and vnadvysed prences who … supposes therby to avoyde … all present danger

2. = Suppone v. 2. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 97/22.
The mersy of that sweit meik rose Suld soft ȝow, thirsill, I suppois a1585 Maitl. Q. 205/115.
Sum I suppose ar borne infortunat Or ellis gud labouris could not prosper ill 1647 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I lxxx.
I found vthers marked with a libbert and ane B which I suppose to have beene mad be Briot 1658 R. Moray Lett. 245.
I suppose you will make a jack of some old feal dyke if we come to a bickering

3. = Suppone v. 3. 1456 Hay I 153/25.
Suppos men wald argu this mater, … how mycht he be bathe juge and party? Thareto I ansuere [etc.] 1470 Liber Aberbr. II 162.
Suppos the said abbot and conuent dois ws fauor in the sasyng of the said anwellis … I my ayris [etc.] … oblisis vs [etc.] a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 505.
Na wonder was, suppois in mynd that he Tuik hir figure sa sone a1500 Henr. Prayer 29 (Bann.).
Suppois our syn be to the pungityve Oure deid ma nathing our synnys recompens 1490 Irland Mir. II 77/27.
Suppos that mony cornis of diuers corne be castin in a erd that the distinccioun can nocht be maid na knawin betuix thame ȝit quhen thai grow ilkane schawis the proper natur and froit 1562-3 Winȝet I 4/29.
Suppose … we dar not contemne ȝour selfis. And … sumthing of ȝour prais man we speik. Bot quhidder sal we begin a1568 Bann. MS 81a/25.
Suppois I mene I am nocht mendit Sen I held pairt with pouerte 1570 Sempill in Sat. P. xii 108.
The counsall may considder Quhat is the maist ȝone murtheraris may do, Suppois that Huntlie wald cum help thame to a1599 Rollock Wks. I 292.
Suppois the Disciples of Christ wer commended fra that effect of thair zeal, … ȝit they are als far discommended, quhen [etc.] a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1297 (Wr.).
Suppose the pack come to [the] pins, Who can his chance eshew? 1641 Henderson in Sc. Ch. Hist. Soc. Rec. I 147.
Suppose all the cautions and limitations that can be devised be put upon him [sc. a bishop] … yet still is hee such a plant as God never planted

b. In parenthetical or elliptical use, = as for example, say … . 1590 Welwod 67.
Sicklike the schippes gear wrackit suppois be storm importis na mair [etc.]

c. As quasi-conjunction: (Even) if; although. Also, all suppos.(1) 1375 Barb. i 2.
Storys to rede ar delitabill, Suppos that thai be nocht bot fabill 1456 Hay I 216/22.
Suppos that sum of the trew verray papis was Franchemen, all the verray papis was nocht of Fraunce 1533 Gau 44/11.
Supposz that we cane noth … onderstand quhow our lord Jesus Christ passit dune to the hel neuertheles we trow sewerlie the wordis quhilk David spak [etc.](2) a1400 Leg. S. ii 706.
Nero … his awne modir gert sla Suppos fele thar-of wes wa 1400 Maxwell Mem. I 140.
Pollok, Murraf [etc.] … the qhwylk … the sayd Robert has gyffyn tyl hys forsayd brothir thankfully suppose it was talȝit tyl hym of befor c1420 Ratis R. 1143.
This eild [sc. childhood] is lycht and innocent, Suppos it want gud jugment a1500 Henr. Fab. 784 (Bann.).
Suppose thai be as for the tyme contryte, Can nane forbere, nor fra thair synnis flee c1475 Wall. i 374.
It dide him gud, suppos he sufferyt payne a1500 Seven S. 387.
Be Romys lawis he suld nocht de Suppos he wald haf forsit the quene 1493 Acta Conc. I 307/1.
Sir James … protestit … that suppos he ausuer to a summondis purchest one him be James Hering … that it sulde turne him to na preiudice anent his said respett 1494 Loutfut MS 35a.
Raynes ar lik to the form of a padok suppos thai be nocht of that natur 1513 Doug. i vii 105.
Suppos he held the renȝeis fast but faill, Hys nek and harys on the erd gan traill 1551 Hamilton Cat. 262.
Suppose Thow knawis quhat we mister or evir we oppin our mouth to ask Thé … nochttheles … we dare ask now our daily breid 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. L 2 b.
Gif the heart be good, suppose we blabber with wordes, yit it is acceptable to him a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 953.
It is gud to be honest suppose there were not a hail rag on them a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1084.
Looke up to a noble suppose ye be blak ye are bed sueit a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 137.
Actione being intented against ane womane befoir her marriage … she most depone upon the lybell suppose she be married therefter a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 402.
And suppose ye have a heartlesse time here, yet then there is no fear [etc.](b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2025 (Harl.).
Ȝit sall I sweir suppois it be not neid, … I salbe trew to ȝow ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 495.
O Lord Jesu, that wes thristy for our heill mair than for the pane, suppois thi pane excedit c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 87.
Suppois thy heid war armit tymis ten, Thow sall recryat, or thy croun sall cleif 1535 Stewart 11851.
Suppois tha pepill war bayth strang and stout, We maid thame sone rycht lawlie for to lout a1570-86 Balnaves in Maitl. F. 356/12.
Tak bot at list, suppois ȝe thrist Ȝour mouthe at lasar cule 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 122/9.
Suppoise(c) 1533 Gau 14/23.
Thay that honours thayme notht supos thay dw to thaime onricht … sine aganis this forsad iiii command(d) 1460 Hay Alex. 331.
Bot he trowit nocht he was his sone for-thi, Supois sic sclander passit preuallie 1585 Waus Corr. 327.
Remember that sic trubilis ar covmoun to guid and ewill, supois thai be nocht off alyk vecht to all(3) c1460 Consail Vys Man 29.
For al suppos wnwys thow bee, Ȝit sal thow mend in al degre 1460 Hay Alex. 420.
All supois he haid the subtiltie Off artmagik and necromancie, Bad him nocht vse(4) 1585 James VI Ess. 73/26.
Thir indifferent wordis, composit of dyuers syllabes, are rare, suppose in monosyllabes, commoun 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 14/25.
For my booke, suppose very small, being deuyded in three seuerall parts a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxiv 3.
Aglauros, curious to knau Vhat Mercurie inclosit within the creell, Suppose defendit, ceist not till sho sau The serpent chyld c1650 Spalding I 150.
[They] maid them reddie to give the army peciabill entress within the toune, but impediment, suppose sore aganist thair willis(5) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2162 (B).
I marvell not, sa mot I thryve, Suppois that swyngeour nevir swyve

4. To put under or after (something); to append. a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1655) 267.
As to the history of the Church ascribed commonly to him, the same was not his work, but his name supposed to gain it credit

5. ? 1659 Misc. Hist. Soc. VII 33.
My wife supposed … hard a minister who was supposed