A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Undo, v. Also: undoe, wn-, wmdo, ondo(o, omdo, undone. Pres. p. also undoying. Pres. t. 3rd pers. sing. also wndoys. P.t. undid(e, wndid, -dit, -dyd(e, on-, omdyd, un-, wndoed. P.p. un-, wn-, on(e)- and -don(e, -donn(e, -doin, -doyn(e, -doen, -doun(e, -down(e, -dune, -dwne, -deyn. [ME and e.m.E. vn-do(n (c1250), ondo(n (c1315), ondoo (1477), undoe (c1500), p.t. vndude (c1450), vndid (Cursor M.), vndyd (c1450), p.p. undon (c1175), ondon (c1315), vndone (Lydgate), OE an-, on-, undón.] tr.
1. To destroy, ruin: a. A material or non-material thing. b. A person, his position, reputation, finances, etc. Also absol. or intr.a. pres. a1400 Leg. S. ii 152.
Of this warld the figur hale … vndo he sall Throw fyre c1420 Wynt. iv 1828.
Off Rome gaddryd the senage And ordanyd till wndo all Cartage 1450 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 151.
Certane personis rebellouris … ar cumin on the wattir of Cruok and tane away the said proppis … undoande the saidis marchis c1475 Wall. x 461.
I … wald this land defend, At thow wndoys throu thi fals cruell deid c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 17.
I com nocht to vndo the law, bot to fulfill 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3857.
I pray ȝow to me tell, The nerrest way for to vndo this well a1568 Bann. MS 21a/3.
O Jesu Chryst the verry licht And daye that vndois all dirknes(b) 1513 Doug. iv ix 53.
To omdo [Sm. wmdo, Ruddim. vndo] and distroy al maner thyng Quhilk may ȝon wareit man to memor bringp.t. 1679 J. Somerville Mem. II 192.
The cockatrize was but yet a hatcheing that allmost undoed three nationesp.p. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 1151.
A fellon wynd com don son & al the palace has vndone c1420 Wynt. ii 129.
Efftyre hym … Succedyt … Fourteyne ayrys … Beffor that lordschype was wndone [C. wndoyn] 1490 Irland Mir. III 60/36.
It is … necessar … that all the euil inclinacioun and affeccioun causit be syn … be distroyit and wndoune(b) 1513 Doug. iv xii 80.
Ondeyn [Sm. ondown]b. 1375 Barb. i 182.
Jhone the Balleoll … swa sone Was all defawtyt & wndone c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1987.
[He] kest in his hart sair compassyng For to vndo thir two in deid c1420 Wynt. ii 467 (W).
The men that the flude had vndone [R. The men that tyme thai said wndone, C. The men thai said that tyme vndoyn] Wes thro him haill reformyt sone c1420 Wynt. ii 1075.
Wndyde c1420 Wynt. vii 1630.
Dyssentyown … wes apperand Betweene the fadyr and the swne; The tane the tothire wald have wndwne 1456 Hay II 142/27.
Quhasa our mekle takis of the wyne, quhilk is lyf and hele to mankynde, ȝit sall it be till his nature as poysoune till undo him c1475 Wall. ii 192.
Off ws thai haiff wndoyne may than ynew 1490 Irland Mir. III 123/28.
Mony [tyrants] … has bene wndovne be thar pepil a1500 Peblis to Play 226.
I haue gottin na thing For all my pyping to ȝow Thre happennis for half ane day … will nocht vndo ȝow c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 77.
Thow purpest for to undo our lordis cheif … with … poysone c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis 9b.
Twentie dayes and no man to tell me of them. O pittie pittie poore soules they are undoen 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 210.
The puir tennentis and lawboreris of the ground quha onlie leives by … croping of the samen salbe undone and cassin louss 1657 Balfour Ann. I 328.
All this was done … to weakin the popishe factione … ere sho knew … quhat herselue was doinng, shoe wndoed her best frindes 1664 Carstairs Lett. 130.
You are not so broken and undone as some may be disposed to think(b) 1609 Elphinstone Chart. 160.
By what policy it is intendit to circumwein both your Maiestie and till ondoo meabsol. 1456 Hay II 101/25.
And rycht thus is it of the prince that dois and undois, kepis ane and slais ane othir [etc.] 1456 Hay II 149/31.
Quhen thai have envy … than sall thai sett ilkane for otheris, undoying secretly gif thay dar nocht opynly
2. To cancel out or rescind (an action, state of affairs, set of conditions, etc.) so as to reverse or nullify their effects.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i 397.
Petir and Paul … vndide al the falshed that Symon dyde c1420 Ratis R. 24.
Gif thow schapis thaim to wice Infortone will wndo thi price c1420 Wynt. v 1029.
He wndyde [C. wndid] and dampnyd hale … All the dedys … done throucht Domytyane c1420 Wynt. viii 1044.
The Kyng Henry For hyr wndyd [C. wndit] all qwytly That ill custwme c1450 Cr. Deyng (STS) 9.
The ewill end wndois al gud werk before wrocht 1456 Hay I 219/27.
We may undo na gaynsay the commoun lawe undefamyt c1520-c1535 Nisbet John x 35.
Scripture may nocht be vndone 1680 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 255.
That were … to undoe all ye had made so much work for(b) 1513 Doug. iii iv 107.
O hie goddis … ondo this myscheif 1513 Doug. vii ix 69.
The queyn … Saturnus get, onon Set to hyr hand, and ondyd the batell [L. extremam Saturnia bello imponit regina manum]
3. p.p. Not done, never attempted nor carried out.Freq., to lefe (something) (on na wayis, nocht, etc.) undone. For further examples see Lefe v.1 3 b.(a) 1375 Barb. xiii 485.
Him war lewer that iournay wer Wndone than he sua ded had bene c1400 Troy-bk. i 34.
Furth he send hys legate sone … Bot wald God it had bene wndone! To Hercules and to Jasone ?1438 Alex. ii 10438.
Thow may ansuer sone … To do or leaue vndone, quhether thow will c1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 50.
We byde … yow gyfe til Schir Jon Stevart … stat of al our landis … ande this yow leue nocht vndon 1490 Irland Mir. I 51/20.
Brekand the law of God … and levand gud werkis wndonne that we mycht and ware oblist to do 1490 Irland Mir. III 128/6.
Thou aw to do me iustice and gif thou leffis it thi successour sal nocht quyt the and thou leif it wndone 1516 Reg. Privy S. I 442/1.
Undonn c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. vi 14 marg.
Althocht it condampt his consciens for leaiffing of it vndonne 1548 Inchcolm Chart. 91.
And this on nay wyis you leif wndoun, as you wyll ansser till ws upoun the executioun of the effeir 1559 Cal. Sc. P. I 261.
Be ye asswryt the nixt tym I cum that way, the thing is left undoyne now, salbe achevit 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 85.
Gevand evyll exempill and occasion to the parrochinaris to leif undon thar deuete(b) c1420 Wynt. v 3924.
Scho … serwyt thame wyth hyr awyne handys … Quhen scho [wes] arguyd that that mycht be Ondone [C. Wndoyn, W. Dedeyne] welle for hyr honeste; … Scho sayd [etc.] 1509 Justiciary Rec. (Reg. H.) II 166.
And this ȝe liff nocht ondon 1517 Acta Conc. MS XXIX 210.
That ye leif nocht the common weal on dwne for tham 1520 Thanes of Cawdor 139.
I sal keyp me, my kyne and al that I may let, onedowne ony skaith to the said Sir Johne 1529 Red Bk. Menteith II 392.
One done 1533 Gau 7/14.
To onderstand quhat thay suld dw and lat be one dwne 1533 Gau 8/18.
One dune 1542 Fraser P. 183.
Ondoin 1570 St. A. Kirk S. 339.
He had transgressit the limitis of his vocatioun or left ondoin that becam ane trew and faithtful minister 1618 Haddington Corr. 136.
Ondune
4. To unlock, make open (a door). Also ellipt.c1420 Wynt. v 2413.
Saynct Laurens than wndyde the dure a1500 Rauf C. 94.
Vndo the dure beliue!ellipt. a1500 Sir Eger 1044.
The doors were [pr. where] closed and put to, The lady chapped and made undo
5. To unfasten, unbind (something). Also in fig. context.a1500 Sir Eger 386.
All my clothing she hath undone c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 48.
Think ȝe it nocht ane blist band that bindis so fast That none undo it a deill may, bot the deith ane?
6. To detach, remove, sever. Also in fig. context.c1475 Wall. xi 787.
Thai said he wald wndo king Eduuardis croun 1513 Doug. iv xii 118.
I man Omdo [L. fero] this hayr to Pluto consecrate, And lowis thi sawle out of this mortale stait c1590 Fowler I 379/12.
Atropos with sythe in hande Is redye to vndone The fatall threid that Lashesses And Clotho once did twyne
7. To uncover, reveal.1513 Doug. vi vi 45.
Sche … with that word the branch schew and omdyd [Sm., Ruddim. vndid] That pryvely vndir hyr clok was hyd
8. To explain, expound, interpret (a concept, name, etc.); to solve, answer (a question, riddle).a1400 Leg. S. iii 396.
Thu has hard me Spek of the croice the preuete; The quhilk perauentur giff will thu, I sall vndo thé richt sone now a1400 Leg. S. iii 1017.
That ȝe ask hym sum harde questione, The quhilk gyf he can nocht vndo [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. v 3.
Johne vndone is Goddis grace [L. Johannes interpretatur Dei gratia] c1420 Wynt. iii 163.
He sayd gyff thai walde wndo A rydyll … He suld gyve thame [etc.] c1420 Wynt. viii 365.
Nevw for till have wndon [C. vndoyn, W. Nevo in Inglis to haif vndone], Is nowthir brodyr na systyr sone c1460 Consail Vys Man 214.
Thi secret consail neuir wndo, Bot neid or fors dryv thé thar-to
