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 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Prescrive, -scryve, v.¹ Also: præ- and -scriwe, -scrywe, -scrife, -screive; p.t. and p.p. -scriuit, -e(i)t, -ed. [F. prescriv-, full stem of prescrire (15th c. in Godefroy Compl.): cf. Prescribe v.¹ Only Sc. See also Prescryit.]

1. intr. Of a period of time prescribed by law within which possession of a thing may be challenged or a claim presented: To run out or elapse. 1456 Hay I 262/6.
For efter xxx^ti ȝeris he aw nouthir till ansuer bataill na othir proces, for the tyme prescryvis of lawe c1460 Regim. Princ. 235 (Maitl.).
Quhen dome is gevin and na remeid set ford And terme of law allegeit to prescriue As that tyme thair is no man on lyve May it revok but … degrading to his iurisdictioun

2. Of an obligation, a right of redemption or an action at law. a. To lapse, cease to exist or cease to lie, following expiry of the time of prescription (cf. Prescriptioun n. 1). 1469 Acts II 95/1.
That the partij to quham the obligatione is maid … sall folow the said obliga within the space of fourty ȝeris … And gif he dois nocht it sall prescrife & be of nain avail the said fourtj ȝeris beand ronnyng & vnpersewit be the law 1474 Ib. 107/1. 1500 Acta Conc. II 444. c1575 Balfour Pract. 147.
Be ressoun that comprysit landis expiris and prescryvis sevin ȝeiris being bypast 1587 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 243.
That his richt to the said erldome … and actioun for recovering thairof and possessioun of the samin hes not nor sall not prescrive be the course of the said tyme 1617 Acts IV 544/2.
Excepting … all actiounes of warrandice whiche sall not prescryve frome the date of the … infeftment … bot onlie frome the date of the distres whiche sall prescryve, it not being persewed within fourtie yearis as said is a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 213.
Removeings prescryve within 3 yeirs Ib. 226.
The legall reversione of lands comprysed fra minors prescryves not against them swa lang as they ar within 25 yeirs of aige 1664 Decis. Lords G 73.
This promise being … for a thing of a little moment, which prescrived not 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i vi §22 (1699) 29.
If these pursuits should not prescrive with us in five years as they do by the common law 1684 Decis. Lords F. 53.
The inhibition may prescrive, be discharged and renunced, and yet the ground thereof may subsist 1686 Mackenzie Observ. (1687) 78.
The act ordaining personal obligations to prescrive in fourty years

b. Of a right formerly enjoyed: To lapse as a result of prolonged disuse. 1679 Sc. N. & Q. 1 Ser. XII 153.
Whether or not the jurisdⁿ and power of the regality being exolete … will prescrive 1683 Martine Reliq. Divi Andreae 35.
The bishops were elected by the chapters, … so that the Culdees their right of election had sufficiently prescrived

3. tr. To lay down (a time, course of action, rule, etc.); to ordain or appoint. Const. (un)to a person, also dative pronoun. Also absol.pres. (1) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 243.
We suld nocht prescrive to God ony special tyme to heir our prayer 1561 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlv.
It war but foolishnes to me to prescrive vnto your maiestie uhat is to be done in any thing 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 12.
Praescrive 1583 in Melvill 158.
Sa will we nocht … prescryve unto yow anie form of answering [etc.] 1623 Crim. Trials III 549.
And we, for our pairtis, will be willing to vnderly quhateuir ȝour lordship in honnour and justice sall prescryve to ws(2) 1596 Dalr. II 236/14.
I prescriue him na law, bot rather gyue him his choise a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 169.(3) 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii 110.
This ordour … Prescryuis sic burdingis vnto men That na wayis thay dow for till beir(4) 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. v 758.
Dat iura: prescryweth ane ordour 1572–3 Reg. Privy C. II 196.
Under sic panis as the said Lord Regent sall ressonabillie prescryve 1578 Second Bk. Disc. in Bk. Univ. Kirk II 500. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 72.
Nane hes power to … prescrive ony part of his worshipping, but onely God himselfe 1600-1610 Melvill 20.
Machiavel him selff could nocht haiff prescryvit it [revenge] sa weill as [etc.] 1660 Conv. Burghs III 515.
Abaithing onlie so much [money] as the actis of burrowis does prescryve(5) 1587 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 38.
It wes unreasonable that … the one [prince] suld prescrive to the other 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 49.
Be no utherwayes censured than the order of the kirke doeth prescrive 1686 Dunlop P. III 24.
Nor can I prescrive to thép.t., p.p. 1562-3 Winȝet I 126 heading.
Of fasting at certane tymes prescrivit 1566 Reg. Privy C. I 454.
In all sortis lyke as salbe prescrivit to me be his directioun 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I 46.
At the tyme prescryvit 1588 King Cat. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 204/3.
Prescryweit c1590 Fowler II 97/14.
That he may not overpass the bonds that ar prescrived to him 1596 Dalr. I 118/28.
The law prescriuet nocht alyke maner of lyueng to al Ib. II 168/2.
This rule he prescryuet … vndir a gret pane 1597 Aberd. Council Lett. I 72.
The thesaurare or his deputtis … seik the executioun of the panes and punischementis prescryvit 1602 Misc. Maitl. C. III 47.
The allowance prescryvit be the commissioneris to the iconomus 1643 S. Leith Rec. 46/1.
Prescreived 1652 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 75.
In maner prescryved be the said instructiones 1690 Conv. Burghs IV 112.
In not attending the dyets prescryved by them [etc.](b) 1562-3 Winȝet I 89/21.
Præscriuit 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 12.
Sik bukis … as the principal sal præscrive to thayme Ib. 14.
The nombre of bursaris xxiiij, sustenit as is praescrivit in the college of humanite 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 22/20.
Præscriued 1616–17 Misc. Hist. Soc. X 100.
The ordour praescryved for the afternoone service 1639 Baillie I 238.
He was made weelcome in the presbitery, his tryells præscrivit [etc.]

4. To prescribe (a remedy or medicine). 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 16.
I … prescryuis as God will assist … sic thingis as may be conducent for … cure of pestilentiall sicknessis Ib. 17, etc. c1580-90 Rules of Health 1.
It is bot lost labour … to prescriwe all the best medicamentis 1657 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 168.
Fowler I 394/13. That they do not substitut … nor withhold anie thing prescrywit, least the medicament lose its qualities 1696 Donaldson Husbandry 14.
Prescriveth

5. a. intr. or absol. ? To acquire or have power or authority by long continued use. b. tr. ? To preserve, save. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2057.
The dreidfull pane Execute on trespassouris ȝit on liue, Swa that thair malice sall na mair prescriue a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv 133.
So may I not my self from woe prescryve