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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Dout, Dowt, v. Also: dut, doute, doutt, dowtt, doubt, doupt, dowbt, dowpt. [ME. doute, dowte, early dute, OF. douter, duter.]

1. intr. To be uncertain or doubtful. Also with of.(1) 1375 Barb. iv. 714.
Ȝeit suld he ay dout quhill he Saw how that it com till ending c1420 Wynt. iv. 686.
His gret ost … Dowtyd gyff ony wattrys ware Off sic abowndans [etc.] 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 102.
We, dowtyng heiron, send the preste Erypilus Answer to seik 1533 Gau 31/22.
Thane thow art reid and dowtis and fallis in dispair 1596 Dalr. I. 50/24.
Mony doubtes, gif thir be the very rycht salmont Ib. II. 186/16.
Ȝe suld … haue doubted vpon that questioun(2) 1375 Barb. ix. 112.
That swa seik wes the King That men doutit of his coueryng 14.. Acts I. 57/2.
To certify the Iustice apon matteris of the quhilkis he doutis 1513 Doug. iii. i. 96.
Quhen first of Troiane defens begouth he dowt 1558-66 Knox II. 448.
What ressonable man can doute now of Goddis will

2. tr. To be doubtful about (something). Usually const. with clause (freq. with bot).(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 269.
God suld wit it, I dut nocht c1420 Wynt. vi. 1755.
The heyast man I sall thé ma Off all Ingland, dowt thow noucht c1420 Ratis R. 1707.
Propreteis seir … he opnit out That war unknawing & to dowt a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 544.
Dout nocht, Deulbere. Tu es Dyabolus 1562-3 Winȝet II. 78/20.
Sum men may dout quha ar thir quhom he wald forbid [etc.] 1570 Sat. P. xii. 67.
I dout not, in our dayis, Hepburnis will wraik for wyrrying of the King 1614 Highland P. III. 155.
Whiche I dout not … your Lo. will sie remedit(2) 1531 Bell. Boece II. 133.
Dout not, bot … thay sall invade us Id. Livy I. 29/15.
It is not to be doutit bot the samyn Brutus … suld haue [etc.] 1561 Q. Kennedy Oratioun 3.
Nocht douttande bot it is your L.L. will 1562-3 Winȝet I. 79/23.
As we dout nocht bot ȝe wil do 1570 Reg. Morton I. 53.
This mekle I doupt nocht bot ȝe understand 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 250/24.
Not doutand bot angels … may and do pray for us 1586 Reg. Morton I. 149.
Nocht dowting bot all thair peiris in Scotland wald do the lyke

3. tr. To fear, dread, be afraid of (a person or thing).(a) 1375 Barb. viii. 257.
Thar is nane … In all thys land that us thar doute Ib. ix. 538.
Gallovay wes stonayit gretumly, And doutit hym for his bounte a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv. 208.
The bischope … tacht hyre hou scho God suld dout ?1438 Alex. i. 2415.
I dout the furriouris far mair Than all the laif that leuand air 1456 Hay I. 86/6.
It was agayn all … resoun to ches the thing that maist is doutit and dred 1470 Peebles B. Rec. 163.
The balyais askyt at the sayd John gyf he doutyt his skath 1490 Irland Mir. I. 32/18.
To honour god, … to luf him, … to dout him 1549 Compl. 21/10.
Quhar is the toune of Cartage that … vas grytumly doutit & dred be the Romans? 1567 G. Ball. 60.
Quhome suld I dout bot him, that dantis deide(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1518.
All Asy dowtyde thare powere Ib. viii. 4094.
He dowtyd the gret mycht Off his wnfrendis a1500 Bk. Chess 2144.
Off gret corage he is … And dowtis nocht his fais multitud 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 25.
He dowtis na dynt of polax, sword, nor mace a1568 Scott xxx. 36.
In doing that Mycht caus thair fais to dowt thame(c) 1456 Hay I. 62/11.
The grete that lufit him nocht doubtit him Ib. II. 49/29.
To defend him fra his fa, and doubte na thing 1570 Leslie .
He … was ane valyeant prince, and grytly doupted of his enemyes 1596 Dalr. I. 113/22.
With gret baldness … thay set stoutlie on, doubteng na danger

b. To fear or be afraid, to suspect, that (etc.). 1375 Barb. v. 34.
And he wes alsua doutand ay That his lord suld pas the se c1420 Wynt. ii. 807.
Thai dowtyd at hys senyhoury Suld thame abawndown halyly Ib. 1101.
Thai dowtyt sare that he walde wyn Thare landis 1456 Hay I. 63/20.
He doubtit that his palace suld blaw to the erde Ib. 134/17.
Gif … the chaplayne wist wele or dowtit that the thef … mycht do it 1482 Lennox Mun. 122.
His Maieste dred and doutit that certane lordis … wald hafe slayne and vndone him a1500 Bk. Chess 1913.
He dowtit so the swerd suld be his deid c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiv. 11.
I dout that Merche … Hes slane this gentill herbe 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 229.
Quharthrow it is dowbtit be the provest [etc.] … that thai may nocht change the same without our licence had thairto 1570 Leslie 118.
He doubtit lest he mycht be brocht out of the waye

4. intr. To fear, be afraid. Const. for, of. c1420 Wynt. viii. 6368.
That yhere a gret pestilens … Fell … , That men dowtyd for mare skath 1456 Hay II. 135/32.
Than suld he nocht dout of no malady a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1266.
I trow this deuore be done, I dout for na deir a1500 Prestis of Peblis 879.
Quhairfoir sould ȝe dout or be a-dred 1533 Gau 94/25.
Al men quhilk ar vexit in thair hartt, doutand for thair sinnis c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 431.
Dout not thairfor, for nothing sall the aill a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 472.
He will not ly quhair he is slaine, That douttis befoir he dies

b. Const. to with inf. ( = of with gerund). c1420 Wynt. i. 35.
I dowt sare thame tyll offende Ib. 44; etc.
I dowt confoundyt for to be ?1438 Alex. ii. 9358.
Thay that doutand war to de Gaif straikis sa horrible and sa he 1456 Hay I. 51/1.
Sa that the Romaynis was doutand to be destroyit at all poyntis a1500 Henr. Fab. 2273.
Ane lord … That schrinkis for schame, or doutis to be reprufit c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 9/28.
Quhen euer he knawis or doutis to be in dedly syn a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxix. 124.
Douttis thow to want or quhair of hes thow dreid