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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Our-selfis, pron. Also oure- and -selff(i)s, -sellfis, -sellis, -sels, and (orselfis). [e.m.E. ourselfs (1495–6), our(e)-selves (1526), ME. ur-selven (14th c.), our-selven, also us-selven (14th c.): cf. Our-self. Chiefly written as two words.] Ourselves. Emphatic and reflexive pronoun, corresponding to we, us.

1. In emphatic or contrastive use. a. In apposition to we. 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xlix.
Quhen we oure selffis wer of les aige and at oure first arryvall in oure realme 1624 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 299.
We the abonewrittin James Herrone and John Edȝar with our handis led at the pen … becaus we cannot write ourselffis

b. Taking the place of us.To speik amangis our selfis, to speak privately, between ourselves.(1) 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 201.
And that ane gryt pairt of our selffis and guidis var fled … to landward 1549 Compl. 135/10.
Or ellis ve hed lossit al our gudis and our selfis til hef beene slane 1557 Ayr Chart. 43.
Thairfoir we the said schir Hew and Matho for oure selffis oure airis [etc.] … nor sall nocht be ourselffis nor na uthir myd persoun … procure [etc.] a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxvii. 45.
Fray thai aganis our pairtie anis prewaill Quha wait bot syne thay will our selffis assaill a1578 Pitsc. I. 280/9.
Thair come great troubill in Scottland amang ourselffis pairtlie for the autorietie 1586 Warrender P. MS. 176.
Some amangis our selffis jaloux of your intelligence 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 42/5.
Ue … that hes uithin oure selfis quhill ue liue heir a compte booke(2) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 140.
Becaus to speik amangis our selfis the lordis culd not be offendit

2. In simple reflexive use.(a) a1540 Freiris Berw. 222 (B).
But sobirly our selffis dois sustene 1549 Compl. 62/31.
I thynk it best that ve recreat our selfis vytht ioyus comonyng a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxix. 58.
Sic chaystninge Dois ws allour our selffis to knaw 1562-3 Winȝet I. 77/15.
Sen we addict our selfis to the doctrine of na man a1578 Pitsc. I. 74/10. 1581 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 407.
Gyf it sall happin ws velfullie absent oursellfis fra the ressait thairof 1593 Lennox Mun. 463. c 1596 Misc. Spald. C. V. 373.
We your seruitouris … we fand cautioun and band our sellfis … for the non ressett [etc.] 1636 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 103.
We finding oure selffs verrie farre … wronged 1642 Orkney Rentals iii. 11.
We must … tak both paines and travail to informe orselfis(b) 1572 Sempill Sat. P. xxxviii. 80.
For better it is to fecht it … With speir men and weir men and ventour our sellis 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 8.
We flang oursels doon at his feet