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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.

Thaim self, Tham(e) self, pron. Also: thaim(e-, thayme-, tham(e-, them- and -selvin, -yn, -selwyn(e, -selewyn, -selfin(e, -self(f)(e, -sel(l. Pl. -self(f)is, -es, -selfys, -self(f)s, -sellf(f)is, -selvis, -es, -selwes, -sellis, -sels, theme selfis, -selffes, -selfs. [ME and e.m.E. þam-self, þaim selue, -selwin (all Cursor M.), them selfe (Lydgate), themself (Caxton), thame selfe (1493). Pl. them selves (1502), theim selfes (1542), them selfs (1565).] Themselves.Chiefly written as two words. Almost always singular in form until the late 16th c.

1. In apposition to the third person plural pronoun or a plural or collective noun. 1375 Barb. xv 21 (C).
Our caryage, Forouten ony man or page, By thame-selwyne [E. thaim selwyn] arayit be, And thai sall seyme fer ma than we c1405 Cotton Vespasian MS F. VII 86a.
[They] saylit thaim selfis til Halyeland in Ingland with that schip 1456 Hay I 236/6.
And thai had maid ony fault thame self … thay may be of that thing punyst c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 71/20.
Sum hes thair advocattis in chalmir And takis thame selff [STS thame selffe] thairoff no glawmir 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I 200 (see Trubil(l n. 5).
Tham self 1535 Stewart 57740.
Thame selffis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5169.
The gold thay fand, Quhilk … Thame selfis had hid, ago bot ane schort space 1562-3 Winȝet II 56/13.
The hail cumpanie of prælatis, quha awcht at the leist to haif the hail knawlege of Godis religioun thame selfis 1567 Acts III 42/1.
Na fischearis … hant or saill in merchandice with fischeis thame selfis bot that thai sell the samyn to fre merchandis within the realme 1558-66 Knox II 279.
Thei thame selves have lived in the commoun societie with otheris 1580 Cath. Tr. 37/11.
Inglishe buikes, quhilks skairslie thay wnderstude thame selwes 1596 James VI Facs. Nat. MSS III lxxiii.
Thay will be comptid the forgeris of it thaime selfis c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis 2a.
They themselffis had gotten littill or nothing 1624 Crim. Trials III 562.
We ar willing that their lyues be spared, soe that nather thame selues, nor any others of that kynd may be therby emboldned to presume vpone our clemencie 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 15.
Euerie inhabitant being ane fencible persone … keip the said nichtlie watch thameselves for the haill nicht

2. In emphatic use. 1375 Barb. xiii 234.
Ane off thaim selwyn [C. them-selwyne] that war thar Capitane of thaim all thai maid ?1438 Alex. ii 5021.
Graues … waxis grene, As nature throw hir craftis kene Schroudis thameself with thare floures 1456 Hay I 30/6.
Thai ar … unacordable with wysare than thame self 1496 Treas. Acc. I 300.
To Dauid Wichtmoure, Johne Tod [etc.] … for thaim self and vj hors 1510 Reg. Privy S. I 318/2.
Ane respit to the saidis persounis becaus thai ar agit for thaim-self and all actiouns movit … agains thaim … and exemis thaim fra all compeiring to justice or chalmerlane-airis [etc.] 1533 Bell. Livy I 225/13.
The faderis … held … mony private consultatiouns amang thame, sa quietlie that na men bot thame self had cognyssance thareof 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5231.
Thay … said adew Except them selfis was nane thair mindes knew 1627 Rep. Parishes 197.
Thai ar all kyndlie tenentis, for the most pairt of thaim selfes or predecessoris bought the kyndlines with thair bluid and good service

3. In reflexive use as the object of a verb or preposition. Within themselffes, see Within prep. 2 b.(1) sing. 1375 Barb. i 502.
Thar is nother man na page In all this land than thai sall be Fayn to mak thaim selewyn fre a1400 Leg. S. xvi 436.
Abasit thai var … Quhene thai thame-selfine sav sa sted c1420 Wynt. v 3238.
The Brettownys than that wyst na rede Till help thame-selwyn [W. thaim selfin] fra the dede, Send word [to Rome] thare help to crawe ?14.. Ship Laws c. 26 (B).
The chepmen aw to hafe ilk ane a ton fre of fraucht gyf thai help thaim selvyn wele in the see as thai aw to do c1460 Thewis Wysmen 422.
Thai lak al menys gouernans, Wenand throw that thaim-self to vans c1475 Wall. x 835.
The merchandis than saw thaim sa manfulle To fend thaim selff 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 54.
Allace! for luf how mony thame self dyd spill 1531 Bell. Boece I xxxiv.
The fische thrawis thameself in it, and can nocht get furth agane 1533 Gau 105/5.
Thay quhilk haldis thayme self for heiddis to the chrissine pepil 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 181.
Gif thow be gude or evill I can not tell: Thay ar not sonsy that so dois ruse thame sell 1549 Compl. 95/29.
Them sel 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 295.
That na … personis that transportit thameself out of Edinburgh sen Mertymes, remayne in Leith 1615 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 28 March.
[They are] demit … so to behaw thamselff that thay giff no occasioune to the cuntray to suspect thamepl. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 105/21.
Sum thocht tham selffis stark lyk gyandis 1559 Statut. Sc. Ch. 157.
[To] convert thaimselves fra ther inordinate leving 1567 Sat. P. ii 5.
Thame selves a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 37.
Thaymeselfis c1568 Lauder Minor P. v 16.
Thame selffs a1578 Pitsc. I 13/7.
Thay that ar maist furthie in the ingyring and surffetting thame sellffis [1728 themselves] a1578 Pitsc. I 130/23.
Thamsellfis a1578 Pitsc. II 252/28.
Thay wald nocht jeopard thame sellffis 1581 Burne Disput. 65b.
Thame seluis c1590 Fowler II 74/14.
For the maist part they deceve theme selfs 1596 Dalr. II 176/9.
Thame selfes 1622-6 Bisset I 269/17.
Theme selfis 1628 Conv. Burghs III 261.
It pleased his maiestie … to grant vnto the Hollanders the libertie of fisching within this cuntrey keiping themselffes alwayes ane kenning distant frome the land 1638 Moses Bundle No. 25, 1033 in Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXXI 176.
[They] sall not absent themselvis fra thair saidis mistress serveice … without leive askit and given 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 52.
A number of rude & base people did rise and behave thaimselffes in a most tumultuarie manner 1640 Rec. Old Aberd. I 69.
Themeselffes 1684 Kingarth Par. Rec. 147.
That both parties … purge themsels publickly … to take away misreports from the peopl(2) 1375 Barb. x 104.
It angrys als gretumly To gud hartis … To se thar fayis fulfill thar will As to thaim selff [C. thame-self] to thole the ill 1375 Barb. xii 437 (C).
Thame-selvin a1400 Leg. S. vii 103.
Tham-selfe 1398 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 5.
Efter the style & the fourme of the charter … made … of the sellyng of the forsayde land … & the charter … of the gyfyng of that mylne … with the pertena[n]s made till Jonkyne Ferguson … proportys in thaim self the quhilk charters I conferme c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2255 (D).
Of thaime-self thai haf na thocht c1420 Wynt. v 3333.
Thame-selff ?14.. Ship Laws c. 10 (B).
Thaim selfys c1475 Wall. v 140.
The Scottis had fochtyn amang thaim sell 1513 Doug. iv iii 65.
Dido and eik the Troiane duke … bot be thame selvyn twane, Togiddir sal entir in a cave of stane 1549 Compl. 172/23.
Them self 15.. Clar. iii 2331.
His Ladie in bed micht with hir ly, Into ane chalmer onlie be them sellis, Whair none war bot ladies and damosellis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3692.
All ȝour rowmes thai gide euin as thai pleis And to thame selfis appropriatis ȝour rentis a1578 Pitsc. I 170/17.
The lordis of Scottland … maid ane conventioun amang themselffis c1590 Fowler II 105/28.
The Frenshmen of the[m]selfs can not orthraw the Suisses and without there assistance they can not do any exployte aga[n]st any other ene[m]ye 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 206.
Our nichtbors may have tyme to compeir … and answer for tham selffes 1626 Anal. Scot. I 74.
For suche as patt violent hand in thameselffes, thair wes ane uniform consent … that they were all condemned