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 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Cace, Caice, n.¹ [Common variant of Case n.¹]

1. Case, state of things, circumstance, chance, etc.(a) c1475 Wall. i. 60.
Fra tyme that he … herd tell weyle Scotland stude in sic cace Ib. vii. 917.
I will bot lychtly ryn that cace c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 123.
He is … euer … Compasand and castand cacis a thousand, how he [etc.] 1513 Doug. i. iv. 80.
By diuers cacis … Onto Itale we ettill 1535 Stewart 25236.
Vncertifeit tha war … Into that cace quhome that tha wald mak king 1547 Reg. Cupar A. II. 40.
In that cace this … letter of tak to be of nane avale c1552 Lynd. Mon. 389.
Allace, ȝe tell to me one cairfull cace c1552 Ib. 1274.
That cace, quod I, to me declare 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10469.
I come not … ȝow to betrais in ony sort or cace 1568 Peebles B. Rec. 73.
To use the said prebendarie conforme to the ordour newlie takin in semlabill caces a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. ci. 49.
Allace it is ane cairfull cace That oure lordis can not aggre 1592 Jas. VI in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. III. 163.
Turne your eyes … to blinke upon the necessaire cace of youre friend(b) 1564–5 Rec. Earld. Orkney 275.
In that caice it salbe lesum to me [etc.] a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 129.
Ȝour cairfull caice to his is sa conforme 1610 Highland P. III. 121.
The caice is altered when the brokin hielanderis are become the persaquutoris of pirattis 1646 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 62.
To … show to them the distressed and desolat caice of this toun 1667 Bamff Chart. 311.
In that caice allenarlie, and no utherwayes 1678 Wemyss Chart. II. 254.
With all cerimonies used in the lyke caices 1689 Acts XII. 64/1.
As thair antecestores in lyke caices have usewally done

2. In phrases: a. In cace (that or of). 1385 Rotuli Sc. II. 73/2.
In cace gif thai certifie that this specialtee stand that day 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 475.
In cace I faill haue me not at disdenȝe Ib. iii. iv. 101.
In cace gif thai war goddessis or fowlis 1552 Ann. Banff I. 29.
The baillie to pay the vnlaw off the falter in caice he pwnes not the samyn 1557 Reg. Cupar A. II. 143.
In cace the said Jonet mary ane husband 1586 Reg. Morton I. 147.
In caice ȝe be nocht content of the suirtie 1595 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 119.
To find the said erll … cautioun, … in caice of ony damnage to be sustenit be the said erll 1609 St. A. Baxter Bks. 75.
In caice ewir he grynd quheit … in this town 1624 Dumfries Test. I.* 41.
Ane thousand pundis to fortefie it [the legacy] in caice it wer branglit 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 129.
To devyde efter that tyme in caice … they get not a supplie

b. Of, on or upon, per, or throw cace, by chance. c1475 Wall. xi. 283.
To sodand ded Wallace thaim brocht throu cace 1513 Doug. i. vi. 99 (Sm.).
The schippis that on caice [R. cace; B. cays] war redy thare Ib. iii. vi. 99 (B).
‘Les than … , per cace, Thi ennemeis mycht occur Id. vii. Prol. 203.
For byssynes, quhilk occurrit on cace 1533 Boece vi. xii. 209.
On cace Fethelmake at Carictoun in Galloway remanyt 1535 Stewart 46032.
Tha fand that tyme of cace … ane prettie pig 15.. Clar. v. 1240.
Thir Madinis beine recoursit upon cace 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 79.
Heir ar present … on cace cumin twa Scottismen

3. Condition, state. 1611 Fife Synod 23.
[To keep] the kirk-yaird deikis in gude caice 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 60.
That William keip the hors in good caice 1668 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 249.
For restitutione of the same [cloaks] in alse good cace as they are given out