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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.

Deme, Deym(e, n. Also: dem, deame. [Irreg. variant of Dame n.]

1. A dame, lady. Usu. as a form of address.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 147.
‘Gud deme,’ sad he, ‘thu can dot’ c1475 Wall. v. 330.
‘Fayr deyme,’ he said, ‘go get sum meit for me’ Ib. ix. 1317.
Deym, he sall weill lowsyt be Be none to morn a1540 Freiris Berw. 72.
Cum hiddir, deme, and sett ȝow down me bye Ib. 255.
How sa, fair deme?(2) a1540 Freiris Berw. 324.
That I wald preve glaidly for ȝour saik, And for ȝour demys Ib. 428.
Vnto our deme it wes bot littill pleis

2. Dame, as a title prefixed to the name of a lady.(a) a1400 Leg. S. v. 65.
He saw a cors to bere mad bone, … That hatine wes deme Drusiane 1489 Acta Aud. 140/1.
Confermatioun of dem' Cristian Crechtoun of the landis of Achanlech 1490 Acta Conc. 156/2.
Dem' Ionet Stewart the spous of Adam Wallace 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 346/1.
Deme Margaret Swyntoun, priores of Elcho c 1550 Douglas Chart. 244.
Elesabet … enterit as heyr to Deme Elesabet Meluill … hir gudem 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 176.
Oure louit oratrice, deme Cristeane Ballenden pryoress of the Senys 1573 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson 24.
Deme Margaret Dowglas, countes of Levenax(b) 1530 M. Works Acc. I. 25 b.
Bran to Patrik Layng, baxstar … Granis to deyme Layng 1554 Carte Northberwic 68.
Ane devoit and religiows lady, deym Isobell Howme Ib. 69.
The saidis deym Margret … becam … debitor for the saidis thretty pundis

b. Applied to personifications or goddesses. a1400 Leg. S. v. 315.
The teimpil & the idolis all, And of deme Dyane the fygure Ib. xxxiii. 169.
Deme Nature … cuth nocht amend in hyre fygure c1420 Ratis R. 606.
The ȝongest sister of thai thre … is dem Cheryte the meik c1475 Wall. x. 136.
Quhill deym Natur tuk off ilk byrd … A fayr fethyr c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv. 11.
Me thocht Deme Fortoun with ane fremmit cheir Stude me beforne

3. (One's) mother. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 760.
My bruthyr, my deme & me c1475 Wall. vi. 146.
Tharoff … thi deme maid litill cost Ib. 154.
Thi deme has beyne japyt or thow was born 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 699.
He [that] quhylum was borne pure of his deme a1500 Henr. Fab. 215 (B).
I keip the ryt and custome of my deme 1558-66 Knox II. 319.
We call hir nott a hoore, (albeit hir deame heard more than we will wrytt)