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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.

Ofspring, n. Also: off- and -spryng(e; ospryng(e; also Afspring. [ME. and e.m.E. ofspring(e, -spryng(e, etc., off- (Orm), ME. also ospryng(e (13–14th c.), ospringe, hospring, oxspring (Cursor M.), OE. ofspring.]Appar. much commoner in literary than in record texts and very common in Doug. Æn.

1 . The offspring or progeny, posterity or descendants, of a person or persons.Also applied to a single child, and said of the descendants of animals.Passing into next sense.(a) 1375 Barb. xx. 615.
[God] grant … that thar ofspryng Lede weill the land
Ib. i. 155. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2662.
Idumerus left of his ofspring … liffand sonnes twa
c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 68.
Nan was worthy of His ofspryng to pay that ransone for the oreginall syne
1456 Hay I. 106/25. 1490 Irland Mir. II. 5/3. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxv. 15.
Thy dyng ofspring maid ws to syng
1513 Doug. vi. xiii. 3.
Rekkyn our Troian ofspring all and sum
Ib. i. v. 95, vi. xiii. 61, vii. i. 169; etc. 1533 Gau 48/17.
He [the devil] haid drawine al his ofspring sutellie fra thair richt lord
1538 Black Bk. Taymouth 182.
The gud and profiit of him his sone Evir thar ofspring considerat
1562-3 Winȝet I. 125/16.
Nocht only in tyme of his wickit ofspring bot also in the days of the maist godly King Josias his oy
a1578 Pitsc. I. 163/17.
The intertening of great horse and meiris quhairby thair ofspring might florisch
1596 Dalr. I. 132/7.
And to his eftircumeris & ofspring
(b) c1420 Wynt. vii. 2341.
Offspryng [C. osprynge]
1456 Hay II. 46/32. c1475 Wall. x. 472.
[Thou] that suld be our rycht King That willfully dystroyis thin awne off spryng
1568 Lyndesay Pref. 402.
Quhen ane pure man with his haill raice and offspring hes laubourit out thair lyfis on ane lytill peice of ground
1574 Davidson Three Reformers 104.
Unto our offspring
(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 338.
Osprynge

2. a. The fact of descending from some ancestor; ancestry, birth, descent, origin. b. The persons descended from a common ancestor; lineage, race, stock. c. fig. 1375 Barb. i. 50.
For he wes cummyn off the offspryng Off hyr that eldest systir was
Ib. xiii. 709.
Of his ofspring
c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2028 (D).
One knycht Bot nocht cummyne of duke nor kynge Ne was not of so hie ofsprynge
c1420 Wynt. v. 3164.
For he wes neyst off thare offspryng
Ib. 3274. Ib. vi. 1943.
This was Makbethys ofspring [C. osprynge]
1513 Doug. iv. vi. 94.
Had I [Dido] a child consavyt of thyne ofspryng
Ib. xiii. x. 57.
Scho sall … Bair childryng … Of quhais ofspryng sik men sal succeid that [etc.]
Ib. i. xi. 70, v. ii. 8. 1560 St. A. Kirk S. I. 63.
[He] … bacbyted me, all my lynage and ofspring, saying that he haid entered amang theves [etc.]
1596 Dalr. I. 3/31.
The same peple … oft names the Inglise men Saxons frome thair ofspring
Ib. 67/5.
That men … to the godis suld ascriue thair birth and ofspring
fig. c1420 Ratis R. 305.
Succudry, Fellony … inwy; Prid is the stok at thai grew in … Come neuir bot euil of thar ofspring

3. In south-west Scotland. a. Rendering L. seges, = crop, fruit, produce. 1596 Dalr. I. 14/16.
Of it [Silurie] ar rekned thrie partes … In thir thrie … ar gret ofspring [L. seges] and that of nobilitie; thair ar knichtes, barrounis [etc.]

b. The product or yield of a farm animal.As its young, its milk, wool, etc. 1677 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 246.
Tva ky … togider with the ofspring and profit calff and milk
1696 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 625.
[40 sheep] with the product and ofspring therof

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"Ofspring n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ofspring>

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