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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

S(c)hent, v. Also: schentt, schend, scheynd. P.t. and p.p. s(c)hent, schant. [ME and e.m.E. schent (Orm), p.t. and p.p. of scenden, scanden, also shynden, OE scęndan (also gescęndan) (scęnde, -scęnded).In ME ‘after the 15th c. the word occurs in literary use almost exclusively in the p.p. shent’ (OED).]

1. tr. To put to shame; to bring low in estimation; to disgrace, humiliate.Chiefly in passive.There is some ambiguity with sense 4 below.In Alex., in various imprecations (after F. hon(n)is soit).Esp. in later use, in collocations with S(c)ham(e n. or v. or their derivatives (? to avoid ambiguity with the senses below).The quot. f. Sat. P. iii given under (1) below may perhaps be an example of shent p.p.(1) pres. ?1438 Alex. ii 2771.
Bot his felony him schentis [F. amatis] all a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1077.
The sege that schrenkis for na schame, the schent might hym schend 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 102.
Thame [supra fair ladeys] to defowle, and schent ȝour self betweyn, Is al ȝour lykyngp.t. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4584.
Ȝe … At the tabill sa cruellie me schentp.p. passive 1375 Barb. iv 280.
He … Sped him in hy to the fechting Quhar he discumfyt wes and schent Ib. vii 622. a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 241.
Scho hyre croysit … & than ware thai fullely schent & fore rednes fra hyre went ?1438 Alex. i 284.
I war wele mair than shent, perfay, Gif I … left ȝow in sik perrall heir! Ib. ii 2960.
Throw pure pryde ar mony shent Ib. i 305, etc. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1186.
Than thai wist thair souerane wes schent vnder scheild a1500 Rauf C. 732.
Than the Coilȝear quoke as he had bene schent a1500 Henr. Fab. 1983.
Than will thay eschaip suppois thay suld be schent Id. Robene & M. 71.
Now ma thow sing for I am schent a1500 Seven S. 1142.
And thow wait I am innocent Quhy suld thow gar me than be schent a1500 Bk. Chess 1197. a1540 Freiris Berw. 210.
In lak of iustice this realme is schent allace! Dunb. (STS) lxxi 24. For I am schent and Symond fynd me heir a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. 50/48.
Men … First me dissave syn lauch quhen I am schent 1570 Sat. P. xiv 21.
Than, father slaine, mother was schent a1585 Maitl. Q. 157/134.
Sa ladye … Have pitie of my miserie & lat me not be schentactive a1400 Leg. S. xxx 577.
Thu … for thi fule luste has schent Me, my house, & my cowent Ib. xxxi 391. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9521.
His douchter thow hes schent To thy plesour and thy foull appetyte Ay quhen thow lyst(2) ?1438 Alex. i 951.
Bot I thé venge, shent mot I be! Ib. ii 1452.
Schent worth the armes [F. honnis soit li bras] at that tyde Hald sa lang the nobill steid Ib. 2083.
Schent worth [F. soit de Dieu honnis] he that crabis him ocht! Ib. 2485.
Gif I le, shent mot I be Of lufe and of his maieste! Ib. 5696.(3) a1500 Colk. Sow ii 152.
So suld thay nocht be … thairthrow schent and schamit a1500 Bk. Chess 1505.
Sayand he micht nocht thole ane innocent For his trespas be other schamit or schent 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 174.
War all sic sawys suythfast, with schame we war schent c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 706.
Thow art heir schamelie schent 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 171.
Behald heirof quhat is the finall end Bot dulefull death, schamefullie to be schent? 1567 Sat. P. iii 197.
Thairto his pen wald euer mair be bent Hir for till shame, and bludie Bothwell shent a1568 Bann. MS I p. 15/23.
Obedient sone thow wes … for ws wes … Schamit and schent a1570-86 Maitl. F. 171/72.
For ane bostour no man doutis Bot schent and schamit is with scoutis a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 348.
He that shames shall be shent a1599 Rollock Wks. II 161.
He suffered extreme shame; as we say, he was shamed and schent a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii 47.
I neid not nou to nominat thair names Quhom sho hes shent, and dayly shifts and shames 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 1544.
Hee with shame was shent

b. To be abashed, confused or thrown into confusion in the presence of another. c1420 Ratis R. 1287.
Scho … can nocht … ansuer weil to argwment And be scho trawalyt scho is schent a1500 Henr. Fab. 1960.
He him foirsaw, and fenȝeit to be schent

2. To put to death, kill, murder; to ‘do away with’. a1400 Leg. S. iii 170.
For I wald nocht do hyr entent, Scho dressit me al for to schent c1475 Wall. viii 824.
To gyddyr ar thai went, Apon thair fais, quhar feill Sotheroun was schent a1500 Quare Jel. 390.
It [sc. jealousy] hath bene cause quhy mony one were schent Sum sleuch him self [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 146.
With bow in hand ybent Come dame Beautee, rycht as scho wald me schent 1513 Doug. x xiv 92.
I can na wys beleif … that thé list dedeyn, gif I war schent, Till obey ony … lord Troiane Ib. xiii iii 56.
Quhou mony ways to schent, Quhou feill maneris of deth and of distres 1535 Stewart 23923.
Thir saikles men … Condampnit war to schamles deid and schent Vpoun ane gallous made thame all to de Ib. 35976.
Hir freindis the king that tyme had schent For thair tressone Ib. 57820.
He … did stand Bydand battell. … The Inglisman … Than towart him na narrar wald he go He dred so soir than that he sould be schent 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6268.
To thame all he gaue sic strait commandis … On the gallous but faill his sone to schent 1570 Sat. P. xviii 8.
O wappin violent! That spairit not his greit nobilitie … to be schent c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiii 29.
For Saull by his awin suord wes schent 1604-31 Craig ii 53.
I am shent By that same shirt which Nessus to thee gaue 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 1448.
While their Lord was shent

3. To wound, lacerate or injure (a person, or (a part of) his body, also an animal).(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 1781.
That he be nouther shent nor slane a1500 Henr. Fab. 2191.
The foxe quhen that he saw the volff wes schent, Said to him self [etc.] Id. Orph. 292.
Wyth scharp pikis he had bene schorne and schent c1475 Wall. v 751.
A woman tald how thai his hors had schent a1500 Colk. Sow i 139.
The … hound that cryis most … Ourthrawin, schent & most soir is c1500 Fyve Bestes 149.
Ane litill bird … was bot slane or schent 1513 Doug. iv xii 76.
Thou [sc. Dido] beand thus sa duylfully heir schent 1535 Stewart 40421.
No levand man … hes power other with sword or knyfe … me for to schent or slo a1568 Scott xxxiv 49.
Ȝe schowt as ȝe wer schent 1567 G. Ball. 61.
Be I takin, slaine or ȝit schent(2) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 689.
Throu thair schene scheildis thair schuldiris var schent a1500 Lanc. 1220.
His face was al to hurt and al to schent c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 106 (Ch. & M.).
He schowis on me his schewill mouth & schendis my lippis 1513 Doug. ix viii 77.
In quhat land lyis now, maglyt and schent, Thy fair body? Ib. xi xvi 33.
Quha evir with wond hes schent or violait Thy fair body 15.. Sym & Bruder 127.
His mowth wes schent and sa forschorne, Held nowdir wind nor watter 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii 111.
Gyants … Tormenting and shenting Mens blud of all degreis

b. To damage (a thing); to disturb physically. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 619.
Thair speris in splendris sprent On scheldis schonkit and schent 1513 Doug. i iii 54.
The sey thus trublit … Felt Neptune, and his watir movit and schent Ib. iv viii 37.
I neuer … ȝyt his fader Anchises graf schent Ib. xiii iv heading.
Ardea … by suddand fyre brynt doun and schent 1611 Fugitive Poetry II ii 6/3.
To cloak or cullour what our hearts does rent To prop or plaister what our kirk does shent

c. To weaken physically; to exhaust. c1475 Wall. v 746.
All thair hors ar schent for faut off blud

d. To ‘slash’ a garment, cf. Slashit ppl. adj., appar. with the intention of expressing disapproval. a1570-86 Maitl. F. 440/121.
With clartty silk about thair taillis Thair gownis schant [Maitl. Q. schent] to schaw thair skin

4. To destroy; to overthrow, overcome; to ruin.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 319.
Sancte Nicholas … sawyt thame quhen thai nere schent Ware be the fende & his buschment c1420 Ratis R. 1532.
[They] rakis nocht thocht al war schent Bot thai mycht cum to thar entent a1500 Henr. Fab. 960.
Geue I me schaw I will be schent; … thair followis not bot deid Id. Prayer 85.
O King … In tyme assent or we be schent with deid a1500 Lanc. 1878.
So is the king, so is the puple schent c1475 Wall. vii 195.
Burdeous schent and mony citeis mo 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1554.
For he the dragoun slew, Bel brak and schent Id. Æn. v xiii 46.
Scho thinkis it nocht eneuch … to downbet and schent … Troys town Ib. xiii vi 32. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 122.
Byd he away we ar bot schent 1570 Sat. P. xi 89.
God will … thame schent … that slew my deir Ib. xx 95.
Quha can repent that thay be schent With blude commaculate? a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 21/5.
In court gif thow pleisis remane … Be no lear or ellis thow art schent Id. Maitl. Q. 10/16.
Lord schent all saweris of seditioun 1599 Colville Lett. 207.
For within this moneth my wyf and distressit menȝe be forced to leve the cuntrey, the king refusing to give her a penny of my awin gooddis, so that without hir majesties accustomit grace I am schent for ever, and shall be forcit to starve 1639 Fugitive Poetry II xv 6/4.
To see religion sacked, your countrie schent(2) 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 199.
Quhar schame is lost quyte schent is womanhed

5. Of God: To punish; to damn, condemn (to hell). Chiefly in passive. a1500 Henr. Prayer 37.
Retreit … Thy iust iugement Aganis ws synnaris that servis to be schent a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 859 (Asl.).
And than sall synnaris schrewitly be schent To hell c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 15/22.
Vicis … For quhilk, allace, I servit to be schent 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 109.
And thou fle fra Hym, than art thou schent c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS 36b/102.
To se thé schent my [sc. Christ's] sorrow may nocht slaik c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5875.
In tyme be penitent, Or ellis that day ȝe wylbe schent 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10727.
O Sathans seid all schent a1561 Norvell Meroure 20a.
I may not suffre that one of them be shent 1567 G. Ball. 39.
Than sall He … saif thame that they be not schent a1568 Maitland Bann. MS 14a/196.
[Christ] Redemyng releiving Ws quhen we war all schent a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 100/64.
The wicked … Quhome in his wraith the Lord will schent a1585 Maitl. Q. 251/10.
O God … My sinnes forgeve and let me not be schent a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 48.
Thow … no wais wald thayme schentt

b. To blame, censure, rebuke, revile. 1513 Doug. ii ii 124.
Calcas held his tong … Refusyng with his word ony to schent

6. To cause to suffer mentally or emotionally; to distress greatly or unendurably.Common in passages referring to the suffering of lovers.(1) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 201.
His moder said: ‘Sueit Sone, Thou hes ws schent, For we Thé soucht with gret dollour & pane' c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 187/8.
Quho had all riches … And wer not satefeit … With povertie I hald him schent 1513 Doug. vii v 137.
A thousand ways folkis to ennoy and schent Ib. xiii v 113.
Thus said he wepand sadly, as man schent Id. Exclam. 34.
Sum … has sik custum to … bakbyte, That, but thai schent sum, thai suld bryst for syte 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xl 239.
Now scornit, now scurgeit, … Imprissonit, and sindrie fassiounis schent a1585 Maitl. Q. 202/51.
Hir visage pale declarit hir to be schent 1648 Fam. Innes 239.
James Grahm his sad catastrophe hath almost schent ws all hear a1700 Mare of Colinton 77.
‘Master,’ quoth this meir, ‘ye shent you, For my distemper to torment you’(2) 1513 Doug. iv ix 51.
That maist wrachit bed coniugall, Quharin I perychit and wes schent, allace! 1540 Lynd. Sat. 389.
With siching soir I am bot schent Withowt scho cum incontinent a1568 Scott iv 18.
The wysest scho may sone Sedusit be and schent a1568 Bann. MS 224a/22.
How for that scheyne I am neir schent and slane And nevir to joy lippynnis to cum agane Ib. 226a/38.
Quhither scho schent or scho saif I am hir serwand

7. intr. To be destroyed. a1500 MS Rawl. Q. b. 4 fol. 2b.
Lat vs nocht fylit be … of the flesche that the saule may scheynd a1568 Scott xxxiii 11.
Quhen body, honor, & substance schentis, And saule in perrell