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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.

Suage, Swage, v. Also: suaige, swaige, swadge. P.t. also swaget. P.p. also swagide, swaygyd, suage. [ME suaged p.t. (Cursor M.), swaged p.p. (c1305), swage (Rolle), AF suag(i)er, swag(i)er (OED); Assuage v.]

1. tr. a. To assuage, moderate, alleviate (a strong emotion such as anger, anxiety, sorrow, etc.); also, to assuage (one's anger) by venting it on another. Also, to relieve (a person) of such an emotion.(1) pres. ?1438 Alex. ii 10910.
Alexander, … devysed the mariage; To stanshe thare weir, thare ire to suage
1490 Irland Mir. I 154/6.
Vthire ladeis … soberis and suagis the crabitnes of men
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1020.
Ressaue plesance and do thy sorrow swage
1513 Doug. i iii 100.
He wyth his wordis gan slaik thar mynd and swage
1528 Lynd. Dreme 413.
[Venus'] bewtie … Swagis the wraith of Mars, that god of yre
a1568 Bann. MS 15a/17.
I thé beseik To swaige my pane
c1590 Fowler I 87/24.
Knowst thow not hir … Whose chastlie hart both caused thy lowe and als thy lust did swage?
c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxii 17.
Suaige
1618 Lithgow Poet. Remains 50.
Can bounded reason, boundlesse will not swadge [: rage]?
?1438 Alex. i 545.
To greif His fais, … And suage on thame his matelent
p.t. 1490 Irland Mir. I 159/18.
His lif he offerit for us to His fader, & swagit His ire, His crabitnes and hevy indignacioune agane ws
1570-3 Bann. Trans. 16.
The Englis armie arryved … and the erle of Levenox in thare cumpany, which suaged the furie of men for a tyme
p.p. 1533 Boece 177b.
Be this folie interprise I haue now swageit the vehement affectioun quhilk sa hevilie troublit my mynde
(2) a1500 Seven S. 2201.
[Merlin] said thair was na thing thaim swagis Bot the hedis of ȝone sevyn sagis
c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xiv 17.
Thir thingis scantlie swaget the pepile that thai offrit nocht to thame
15.. Clar. iii 2036.
If that ȝe list reveale Ȝour infortoun [etc.] … It sould ȝow swage sumthing of ȝour dollour

b. To slake (appetite, lust). 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 150.
Thay quha wyl maist vylie swage thair fowle appetite be farsing of thair belleis in tymes forbiddin
1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 171/30.
Oure pastouris … quha … seikis onelie the liberte of thair flesche … sua thai may suage thair insaciable sensualite

c. To satisfy (? imagination, ? curiosity). 1513 Doug. Direct. 69.
Bot quha sa lawchis heirat or hedis noddis Go reid Bochas in the Genolygy of Goddis Hys twa last bukis sall swage thar fantasy

d. To reduce, relieve (a swelling). a1500 Henr. Practysis 33.
With the snowt of ane selch, ane swelling to swage
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxiii 88.
It will spout Gif that the tryackill cum nocht tyt To swage the swalme of my dispyt

e. To put out, extinguish (a fire). c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxi 43.
Thy angell withe thame abod the fyre to suaige, That hurtt was no hair of thair heid

2. intr. a. Of the sea, floodwaters, pain, etc.: To abate, subside, die down. b. Of a person, or a human attribute or emotion: To calm down, become composed.a. (1) c1420 Wynt. i 412.
Noe … send furth the rawyn Till get wyttyng … Gyf that the flude begowth to swage
c1420 Wynt.i 422.
Be that thai kend and wndyrstude In part that swaygyd wes the flude
c1420 Wynt. i 520.
Swagide
c1420 Wynt. i 1016.
Swagyt
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1350.
This brukill eird, … Me thocht I saw birne in ane fyrie rage Of stormie sey quhilk micht na maner swage
a1568 Bann. MS 256b/8.
My curege hes tane to swaige rycht lait efter none
personified 1513 Doug. ix i 80.
Nylus … efter the gret fludis watry rage, Returnys swagit to hys auld passage
(2) a1500 K. Hart 925.
This brokin schyn, that swellis and will nocht swage
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 602.
Sum leuis in hope, and sum in greit thirlage, Sum in dispair, sum findis his panis swage
b. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 828.
Lat the riche man rage And fecht in his curage, To swyng with suerd quhil he suage
1535 Stewart 40236.
In ȝouthheid … To lust and plesance alway gif consent, … Thairefter in eild quhen passit is the rage, Sic wit in thé sall suampit be and suage, And euirilk da be menischit les and les
1560 Rolland Seven S. 210.
In mariage … Quhat euer chance, ȝe suld haue cheritie Giue ill wordis cum, than lat ȝour malice swage
a1568 Bann. MS 217a/15.
Gud hoip with lachand cheir … biddis me lat all sorrowis swage Quhen I think on my lady deir

3. Of a person or thing: To waver, vacillate, deviate from a set course. Also in fig. context.Cf. Swey(e v. and the etymological note there.(1) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1857.
Of planeitis all the coniunctiounis Thair epistillis and oppositiounis War portrait thair and how thair coursis swagis
(2) 1567 Sat. P. v 8.
Na way lat ȝoure fais offend ȝow, Bot gif ȝow counsell and curage Bauldlie … to bend ȝow, That ȝe do nouther swerue nor swage

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"Suage v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/suage>

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