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

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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.

Suspect, Suspek, v. Also: suspec(k, -peik, susspek. P.p. also suspect. [e.m.E. suspected p.p. (1483-4), suspecte (1509), L. suspect-; Suspect adj.]

1. tr. To believe (someone) to be guilty (of a crime, etc.) without evidence or proof; to view (a person or thing) with suspicion, as being in some way dishonest, untrustworthy or false. a. Without const.(1) pres. a1500 Lanc. 1632.
He the iug, that no man may susspek, Euery thing ful iustly sal correk 1547 Cal. Sc. P. I 4.
I suspeik forbye Scottesmen in Carlyle c1677 Curiosities Charta Chest 46.
By … imprisoning such as sall mak opositione to our authoritie or by seizing such as they have reasone to suspeckp.t. 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 233.
That I suspectit ȝow sair I rewp.p. a1400 Leg. S. i 593.
Suspeckit I haf ȝow batht, For ȝe to me has done gret schatht a1538 Abell 30a.
Carance fled & sa wes suspeckit be confessioun of the forsaid twa limmaris 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 199.
Dyueris … evill gevin personis … hes … maid ballattis of defamatioun … and leif the samyn in secrete placis … quhairby dyueris personis … hes suspeckit vtheris be presumptioun a1568 Scott xxvi 46.
Thay blame ilk body, and thay blekit; … Thay sklander saikles, & thay suspectit 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 47.
Chamæleon cheifest ennemy to Dauid … suspectit of the quene, knawing his dowbilnes 1581 Sat. P. xliv 76.
Ȝour maister, Lucifer the Deuill … Cofferit vithin ȝou for feir to be suspectit 1600-1610 Melvill 315.
Quhilk maid me … to be graitlie suspected be the king(2) 1600-1610 Melvill 457.
Ther was na thing sa guid bot might be bathe ill suspected and abbusit

b. Const. for, in, of or with the reason for the suspicion.(1) 1482–3 Acta Conc. II ciii.
Efter he was recusit and suspectit for the cause abone expremit 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 539.
Boithuile … had place to call, … all payntouris … suspectit for working or affixing of the saidis placardis(2) 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 398.
Gif ony war suspectit in ony hereticall point … thay war apprehendit and incarcerat in strang presoun(3) c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 137.
The remanant … For otheris gilt ar suspect of vntreuth 1456 Hay I 260/14.
Men had him suspect of the gerryng sla him be his menys 1502 Treas. Acc. II 348.
Certane personis that wer suspeckit of murthur about Edinburgh 1535–6 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 162.
To keip our porttis one the mercat day fra all countre men and voman suspekit of the pestelens 1549 Compl. 178/26.
There is mony nobil men in Scotland that ar suspekkit of trason 1564 Edinb. B. Rec. III 182.
Schippis laitlie cumin furth of Danskin suspectit of the pest 1569 Warrender P. (SHS) I 66.
Na man had occasion to suspek me off ony onhonest cryme 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 300.
[He] wes suspectit of the skaith the toun men gott at this chais 1576–7 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 160.
Thay and the remanent of thair craft that was suspectit of the said innormortie war callit and accusit thairfoir befoir the minister 1596 Dalr. I 121/13.
Quha ar accused or suspected of [causing] deith 1596 Dalr. II 475/3.
Gif onie hæritickes suspect vs of fraud 1639 Dumbarton B. Rec. 59.
Margaret Cowper … is suspecit of certain poyntes of charming and witchcraft a1651 Calderwood I 117.
Being suspected, infamed, and accused of the errours and hereseis aforesaid(4) 1504 Treas. Acc. II 468.
To tua persounis that wes suspeckit with pestilence and put furth in Dunfermlin 1530 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 107.
Ve ordande Jhone Scot with his complices … quhilkis ar suspekit with this violans pestelans to pas our the vatter

c. Const. object and complement. 1549 Compl. 184/28.
I exort ȝou … that gyf ony of ȝou be suspekkit that ȝe hef bene neutral in tymis by past, that nou ȝe purge ȝou vitht sum vailȝeantnes contrar ȝour enemeis 1596 Dalr. I 330/8.
Quhome he suspected noysum till his cuntrie, cruellie he slew

d. Const. object and infinitive. 1533 Bell. Livy I 156/22.
The Romanis, suspeckand sum occult weris to follow be Mamilius Tusculus … howbeit the samyn nocht opinlie apperit 1549 Banff Ann. I 24.
[It] is suspectit to be mair hande to thair nytboris corne ȝaird nor thair awin 1562-3 Winȝet I 6/29.
The speciall rutis of all mischeif we suspect … to be … pryde and auarice a1570-86 Maitl. F. 285/12.
Gif ȝe freit, find falt, or be offendit, Thair sawis to be suythe sum will suspect 1572–3 Acts III *75/2.
All persounis suspectit to haue ony sic fals contrafatit blankis and antedaittit bullis a1578 Pitsc. I 27/12.
Gif he suspectit thame to tak in ony innovatione 1631 Linlithgow B. Rec. 14 Jan.
That he mett the bagis of quheat quhair he suspectis moir to be wnto nor the act of thirledge beiris c1680 W. Row Blair 250.
The young laird of Swintoun … was suspected to favour the enemy

e. p.p. Suspectit with, to, mistrusted by.Cf. L. suspectus, const. dative. 1533 Bell. Livy I 109/3.
Gif he be suspect [B. suspeckit] with his awne cieteȝanis … quhat vthir confidence may the Latynis haue, bot the said Terquyne to invaid thame on the samyn maner? 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 25.
Sic part of all thay thingis as ane priuat man may haif in this realme not being … suspectit to ane king and assurit of his awin estait

f. Const. for, = as, or, to be (something). 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 222.
Thomas Johnsone … is reput and suspectit for ane commoun [pikare] of caill

g. To regard (a place) with suspicion or apprehension, as a potential source of danger. 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 125.
Becaus they suspected not the laighest part of the craig there was not ane watche in that part of the wall abone

2. To believe (something) to be possible or likely, without evidence or proof; to conceive of, envisage, surmise: a. With simple object. b. With clause object.a. a1570-86 Maitl. F. 286/53.
Gif ȝe be seik sum slychtis ar suspectit 1597 Moysie xxiv.
Freindis mislykis your lang absence frae court, sum suspecting your miscontentment thairof 1708 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 134.
He suspecting some devilrie did break down a slap in another place of the dike and passed overb. 1529 Stirling B. Rec. I 37.
It is suspecit … that tha ar infecit of the sammyn seknes 1533 Boece 276b.
Sum … suspectit that his flattery menit nocht ellis but fraude 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 184.
I suspect thir lesyngis be maid to put ws out of consate with France 1549 Compl. 26/29.
I suspect that his iustice sal extinct oure generatione furtht of rememorance 1559–60 Inverness Rec. I 40.
Desyrand ane acquittance of the geyr he suspekit hym and his vyf wes stollyn out of Johne Damster a1568 Wedderburn in Bann. MS 260b/20.
I suspekkit nocht bot scho wes trew Bot I wes all begylit 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 126.
Ȝe suspect that uther lufe transportis me c1575 Balfour Pract. 384.
Gif ony man suspectis this his partie adversar has ony instrument that may be hurtful … to him, he may … charge the notar … to produce the samin a1578 Pitsc. I 17/2.
All susspitioun and haitrent … quhilk he suspectit the queine buire toward him a1578 Pitsc. I 197/23.
Ane lous man … callit Makgregour quhilk he suspectit gif ony thing war in missing it wald be found … throw his handis 1586 Warrender P. MS 220.
I culd not suspect any … jelewsyes culd be consaved of me

c. To imagine, perceive intuitively. 1639 Baillie I 114.
We hear they [sc. Assembly proceedings] are to be printed; yet we are not content of the delay. The reason of their inholding, I cannot suspect

3. a. absol. To have one's suspicions, be suspicious. b. tr. To be suspicious or apprehensive regarding, to regard as being under threat.a. 1558-66 Knox I 116.
Thei begane to suspect, albeit it was to lett, and … desyred to have returned to thare folkis 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 142.
For certanetie he suspectis of the thing ȝe knaw, and of his lyfeb. 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 535.
He evin than suspectand his liff, said he wald returne to Glasgow

4. tr. To expect, anticipate. a1500 Henr. Prayer 83.
O King … Our sin is huge, refuge we nocht suspect 1531 Bell. Boece I 24.
Suspekand na thing les than sic irruptioun of ennimes 1531 Bell. Boece II 380.
This servand suspeckand na evill, schew that he wes in the freiris of Dunfreis a1538 Abell 79a.
The king suspekand na dissaif he passit fra the host to resaif thame 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 50.
Marveland gretlie … that ony thing suld be suspekit of me bot gud 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3338.
Sa greit ane storme … Baid I neuer, … Nor ȝit my deid sa sair I not suspekkit 1564–5 Inverness Rec. I 119.
My nowris haueand the barne on hyr kne be the fyrre syd, suspecan no ewyll 1566 Inverness Rec. I 138.
Suspecand na ewill bot to haif lewit ondyr Gods peace our soueranis and youris a1570-86 Shaw in Maitl. F. 384/12.
Thair may cum bubbis ȝe not suspek