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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Vanis, Wanis, v. Also: vanys(e, vanes, wanys, wanes, vaneis, vanis(c)h(e, wanische, wenisch. [ME and e.m.E. vanyssche (c1340), wanyse (c1440), vanish (1535), OF evaniss- Evanisch v.] intr.

1. To disappear from view. a. In mysterious or supernatural circumstances or in a dream. Chiefly const. away, fra. b. Of a geographical feature in the circumstances of a journey.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii 313.
Paule apperit to Nero … And sad … Be-hald and se I am nocht dede Bot lestand lyf in hewine I led. And waful wrech I sa thé now That lestand ded de sall thu … And thar-with wanyste he away a1400 Leg. S. xlii 279, 280.
Hewinely men of marmour fyn A tabil mad & lad it syne By the cors & away son Thai vanist but ony hone, Of thar sicht wanest away, & neuire ware sene to this day 1456 Hay I 42/31.
To cum about him [sc. Romulus] sik a cloud that na man … mycht se him, nor na bit of his body, bot vanyst fra thair sicht away c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 166/48.
Ane fieind he wes … He vaneist away with stynk and fyrie smowk … And I awoik 1513 Doug. v xii 138.
Thus hes he [sc. Anchises] said, and with that word, but mair, Vanyst away, as the reik in the ayr(b) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 347.
This doolie dreame … Brocht to ane end Cresseid fra it awoik And all that court and conuocatioun Vanischit away a1578 Pitsc. I 259/4, 5.
This man wanischit away and could in no wayis be sen nor comprehendit, bot wanischit away as he had bene ane blink of the sone 1607 Crim. Trials II 524.
[He] haifing namit the said Issobell, be hir name, scho immediatlie thaireftir vaneischit away 1630 Justiciary Cases I 146.
He haifing ressauit that respons fra the devill the said Alexander thaireftir cuists him the kat quha thairuith vanischet away(2) a1400 Leg. S. xix 267.
With that Criste fra hyme wanyst c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2812.
Scho … With the weschell and the bones Frome thare sicht wanyst all-attones; Richt as one cloud, and [n]euir syne seyne c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xxiv 31.
And the een of thame war opnyt, and thai knew him; and he vanyschit fra thar een(3) p.t. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1620.
With that word he vanist [Bann. vaneist] and I wokep.p. a1500 Henr. Orph. 113.
And quhen scho wanyst [Bann. vaneist] was and invisible Hir madin wepit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5014.
Sa sone as that image fell but dout, … the fire was quenchit out. The baths twa was vanischit out of sichtb. 1513 Doug. iii vi 109.
Set thi cours adoun From Itale towart the cost of Sycilly, And the strait sowndis of the mont Pelory Vanysys [Sm. wanysis, Ruddim. wanyssis] away peys and peys, than the land Strekis all tyme towart the left hand

2. a. Of a material thing: To rot, decay, be destroyed, cease to exist. b. Of cloud, darkness: To dissipate, disappear. c. Of a non-material thing: To disappear from perception, memory, knowledge or reality, to cease to exist.Also const. away.a. c1420 Ratis R. 1625.
Misteris of sciens … for couatice Ar blindyt … With warldly corrumppit qualytee, That failȝeis fautly ilke day And vanis vrechitly away c1460 Wisd. Sol. (STS) 120.
Al thinge that vndir the sone was, rotit and vanist away 1513 Doug. v ix 68.
This schaft, fleand in the moyst ayr, Brynt in a bles, and the randoun alquhar With low and flambys gan do notyfy, And, al consumyt, vanyst in the sky c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 13.
Ye ar salt of the erde: that gif the salt vanyse away, quharein sal it be saltit? 1596 Dalr. II 386/22.
Dauid Panter bischop of Rosse, and James Stuard, … baith ar schortlie deid, and declairet in that sam tym that al erdlie thing vanissis c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 134.
Quhat so ever waxis auld, It wenischis awayb. 1490 Irland Mir. I 128/12.
The tyme of myrknes of the nycht vanysis, and gret licht of day incressis 1513 Doug. i ix 13 (Sm.).
The clude about thame swith was brokin, And wanist tyte away amang the airc. 1513 Doug.xii vii 95.
Suddanly the payn vanyst als cleyn Of hys body, as thocht it had beyn Bot a dyrlyng 1531 Bell. Boece I xi.
Gif thow be honest lauboure dois ane thing, Thy panefull laubour sall vanes but tarying, Howbeit thy honest werkis do nocht so 1531 Bell. Boece I xii.
Quhay dois thair life into this erd consume Without virtew, thair fame and memorie Sall vanis soner than the reky fume 1533 Gau 31/12.
Quhen he [sc. man] gettis ony aduersite or persecutione, thane it [sc. faith] wanissis and wauers as ane dreyme 1535 Stewart 37457.
Him thocht that tyme he hard ane voce apeir, Quhilk said [etc.] … Quhen this wes said the voce vaneist awa 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 163/1.
Gif his [sc. the king's] behauioure be licht or dissolute [the people] uill conceaue præoccupied conceatis of the kings inuairde intention quhiche althoch uith tyme … it uill uanishe by the euidence of the contraire euents, yett [etc.] 1673 Lauder Notices Affairs I 71.
Yesterday we heard a great many fancies … so wild and louse when I gript them they vanish't, when I thought I had them fast: at the opening of my hand it was gone in fumo, like the hopes of ane alchymist

3. a. Of a thing: To become worthless in some way; to lessen in amount; to cease to fulfil a function. b. Of a person: To become worthless, foolish or vain (in one's mind).Also const. away.a. a1500 Colk. Sow iii 15.
How suld a penny fruct contrar nature Sen gold … and alkyn vre Fynit be folkis vanisis, and nocht incressis a1578 Pitsc. I 37/13.
Gif we do not bot dissent amang our selffis, regairding our awin prevat wining mair nor the weillfair of the realme then our awin geir and substance sall wanische away, our selffis and bairnes put to wraik and … the king sal be in danger 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 107.
Their came ane hear be tymes, and souckit a milk kow … quhairthrow the kow wanist away, and gaif bluid instead of milkb. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. i 21.
Quhen thai had knawne God, thai glorifiit Him nocht as God, nouthir did thankingis, bot thai vanysit [Vulg. evanuerunt, AV became vain] in thare thouchtis and the vnwise hert of thame was mirkit 1551 Hamilton Cat. 126.
Mony Gentillis … wald nocht … serve Him, as thair God … and swa thai vanissit away in thair mynd be ydolatrie and uthir abhominabil synnis, and sa thai perischit a1568 Scott xxxvi 23.
In filth, lo! I begyn and end, By syn maternall I am send, With vyce I vaneis and mon wend 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 122.
There being nathing in that mind of ours but vanity and error quhereby we vanish away, and can never bide at na good purpose a1599 Rollock Wks. II 496.
If thou gettest that Spirit, then light shall be offered and given to thee; but if thou vanishest in thy mind and followest thy wit except thou castest away thy reasoning, read not one word [of the Scriptures]