A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1425, 1490-1617
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Damisel, Damesel, n. Also: damycel(l, -cele, -sel, -sell(e, -sele, -seil(l; damicel(l, -issell, -essel; damysale, -saill, damiesall, damesal, dammesaill; damisoll, -esoll. [ME. damisel (c 1300), -ysel, -esele, etc., variants of dameisele, -aisele, OF. dami-, dameisele, later damoisele: see Damosell.] A young woman, esp. of noble or gentle birth; a young female attendant.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xlix. 17.
Be the wyndou hapnyt sit … A damycele c1420 Wynt. viii. 4659 (W).
With a towell a damyceill [C. -seil] Wypit the wall a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 2351.
Sche had no knycht, sche had no damyseill a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2768.
The child bad tak this damysele, And spulȝe now c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. ix. 25.]
[Rise, damycele, and the damycele raase(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 4042.
The doytyd qwennys off that land, And damysellys yhong and awenand 1490 Irland Mir. I. 151/14.
His humyll seruand and damycell c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 456.
As thir damysellis [dois] for derne dotit lufe 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 196.
Ȝyng virgynys, and fair damycellis 1533 Boece i. iv. 40 b.
That with Pichtis mariage suld be maid, Scottis virginis and damysellis to thame suld be gevin 1562-3 Winȝet I. 79/8.
I thi seruand and the sone of thi damicel a1568 Scott iii. 50.
And ȝe defend nocht damissellis defame 1617 Sutherland Corr. 131.
Ane act maid that quha revischid ane damisell … it suld be trasone(c) 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 281/27.
I … sall cast me to luf nane bot vyrgynis & ȝoung damessellis c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 147.
First … Come dame Bewte … Syne folowit all hir dameselis yfere a1578 Pitsc. I. 146/4.
The matrounis wnderstanding this damesell dessawit in this matter 1587-99 Hume Ep. Reader 6/8.
The assemblies of yong gentilmen and yong damesels(d) 1425 Montgomery Mem. 9.
He sal hald the said Anny … and a damysale with hir 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 297/21.
All ladyes, damesollis, and gentill wemen of ane gud fame 1513 Doug. xi. ii. 28.
The fresch flowris … Newly pullyt vp … With tendyr fyngeris of the damysaill 1566 Protocol Book of Thomas Johnsoun 153.
The honest damisolis that the said Archbald hes by hir 1611 Brechin Testaments II. 165.
The saidis Katheringand Besse Barclay isbeing single dammesaillis c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 20 (R).
The drerie damiesall Distres, And eik hir sorie sister Hewenes
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"Damisel n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Jun 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/damisel>
