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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.

Desire, Desyr(e, n. Also: desyir(e, desier, desayr; dessir, deshir; disyr, -ier, dissyre, -ir. [ME. desyre (1303), desir(e, etc., OF. desir.]

1. Desire as a feeling. Also const. of.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 315.
To fulfil hir fals desyre, Scho brynt as scho had been in fyre 1456 Hay I. 284/33.
The desyre of wynning of warldis gude Ib. II. 143/33.
At his desyre and appetite a1500 Henr. III. 126/11.
Thy kindome and thy grit empyre … Sall nocht indure at thy desyre a1500 Bk. Chess 154.
Suld God haue maid thi cors in quantite Lyk to thi will and thi desyr c1500-c1512 Dunb. lvii. 16 (M).
Sum beiris as he wald ga wod For hot desyir off warldis gude 1513 Doug. iii. i. 112.
Thai war al of a will and a desyr, To pas furth of this wareit realm of Trace c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2017.
Quhareof he had ardent desyre, Tyll iune that land tyll his impyre a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxviii. 22.
So my desyire … dois soir lament my luif absent 1596 Dalr. I. 51/19.
Sa gret desyr … thay haue to be quhair thay war bred Ib. 62/2.
Throuch desyre to knawe quhat was in thame 1624 Rep. Southesk MSS. 15.
He hes a great desyr to hawe much land in Scotland(b) 1456 Hay I. 211/25.
Gif it war sa, that every man suld lyve efter his appetite and singulare desire Ib. II. 154/2.
With grete desire to have … mare costly thingis 1570 Leslie 167.
Gredie desier of riches or honger of money(c) c1460 Consail Wys Man 3942.
Thus is man theif als weil … , For his dissir as for his deid a1500 Lanc. 2435.
Bot wysly sche abstenit hir dissir c1552 Lynd. Mon. 257.
That … he me inspyre To wrytt no thyng contrarye his disyre

b. With a or in plural. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1671.
In this same time that Grekes was Ameved … Throw a blind fulische desyre 1456 Hay I. 299/32.
A king suld be of grete temperaunce of lustis, and naturale desyris and inclynaciouns a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1340.
Thi desyris with ressoun for to dant Applye the plaster of pennans penitrant 1533 Bell. Livy II. 182/7.
All the princis and nobillis … apponit thame … aganis thir desiris 1562-3 Winȝet I. 4/16.
Our ressonable desyris being knawin 1567 G. Ball. 185.
Our blind desyris sen we may not fulfill

2. An expressed desire; a request.(a) c1420 Wynt. vi. 96.
To the Pape inclynyd he noucht, … Na the Papys lele desyre He dyde noucht 1496 Acta Conc. II. 23.
The chancellar and lordis … grantit to his peticione and desyre 1513 Doug. i. xii. 5.
Thi desyre [v.r. desyir] … is Renewing of ontellabill sorow 1535 Stewart 47018.
Ane herald sone onto Scotland he send, With his desyr onto the haill barnage c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4126.
Now, haue I done declare, at thy desyris, As thow demandit a1578 Pitsc. I. 298/19.
The Duike of Albanie, obedient to the King of France desyir, pat the realme in ordour 1600 Misc. Bann. C. I. 171.
Quhat euer I spak to the counsall, I had thair desyre and voit thairto(b) 1474 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 29.
Thair desire resonable [being] considerit, to the … obseruing of the said desiris … we have assentit 1500 Ib. 81.
The quhilkis desiris, statutis, diuisis, and reulis was thocht expedient 1531 Bell. Boece I. 204.
The King, … condiscendit to thir desiris 1535 Stewart 4578.
We haif considderit weill All ȝour deshir als far as we haif feill 1564 Peebles B. Rec. 298.
Gif the tovne grauntit the said William … his dessir of the said office in lifrent 1570 Leslie 151.
The King of France being wonderous glaide of his desier ansuerit [etc.](c) 1488 Red Bk. Grandtully I. 170*.
The parteis and thar dissyris, thar petiscionis, writtis, witnessingis be vs rasauit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3269.
Sen I haif schawin, at thy disyre, Quhat man began the first impyre 1576 Douglas Corr. 213.
I shalbe most willeng to accomplesh your disier 1652 Wemyss Corr. 114.
My disyr preuailing … with your Lordship

3. An object of desire; the thing desired. 1456 Hay I. 7/21.
Quhen the peple of God was wantoun, efter that he had send thame all thair desyris 1474 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 31.
Thairto we assentit and grantit tham thair desyris a1500 Rauf C. 109.
Ane ryall rufe het fyre war my desyre c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4070.
The Iowis that day gat thare desyre, Quhilk thay did aske a1578 Pitsc. I. 364/9.
With all wther kynd off all necessaris and plesouris and desyiris