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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, v. Also: desir, -sier(e, -syir, -syer, desseir; desair(e, -sayre, -sayer; disier, -syir, dissire, -yre, dyssire, -yre, dysir, dissayre. [ME. desyre (dessire, dissyre, etc.), desire (c 1230), OF. desirer (L. dēsīderāre).]

1. intr. To wish strongly or earnestly to (be, have, etc.). a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 471.
Quhene I desyrit barnis to hafe, Thane wes I fule a1400 Leg. S. l. 825.
I dyssyre my flesch and blud To gyf for hyme 1456 Hay I. 41/15.
Ilkane desyrit to be lord and maister Ib. 114/13.
Thare suld … na gude man of were … desire to be richit [etc.] c1475 Wall. i. 367.
On a tym he desyrit to play Ib. iv. 371.
Now I desyr this north land for to se a1500 Bk. Chess 196.
Euery man desyris naturally To leir & knaw & heir of novelte 1513 Doug. i. v. 53.
As thou desyris, the cite salt thou se a1540 Freiris Berw. 320.
Quhat meitis desyre ȝe for to haif 1549 Compl. 43/17.
Tha … desirit to lyue in villagis and landuart tounis c 1567 Melville Corr. 232.
Hir Majestie dissirit to knaw quhow mony stayns theyre is of the chayne 1581 Burne Disput. 171 b.
Albeit Beze desyris rather to behald the images of Audebert … and Candida 1596 Edinb. Test. XXIX. 235.
I … ordaneis him … the chalmer sa lang as he desyreis to vse the samyn 1611 Lothian Dioc. Synod 107.
Quhatsumevir persoun … disyris to be admittit

2. tr. To have a strong wish for, be eager to have (something).(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2040.
Methink that thai suld of skill Desyre the gud ere than the ill c1420 Wynt. vi. 981.
He desyryd oure mesoure Hey statis wytht honowre 1456 Hay I. 48/29.
Thai desyrit erar were na pes Ib. 101/20; etc.
The end that men desyris in bataill c1460 Consail Wys Man 415.
His wyf, his dochttir, na his seruand, … Desyr nocht c1475 Wall. viii. 1259.
Lang ws in wer gert thaim desyr thair will 1513 Doug. ii. x. 168.
Ded I desyrit, and irkyt of my lyve a1540 Freiris Berw. 268.
It wer mair meit into ȝour bed to be, That now to sit desyrand cumpany 1545 Douglas Corr. 160.
The Kengis grace dessyrit na conqwest nor destrwction of that contre 1562-3 Winȝet I. 4/20.
Quhilk thing we maist ernestlie desvre 1588 King Cat. 7.
Nocht to steile, nor desyre vthermens geir(b) 1405 Douglas Corr. 65.
Yhe desir rather amendis of attemptats done agayn the trewis 1461 Liber Plusc. 336.
It is nocht my wil that ony man think that … I wald desire ony mannis herytage wrangwysly 1490 Irland Mir. I. 12/31.
Thi hienes desirand this gyft of wisdome suld haue thre consideraciounis 1513 Doug. i. ii. 42.
Quhat thou desiris, to thé it doith perteyn For to devys 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxiv.
Our wol … is desirit be all peple, and coft with gret price(c) 1545 Douglas Corr. 158.
I may nocht send ȝour grace so haste an ansur as ȝe dissayre 1627 Fam. Innes 215.
The whitch … I moir desayre then my lyf 1663 Wemyss Corr. 131.
Ther was never any … who desayers mor your Lordship's honor than I have done 1686 Douglas Corr. 381.
Which his Majestie hes been gracieusly pleased to give me as I did dessaire

b. Const. that, or with infinitive clause. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2839.
That I desyre that thow Cume and ly heire besyde me now 1405  Douglas Corr. 64.
Of the qwhilke yhe desire rather that amendis war made than ony mar harme war done tharfor 1456 Hay I. 176/31.
The frendis … desyris accordaunce to be maid betuix thame Ib. II. 77/12.
I have understandin how thou desyris that I war with thee 1533 Bell. Livy II. 40/13.
We desire nowther the goddis nor men to tak ony wraik or punyssement on ȝow 1562 Peebles B. Rec. 282.
Quhilk sowme we desyre to be satifyit and mendit a1570-86 Maitl. F. cvii. 1.
Giff thou desyre thi hous lang stand Aboue all thing luif God and feir

3. To express a wish, make a request, for (something). Also with clause as object, and const. at a person.(1) c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 48/1.
All thi prayer … offer to God, desyrand that he haue mercye of thé 1529 Conv. Burghs I. 508.
That [he] … sall desyir the haill nacioun of Scotland to be frie … for anis pament of custwm 1533 Bell. Livy I. 44/9.
Quhen ony officis or digniteis ar desirit on the commyciall dayis 1549 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 146.
Merioun Craig … desyret the saidis landis in few 1550 Ib. 148.
The taxatioun … desyret by my Lord Governour 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 29.
The said David dyssirit leif and lessens … to byg ane closet apon the baksyd of his hous 1570 Leslie 83.
The … King of France … send ambassadouris in Scotland to the King disiering his concurrance aganis King Henry a1578 Pitsc. I. 325/3.
The king callit on ane ȝemen … and desyrit his abullȝementis 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 259.
This bischop, beand present thair, Desyrit him hame 1596 Conv. Burghs I. 495.
To desyre the samyn [matter] to ceis and stay quhill thai … be … resoluit awysetlie thairanent(2) 1485 Acts II. 171/2.
The said commisseris sal thairfor desire at … the paip to put silence to the said personis barraturis 1496 Acta Conc. II. 18.
Jhone … desyrit at the saidis Lordis that he micht haf had the copy of the sade charter 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 195.
Thai haifand siclyke priuelegis … as salbe deuysit to be desyrit at the said toun a1578 Pitsc. I. 20/22.
To send ane message to Archbaldy … and desyre at him to haue support

4. To request or ask (a person).(a) 1492 Myll Spect. 277/13.
I desyr & besekis ȝow … to opyn & schaw vnto me [etc.] Ib. 286/25.
Quene Massalyne … desyrit Drusious of luf a1540 Freiris Berw. 66.
Freir Robert … hir desyrit the stowp to fill of aill 1548 Treas. Acc. IX. 253.
Desyring thame to speid with all delegence towart my lord governour 1552 Corr. M. Lorraine 358.
We dessyirrit them to dail and gif ws wr chois 1553 Prot. Bk. W. Corbet 20.
Thai dissyrit the said Williem to taik the tayne halff in pennyworthis 1573 Rec. Earld. Orkney 135.
Desyrand thame to decist and ceise fra thair sister part of landis 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 101.
Thi mother … desyrit the said Margret Leyis to keip to hir [etc.] 1640–1 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 78.
Ye were desyrit ernestlie to have all provisione that might be had of that kynd(b) 1533 Bell. Livy I. 103/3.
Ȝoung Terquyne … tharefore desirit thame to schaw thame benevolus to his grete materis 1566 Rep. Menzies MSS. 9.
We pray and effectuuslie desir ȝow to permitt thaim to occupie … the same landis 1569-73 Bann. Memor. .
I … desyrit ȝow and ȝet desires to propone to ȝourself the duik of Alvais example 1570 Leslie 146.
He send ane legatt to the King … desiering him most effecteouslie to be most war with these pestiferous errouris(c) 1614 Highland P. III. 169.
To desair Cadell … to use all the menis ffor inteaking the houss of Dunavege