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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.

Disese, Diseis, n. Also: dises, -esse, disses(e; diseise, -eys, disseis, disceis; dyses(e, dysses, dyseys, -eis; deses, -seys, -seis, -seese, -seas; deceise, -ceas(e; disays, -ais, -ase, diseais, dis(s)ease. [ME. disese (Chaucer), -ease, dissese, dysesse, etc., earlier deses (c 1330), OF. desaise, -ayse.]

1. Discomfort, distress, hardship, trouble.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 563.
To rehers thar auld disese Dois thaim oft-sys confort and ese Ib. v. 73.
It is gud that we samyn ta Dises [E. dissese] or ese, pyne or play a1400 Leg. S. i. 92.
Merciful … Ihesu, in this disese helpe now Ib. xxx. 620.
The monkis … Of hyre dissese had hartis sare 1456 Hay I. 53/29.
Thai war wode for dule and dises Ib. II. 59/33.
He has disese and dule of thair gude c1420 Ratis R. 1039.
Gyf thow wylsauf thé fra schowris Of gret dises c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 281.
This cought I do without dule, & na dises tak(b) 1461 Liber Plusc. 382.
For diseis dayly but dreid I dee a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 30.
Cure & calymite, With dreid, doloure, & eike double diseis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 218/29.
Within vj days efter for diseis scho toke hir child ill 1513 Doug. xii. vii. 72 (Sm.).
Venus … Caucht rewth and piete of hir sonnys diseis c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 344.
Now sall he sit with hunger and diseis … intill ane deip dungeoun Id. Seven S. 7712.
Ȝour sayingis sall do me na diseis a1568 Scott xvi. 33.
I dre the dollour and diseis, Quhen vthiris hes hir as thay pleis a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxxiii. 16.
Alyke sall pleis … Eys or diseys as God sall send 1585 Waus Corr. II. 320.
Ye sall appardoun me that I spak with yow … , my greit disceis was the caus of the same(c) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 731.
Quhare Jhesu … Tholit dysses for-owt sawete Ib. xxv. 389.
A new dysese thane can he tak, Seand his wyf sic sorou mak c1450 Cr. Deyng 156.
A man … thinkis dyses to leif his gret riches c1460 Wisd. Sol. 597.
With gret dyses and afflicione of spreit 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 158.
My wrechit sawle … That gyltles sufferis sik dyseys wrangwisly Ib. xiii. v. 2.
Fame, of dyseys forrydar and messynger(d) 1513 Doug. viii. xii. 91.
Nylus ryver, murnand for thar deseys Ib. xiii. xi. 14 (Sm.).
Thou promyst … eftir deseis soles c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 197.
This we desyre, for to deuoyid deseis In time cumming(e) 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 206.
Understandyng the said Thom to have sustenit gret dampneg and disays in guddis and body a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 28.
The grit disase for luif I dre, Thair is no toung can tell the wo 1582 Coll. Aberd. & B. 353.
[He] is … vexit … everie yeir with ane dolour and diseais in his ene 1591 Reg. Privy C. IV. 578.
Quhair he wes lyand bedfast … in grite disease and dangeir of his lyffe

2. Ill health; illness; a disease or ailment. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 51.
Seknes or disese sere That men tholis til thai are here c1420 Ratis R. 714.
Quhill eild and deses cumyne be 1566 Breadalbane Lett. (Reg. H.).
As to ȝour diseis of ȝour byill that stoipis ȝowe to trawell [etc.] c 1570 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. 652/1.
The deseis … was meist pairt in hir lychtis 1588 St. A. Kirk S. 622.
Catherine Pryde hed ane disais and seiknes a1605 Montg. Son. xxv. 6.
Syn I am … daylie deing of my auld diseis 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 141.
To cure her of ane deseas quhilk schoe hes 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 206.
Giffin … to mak by sic thingis necessar for Collin to tak his disais away 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 121.
Gif it sal happin tham to convales of this present deceise 1639 Maxwell Mem. II. 274.
The onlie denger in a deseese is uhen the caus … is bot gessed at by the doctoors 1673 Edinb. Test. LXXIV. 343 b.
To the chyrudgeone for curing her of ane deceas, xviij lib.