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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rande(z)vous, Rende(z)vous, n. Also: randes(z)-, randiz-, randi(e)-, (randa-), rendes-, rendi-, rendee- and -vo(u)se, -vouz(e, -vo(u)es, -vowes, -vouez, -vouize, -voy(e)s, -vow(e, -vouye, -vooze, -wous(e, -wouz(e, -wowze, -woues, -wowes, -woyes, -woos; randezeavous. Pl. -vous, -vouze; -voise and -vouses, -ies, -vouces. [e.m.E. randeuous (1594), -vow(es, -vouze, randezvouz (1672), rendevous (1591), -vou, -uouz, rendezvows, -vous, -vouz, F. rendez-vous (16th c.) an appointment to meet, a place of meeting.]

1. A muster of the militia; the occasion of the muster.Freq. with reference to the regular annual muster; see Militia n. note.General randezvous, the bringing together of a number of local militia units.(1) sing. (a) 1651 Elgin Rec. II 363.
A gryt randizvooze off three parishes in the mure off Elgin 1657 Balfour Ann. IV 8.
Leiuetenant Generall Lesley hauing appoynted a randeszwouse of his forces at Brechin 1677 Stirlings of Keir 510.
Randezvouse 1678 Rothesay B. Rec. 362.
They takeing to ther consideratione the randezvous appoynted 1692 Reg. Privy C. MS (Reg. H.) 10 May.
Recomendation … to view the fencible men in Edinburgh in the present randezvouze(b) 1608 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 108.
Who making his first randevous at Ila … may frome that, coist the haill Illis boith south and north 1627 Bk. Carlaverock II 96.
He … was waged soldier to … ane of Makky his capitanes and tuik all advantage off him, evin wnto the last randewoues 1643 Acts VI i 44/1.
That the first trupes of horse or foote souldieres … doe repair furthwooth eftir the first randivous 1643 Baillie II 118.
The Scots armie … had not their randivouze before the 29th December 1644 Inverness Rec. II 185.
Randivouize 1645 Elphinstone Chart. II 191.
A randevous vpon Saterday nixt 1657 Balfour Ann. III 293.
Randewous Ib. 302.
Randewowze 1671 Forbes Baron Ct. 283.
Randiwowes 1671 Elgin Rec. I 313.
He shall keep and observe the militia dayes and vther mustering dayes of the randivoes whenever required Ib. 314.
Randiwoos 1675 Edinb. B. Rec. X 223.
The millitia redgement may be in readiness at the usuall tyme of randivoues 1677 Ib. 309.
Randevoyes 1678 Red Bk. Menteith I 418.
Randivouse 1683 Inverness Rec. II 316.
Randevouze 1689 Elgin Rec. I 347.
Randewouz 1689 Foulis Acc. Bk. 111.
For dinner and wine at Leith after the randevouz [ed. randeboug] 16.. Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 203.
The common moor of Renfrew; the ordinary place of randevouse of the militia of that county(c) 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 6.
That the rendevouez both of foote and horss be at the Milnetoun in Urr paroche, upon the sexteine day of this instant 1649 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 571.
A rendezvous is appointed by Calander to be of horse and foot at Steuarton till nixt Monday 1669 Acts VII 554/2.
Concerning the militia … that … ther be allowed to each footman sex schilling Scots, and to each horsman, eightein shilling Scots, everie day of the rendezvous to be payed by the heretors 1672 Ib. VIII 58/2.
All the officers and souldiers to horse or foote shall at the first rendevouse of each regiment or troupe … take the oath of allegiance a1686 Turner Mem. 110.
His lordship … to appoint a rendevous for these dispersed troopers Ib. 164.
Rendes-vous 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 318.
Rendesvouze Ib. 320.
Rendevouz 16.. Abercrummie Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 14.
The ancient custome of our nation that the kings vassals were conveened in the feild lyke a rendee vous of souldiers(d) 1648 Ayrsh. Coll. XI 19.
The cuntrie people conveened at a randevowe on Mauchline Mure 1668 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 15.
Payeing of the souldeors ilke a day of their randivow 1670 Dumfries Doc. (Mil. Doc. No. 15).
To the tounes militiamen £12 Scots as their pay for thre dayes randevouye(e) 1648 Ayrsh. Coll. 2 Ser. XI (1976) 22.
I shewe my resolution to marche to a randezeavous at Stewartowne, where the Earle of Eglingtowne withe some of his friends did meett me in the wayepl. 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 296.
Their randesvouze and meitting places 1666 Wemyss Corr. 133.
We … shall keep the gentlemen … att their several rendevous 1669 Kelso Baillie Ct. 49. — 1664 Lauderdale P. I 201.
I had severall allarms of randevouces [pr. randevances] and meetings 1665 Ib. 214.
Randivousies 1685 Acts VIII 483/2.
The ordinary rendezvouses of militia [to be] discharged, unless [etc.] 1689 Act 14 March.
Places to be appointed for randezvouses(2) 1684 Stirling B. Rec. II 42.
[The bailies] to meitt with the officeris of the touns militia companie for setling of the bodies of men to goe furth to the generall randievouze 1689 Melville Corr. 113.
Randevose 1696 Banff Ann. I 167.
The heall inhabitants … to meet on Wodensday nixt … within the buttes in ane generall randiewoyes in ther best armore and apparrall and therafter to wisett and sight the marches [etc.]

b. The place appointed for such a muster. 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 378.
Strathvllie, which wes the randivouze appoynted for their meitting 1641 Acts V 385/2.
That there be ten thousand foote … transported to what randevoues in Germany shall be thought expedient — 1641 Acts V 398/2.
[4000] men in armes whoise randevoise were at Innerrary and Clauchandysert

c. To mak (one's) randezvous in or at a place, to assemble for a muster. Also fig. ?1639 Old Ross-shire I 216.
Men … levied out of the presbetries of Inverness, Dingwall [etc.] … make thair randavouse at Elgin 1640 Lanark Presb. 21.
To make their randewoues in Biggar 1643 Acts VI i 43/2.
To be in readines to mak thair randivous thus armed at the places to be appoynted 1667 Culross I 338.
Randesvowes 1667 Edinb. B. Rec. X 33.
Rendivouzefig. 1629 Boyd Last B. 361.
The last and most corrupt age, wherein the verie confluence of all the corruptions of former ages haue made their randie-vowes

d. To keip (the or a) randezvous, to attend a muster; to attend an armed assembly.(1) 1647 Falkirk Baron Ct. 12 Oct.
Taking notice how my lordis vassellis and tennentis ar provydit with airmeis and in the keiping of the randievowes appoyntit for that effect 1649 Moray Synod 95.
Randiwous 1650 Cramond Presb. Fordyce 24.
Keiping the randevouse of the shyre at Keith 1650 Elgin Rec. II 273.
The gentlemen heritours … intimate … to keip the randevous and to march from thence to the armie 1669 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III 60.
The … whilk article the said David Carmichaell … hes contraveined by appoynting the said William Oliphant his leivtennent and countenanceing of him … in keeping of randizwous 1680 Highland P. I 318.
They have not keept the rendevouze(2) 1657 Balfour Ann. III 354.
Or hes keipet randeszwous, committies or aney publick meittings, for aduancing the enimies seruice

e. attrib. with day. 1678 Rothesay B. Rec. 362.
The said twenty sixth day to be a generall randevoys day of the haill twenty pund land betwixt sixty and sixtein with ther armes 1678 Stirling Chart. 514.
I still sett my horse to the randivouze day

2. transf. Applied to a Covenanters' field conventicle.With the phr. randezvous of rebellion, cf. Randezvouzer n. and Rande(z)vouz(e)ing vbl. n. b. 1678 J. Brown Hist. Indulgence (1783) 286.
Their design of banishing these solemn assemblies, these royal rendezvouses of Christ's militia 1670–87 Fraser in Sel. Biog. II 342.
So far was I from judging those meetings ‘rendezvouses of rebellion’, as the archbishop termed them 1685-8 Renwick Serm. 177. 1688 Elegie Death James Renwick 7.
These soul-enriching randezvouse Of Christ's militia, in the fields or house

3. An appointment or arrangement to meet at an agreed place; the meeting place itself. 1636 Rep. Maxwell-Stuart Mun. 35.
The Hollanders busches have their randevous … in Orknay 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 171.
Therein wes a paper wher the randeswouze and place of meitting was writtin a1658 Durham Commandments (1675) 236.
There is your drinking … after the burial of friends … as if that gave a call, and made a rendezvous to drink 1661 Elgin Rec. II 299.
When she went from hir husband to her randivoues in the night