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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.

Resist, v. Also: ra(s)-, ri- and -siste, -syst(e, -cist; -sest. [ME and e.m.E. resiste(n (Chaucer), F. résister (1240 in Larousse), L. resistere.]

1. tr. Of a person: To oppose, or strive against, (a person, assault or hostile action, or a non-material thing (as an idea, influence, etc.)); to withstand by opposition, counterforce or resistance.(1) c1475 Wall. viii 261.
To resist Bruce Wallace him pressit fast 1513 Doug. vi i 123.
The … town of Troy Semyng resist and gaynstand ȝour godhede Ib. xi xiii 84.
Ȝour prowd wordis hait A womanis wapyn sal resist and debait 1515 Reg. Privy S. I 405/2.
With power … to correk, punys and resist the personis waistand and distroyand the said Ile 1533 Boece 260b.
In the myddil warde … Scottis dolflie resistit Britouns 1535 Stewart 34504. 1542 Acts II 417/1.
Gif thai war … resi[s]tit be the saidis personis and thai inobedient tharintill 1567 G. Ball. 120.
Lord, … sinnaris hes thy Celsitude Resistit cruellie 1569 Sc. Hist. Rev. I 40.
I … yit thinks it vnlauchful to resist the very tyrants or vsurpars 1558-66 Knox I 346.
That … soldiouris should abydein the town to maynteane idolatrie, and to resist the congregatioun 1598 Haddington B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 256.
He [promised] … to stay [the] said abuse all that he culd be resisting the people at the ver[ie] place c1615 Chron. Kings 41.(b) c1475 Wall. xi 108.
Wallace … Thaim to rasyst him selff can to thaim draw(2) ?1438 Alex. ii 1834.
Thare wirthit the cieteȝenis … resist the kingis great outrage 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece I 11.
That thay micht the better resist the fury of ennimes 1533 Boece 235.
Fra all partis Romanis drewe to resist the irruptioun of Scottis a1578 Pitsc. I 55/12.
Bot they … resistit the price and held of their adwerssaries 1596 Dalr. II 232/16.
Godly men … quha resisted and ganestuid thair doengs 1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS III xcvii.
That they are bound to resist all treasonable uproares and hostilities raised against the true religion(3) 1490 Irland Mir. I 119/33.
The ressounis and powere of oure scister Dame Mercy are sa strange that na way thai may be resistit c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 205/23.
Quha can resist the serpent of dispyt? 1513 Doug. xiii vii 55.
Fule oft resistand and denyand the weir, … me behuffit susteyn The hard dangeris of Mars 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 934.
To resyste subtell Sensualytie, Strongly thay bene enarmit … Be abstynence 1562-3 Winȝet I 5/20.
Keiping in silence the trew Word … and not resisting manifest errours

b. To prevent (performance of an action), as by counteraction. Also const. infin. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 157/225 (Asl.).
To put in to rememberans Micht no man me resist To dyte how all this thing befell 1529 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 7.
Slauchteris … committit … in defalt of the officiaris and nochtbouris [sic in pr.] that rysis nocht to resist and pvnis the samyne

2. Of a material or non-material thing: To stop or hinder; to be proof against; to prevent (a spear) from penetrating.(1) 1513 Doug. ix xi 93.
Nowder scheld … Nor … hawbrik … mycht it [sc. the spear] resist nor stynt 1562-3 Winȝet II 6/22.
Of sik scharpenes that na armour of thairis may resist it(2) 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 151.
Thay … nolder precheis thair selfis, nor causis precheyng sufficient to be maid to resyste errouris 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2647.
Ȝe may se nouther wisdome nor fors Dow not resist the curstnes of thair cors

3. intr. To resist, in senses 1 and 2 above; to offer resistance.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 696.
Tellis me … gyf … ȝe wil as w[i]thyrewyne Resiste & ȝoure lyfis tyne? a1500 Henr. Deth & Man 8.
Waltownis, castellis, towiris, neuir so wicht May nocht resist [v.r. risist] quhill it [sc. the dart] be at his hert a1500 Lanc. 659.
And ye ar here our few for to recist 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 118.
Nane may it pers, wilt thou resist and stand 1533 Boece 592b.
The defendouris in athir castell stoutlie resisting, na thing be the assaleȝaris was done c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS 36b/135.
Throw sensuall lust thy saule may sone be slane Resist in tyme a1570 Three Reformers 27. 1596 Dalr. II 405/27.
Tha na way can resist(b) 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 204.
It is nocht in my powar to rassest

4. To make resistance to (till, unto) a person or thing; to stand against.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 12.
Hou men to God suld stedfast be … Bot to resyst ay to Sathane & to lordis of mykil mycht c1400 Troy-bk. ii 365 (C).
Thys prest … To the sawes … But [? erron. for of] Anthenore resistit [L. Restitit verbis Anthenori] fast c1420 Wynt. v 3562.
Bot Walentyne … Resystyd ay till hys erroure 1456 Hay I 78/5.
That all thing that takis nature in the warld has, be his nature, to resist to his contraire Ib. 134/10.
Quharefore suld nocht a preste resist to sik thing? c1490 Irland Asl. MS 39/2.
He that resistis to ȝou thairin, resistis to me 1533 Boece 231.
Scottis and Pichtis … be grete hardyment to thame resistit a1538 Abell 27b.
I had … this purpos ay in my mynd bot resistit till it 1563 Davidson Answer 227.
For gif … Paule had nocht resistit unto him, quhat [etc.] a1585 Maitl. Q. 108/11.
I … thocht I could to luiffis force resist c1590 Fowler II 38/10.(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxii 16.
[The laurel-tree] has vertu … Fore to resyst a-gane fyre-slacht Ib. xxx 13.
The corce … Sal wele resist agayne Sathan c1400 Troy-bk. ii 108 (C).
For that he … Resisted than hys fawes ageyne a1500 Quare Jel. 230.
And to recist agaynis tyranny 1513 Doug. viii vii 172.
A hug … scheild Quhilk only mycht resistyng [infin.] into feild Agane the dynt of Latyn wapynnys 1521 Edinb. B. Rec. I 206.
He was redy at all tymes … till resist aganis the Inglismen 1533 Douglas Corr. 141.
And ȝe kene it is nocht bildit til rasist nor diffend agane an gret powar a1605 Montg. Misc. P. lii 11.
Quha ma sic greif resist aganis bot I?

5. To stop.Only in Wall. c1475 Wall. vi 291.
Scho … can him as He wald desist [MS resist] and nocht in Scotland gang Ib. viii 1090.
Bot I rasyst [1570 desist] throw chargis off our consaill, The southmaist part off Ingland we sall se