Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

(Scarsity,) Scarsitie, Scairsitie, -tie, n. Also: scarc-, scarss-, skars-, scares-; scairc-, skairs-, skairc-, skairsh-, skairch-, skairth-; skears-, skearc-, skers- and -ité, -ity, -etie, -etye, -tye. [ME and e.m.E. skarsete (a1370), scarsetee (Chaucer), scarste (Wyclif), OF escharsetez, escarceté (c1250 in Godefroy); Scars(e adj.]

1. Niggardliness, meanness, stinginess. = Scarsnes n. 1. ?1438 Alex. ii 9606.
Pride, inuy and skarsite … Hes brocht thé now to thyne ending day

2. Smallness of amount, quantity or number, when compared with what is needed or required. a. Shortage of something, esp. of food or money; insufficiency of supply.(a) 1554 Knox III 189.
Great skairstie of bread was in the haill citie Ib. I 80.
The Englis army, for skarstye of victualles … retearis thame owir Twead 1570 Leslie 286.
Skarsetye 1572 Reg. Privy C. II 148.
The present hunger, derth and scarcitie of viveris within the burgh of Edinburgh 1581 Ib. III 398.
Hagbuttis and murrionis, quhilkis, be ressoun of the scarsitie of thame, may not gudlie be sparit 1589–90 Trans. Bibl. Soc. VIII (1927) 182.
The skairsitie of buikis and volumis of all sortis 1593 Acts IV 48/2.
Be the grite penuritie and scairstie of the said siluer and allayed money 1594 Reg. Privy C. V 190.
Be the grite scairstie of small money presentlie current within this realme 1599 Acts IV 181/1.
The skairthtie of the saidis partridgis and murefoull 1600 Ib. 236/2.
Scarstie 1603 Moysie 6.
Skairstie 1633 Aberd. B. Rec. III 63.
For scairstie of chamberis … to serve the haill studentis within the said colledge 1635 Chron. Perth 34.
Thair wes great skairstie of wictuall and elding c1650 Spalding II 154.
Gryt skarsitie of white fishes … to the hurt and hunger of the poor 1650 Nicoll Diary 9.
The great skairchtie of provisiounes for horses 1653 Ib. 105.
This tyme … thair wes great skairshtie of wynes 1676 Old Ross-shire I 300.
Excuse the scarsitie of paper(b) 1626 Aberd. B. Rec. III 6.
The skearsitie of armour in this burght 1649 Aberd. Council Lett. III 143.
The dearth and skersitie of malt 1666 Old Ross-shire II 84.
Skearcitie

b. Shortage of persons necessary to fill offices, carry out duties, etc. c1590 Fowler II 94/8.
The scarsetye, yea nuilletie, of cardnalls partakers which wer and ar the fontane … of al altercations amangs theme 1606 Melrose P. 12.
The scaircetie of skilled and weill affected assysoures in thir caisses c1650 Spalding I 262.
The ressone of this scarsetie wes becaus the covenanteris … causit the haill seruandis … flie out of the countrie for feir 1651 Comm. Gen. Assembly III 189.
In respect of the scarsitie of ministers in Cathnes and Orknay

c. Of non-material things. 1581 Fowler II 10/14.
To impair ȝour lordschippis praises by scarcitie of words 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 506.
The scarcity of faith in the earth

d. Deficiency; shortage (as opposed to abundance). 16.. Rudiments fol. 38a.
Ane adjectiue and a verbe signifeing plentie or scairsitie governes the genitiue or, ablatiue

3. Shortage, in a community, of the necessities of life, esp. of food; dearth. 1576–7 Reg. Privy C. II 589.
It hes plesit God to visie thame with the lyke derth and scarssitie 1624 Conv. Burghs III 165.
The saids factouris in tyme of scaircitie does buye victuall … before the hand and vtters the samin agayne at ane hier rate Ib. 170.
Since that dearth [of corn] is ane foirrynner of scaircitie 1650 Inverness Rec. II 203.
And that the towne wold be pleased in regaird of the scairctie of the ȝeire to augment his stipend 1650 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 615.
Thair wes such great skairshetie in Edinburghe, that all sorts of viveris, meit and drink, could hardlie be haid for money Ib.
Skairshitie 1696 Edinb. Kirk S. in Sc. Ant. XIII 77.
That some plan be devised for distributing the money collected for the poor in this time of scaresity and dearth

4. a. A spartan régime, under which rejection of luxury is regarded as a virtue; simplicity of life. 1596 Dalr. I 145/12.
This king commandet to bring vpe the ȝouth with al hardnes and skaircetie

b. Poverty; penury. 1675 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 23 Aug.
Reduced to such penarie and skairstie that they are note able to subsiste any longer