A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
S(c)ham(e)fastnes(s, n. [ME and e.m.E. shamfestnesse (c1200), schamefastnesse (Wyclif); S(c)ham(e)fast(e adj.] Modesty, bashfulness; a decent restraint or propriety in behaviour. 1558 Knox IV 375.
A naturall shamfastnes oght to be in womankind a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 123/128.
And haittis all schaimles gloriositie And me delyt in modest schamfastnes c1590 Fowler I 69/70.
My ladie … with a bould defence With honestie and shamefastnes did lett his high pretence Ib. 313/29.
Is it bycaus your schamefastnes Your courtesie restrains? 1600-1610 Melvill 29.
Bot my God gaiff me a piece of his fear and grait naturall shamfastness Ib. 79.
Be a certean schamfastnes of a bashfull nature quhilk He pat in me 1605 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 47.
The young wemen … dansing … with maskis on thair faces, thairby passing the bounds of modestie and schamefastnes 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 66. 1633 Johnston Diary I 137.
By ane speatch, quherin schamfastnes wald schaim me 1654 Sc. Ant. V 179.
And if the shamefastnes and modestie of any cannot permitt thame to make so publick compeirance
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Shamfastnes n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 25 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/schamefastness>