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.

S(c)ism(e, S(c)hism(e, S(c)isma, n. Also: scysm, scyssme, scisim, -um; schisime, shisim, schissim; schesim; sesime. [ME and e.m.E. scisme (Wyclif), cisme (1402), schisme (1557), OF scisme, cisme, med. L. cisma quarrel, eccl. L. schisma.]

1. Chiefly, a breach in the unity of the Christian church, or one of its branches, on a matter of doctrine, church government, discipline, etc., resulting in division into factions or separate denominations; an instance of this. Also fig.With reference to: (1) the division between Eastern and Western Christendom; (2) the divisions in the medieval church arising from disputed elections to the Papacy (as ‘the Great Schism’, etc.); (3) the effects of the Protestant Reformation; (4) disputes between, or within, the Scottish Protestant churches in the 16th and 17th centuries; also (5) without specific reference.(1) 1456 Hay I 22/34.
A grete scisme betuix the Grekis and the Latyns of Rome(2) c1420 Wynt. ix 1632.
Quhen this Clement pape wes … The lang lestand scysm began 1456 Hay I 23/10.
The fals wikkit Romaynis put in ane othir [pope] of thair auctoritee and maid grete scisme lang tyme Ib. 70/19.
Antipapis, quhilkis pervertis the faith be grete scismes and divisioun Ib. 71/3.
Of the quhilk scisme … I have sa grete dule, that quhen I se … in quhat divisioun the haly kirk is this day [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. III 84/30.
And in this mater errit and fell in herresie Johnne Wicleif of Ingland about a hundreth ȝer syn in the tym of the truble of the kyrk and scisme that trowit that quhen the … preist is nocht in the stat of grace that thai minister nocht the sacramentis na has nocht power. This was ane auld … heresie lang tyme befor him condampnit 1531 Bell. Boece II 489.
About this time was ane gret sisme in the Kirk, thre papis creat atanis(3) 1549 Compl. 160/17.
Doutles … the sinister ministratione of thy office, is the special cause of the scisma and of diuers sectis that trublis al Cristianite Ib. 160/25.
This plag and scisma sal neuyr be reformit … quhil on to the tyme that the speritualite reforme ther auen abusion 1562-3 Winȝet I 25/6.
I being drery and dolorus for the schisme and diuision presentlie in Godis Kirk Ib. II 3/5.
In this … maist dangerous tyme of schisme and dissensioun 1581 Sat. P. xliv 45.
Counsall that fosteris heresie and scisme, Vitchecraft, adulterie, and may, gif ȝe vill craue(4) 1576 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 364.
He … caused the said minister to pas out of his pulpit, and baptized the bearne, whereupon a shisme followed in his congregation 1584 Misc. Bann. C. I 124.
[The] Bishop of Saint Androis … studyed to invent and practise trouble and scisme to be brocht in into the kirk of God 1598 Ellon Presb. 21.
In respect off ane scisme fallen out in that congregation 1608 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 1064.
To rais a schesim in the Church 1635 Hist. Fragm. III 38.
The authors of shismes, and subverters of the government, discipline and very being of our church … encouraged 1637 Baillie I 5.
I look for the most pitiful schism that ever poor kirk has felt 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 50.
The actes of this parliament … layed the foundatione of ane irreconcilable schisime and proued afterwardes the ruine bothe of king and bischopes 1639 Ib. 230.
If his majesty should labour to mentaine Episcopacie it would breid a miserable shisme in this church a1651 Calderwood VII 186.
So manie of the ministrie as had made a shisme in the kirk 1657 Balfour Ann. II 255.
The holding generall assemblies … is a most necessarey meine for … exterminatione of heresie and schisime 1663 Laing MSS 334.
This … practice … cannot but tend to shisme, faction and division 1685 Lauder Notices Affairs II 614.
To educate … some young students in the Presbyterian forme to be a nursery to perpetuat and hold up the schisme(5) 1456 Hay I 14/18.
To se quhat scismes has bene, and quhat divisiouns be scismatikis, efter the incarnacioun of oure Lorde Ib. 22/23.
Be caus that be the sonne in haly scripture is vnderstandin the pape … it was lyke that the thrid part of the sonne, that is the papis, was blakenyt in scisme and sorowe Ib. 28/23.
Cardinalis that … tuke … the rede hat … for … the welth and covatis of the warldis gude the quhilk is the blude of the pure warld, that thai lytt thair rede cardinale hattis with, with usure, scisme and sacrilege Ib. 217/19.
Bot ay manetenand scisme, as said is, again the kirk Ib. 217/31.
And thai sall never fynd that ever Fraunce sustenyt outhir scisme or herisy 1551 Hamilton Cat. 4.
S. Paule … sayand … et non sint in vobis scismata … lat na scismes, discord or divisioun be amangis yow. … As he exhortis to concord in doctrine, swa he plainly forbiddis al scismes 1562-3 Winȝet II 5/33.
We hait … with God Himself … the doingis of … al forgearis and manteaneris of schisme and errourfig. 1490 Irland Mir. III 109/23.
For than the body of the man … turnit in scisme and rebellioun agane his saule that was … gouernour of him

b. transf. With reference to like divisions between the Jews, described in the Old Testament, also to Islam. 1456 Hay I 7/27.
Quhat scisme and mischef was in the tyme of Abdom the prophet Ib. 8/6.
And ȝit the scisme was nocht lytill that was maid in the tyme of Machamet, for he … slew mony prechouris that gert men trow in that ymage, callit Arry, was God Ib. 8/12.

c. The culpable creation, or promotion, of such division; the encouragement of divisions in the Church regarded as a sin, an instance of this. 1456 Hay I 288/28.
He suld never press him to cum to the croune of the empire … be violence na usurpacioun, symony, scisme na corrupcioun Ib. II 40/20.
Ony grete excessive syn, as tresoune, or scisme, sorcery, or wichecraft 1562-3 Winȝet I 54/6.
I intendit … to schaw me a manifest aduersar, efter my small leirning and knawlege, to all schisme, seditioun, errour and heresie Ib. 119/16.
Quhow can ȝe excuis ȝour selfis of the impietie of schisme [MS schame] and diuisioun a1585 Polwart Flyt. 623 (T).
For schismes and symonie that smachart wes schameit 1604-31 Craig iv 31.
Tell Church, ‘tis full of shisme, vaine pryde, and greede 1652 Argyll Synod II 7.
Because this is a tyme wherein the spirit of error, heresie, shisim is letten loose

d. Applied to the division of Israel and Judah into two kingdoms. c1420 Wynt. iii 678.
Jeroboam … kyng wes and in hys dayis That scisim [C. scisum] fel

e. ? A schismatic sect. But perhaps merely a further instance of 1 (3) above. 1549 Compl. 160/19.
Quhou beit that the rute of thir scismes and sectis be in Germane, Denmark and Ingland

2. Dissension; discord; (a) division into factions or mutually hostile groups. c1420 Wynt. vi 1103.
And gret scyssme [C. scisma, W. sisma] swa Ras that tyme betwene tha twa 1456 Hay I 25/34.
Sa thare suld be in thame mekle payne, dolour, scisme and tribulacioun 1535 Stewart 2042.
Rubrie and reif in all his dais rang Sisma and sclander weir and opin wrang Ib. 6449.
Neuir ane to vther wald gif his consent … Heirand that tyme sic scisma and discord [etc.] Ib. 8924.
The Britis thoucht for to rebell, Quhill he had maid that scisma for till ceis Ib. 29206.
All weir and wrang and scisma to gar ceis, Osricus dochter … Eufridus hes tane in mariage Ib. 46603.
Ane vther scisma follouit efter sone c1560 Perth Convener Ct. Bk. No. 24.
Say mony particular seditions … quhilk wald haue schissim and diuisioun in our commoun welth 1562-3 Winȝet II 71/18.
And that thai be na schisme amangis ȝou bot that ȝe be perfyte in ane mynde and in ane meanyng 1565 Aberd. B. Rec. I 459.
That nane … mak ony conventione … to … contraveyne the statutis of parliament or mak ony tumult scism or conventione Ib. 460.
Considering the said attemptat [supra dissobeying of the townis actis (etc.)] … to be to genir schism and discord within the burgh 1581 Ib. II 40.
The fornamet thrie persones … travelland dalye to rais uproir, sisme and diuisioun withtin this burght Ib. 41.
Sesime 1612 Maxwell Mem. II 16.
For the shisme we heare anent the place of the bibliotheck of Sanctandrois [etc.]