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

Wis, Wys, n. Also: wiss-, vis, wyss-, wishe, uish. [ME and e.m.E. wis(s (both Cursor M.), wisshe (Gower), wyssche (c1400), wusche (Prompt. Parv.), wishe (a1568).] A wish, a desire; an expressed wish or desire, also a wish expressed at the end of a letter. Also, at (one's) wis(is).(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 2017.
Gif all ȝour wissis sa sone suld fall, I wald I had ane of thame all! a1500 Henr. Praise of Age 6.
For tobe yong I wald not, for my wis [Makc. wys], Off all this warld to mak me lord and king a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1333.
Than will we say with mony woful wis: ‘Allace, allace … I sould haue done pennance' 1513 Doug. viii ix 31.
The wyssys [Sm. wyssis] and avowys than, for feir, By woman and the matronys dowblet wer c1590 J. Stewart 21/212.
I die for duile, thow Roland reuls the gaine, Vith velth at vill of all my vorldis vis c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 235.
Giue I micht at this time get my wis, Of hir sweit mouth, deir God, I had ane kis a1568 Bannatyne MS 267a/32.
Quhen … men may conqueis kindomis with a wis Quhen hevin is tome and hell is full of blis … Than sall my lady luve me 1600-1610 Melvill 443.
My opinioun and wis was, ther sould be na generall meittings 1609 Garden Garden 20.
God all in all, all onely is my wishe[: is] 1611 Mure Early Misc. P. ii 77.
Nather prayers could prevaile nor wisses 1631 Justiciary Cases I 193.
Nather of thame did relaite ony thing that could prove againes the marqueis bot simplie upoun the … repoirt of some quhome they call his followeris or upoun thair imaginationes or … foolish and pervers wisses that [etc.] 1638 Spalding I 98.
Thus with my hartlie wissis for your prosperitie, I rest … youris … good freind(2) c1450-2 Howlat 459 (A).
I sall waynd for no wye to wirk as ȝe will, At wis gif my werd wald with ȝou to the deid 1513 Doug. xii xii 208.
The goddys help he axit, for, at his wys, A full lang tyme wrelis and tareis Ene Furth of the teuch rutis of this ilk tre Hys speir to draw c1590 J. Stewart 75/97.
Medor now possessith at his vis Bot onie merit … The recompans quhilk campions did mis a1585 Maitland Quarto MS 142/12.
Ȝour greif is greit … Thus to be maid a martyre … With los alace so lairge of linage And childrein wyse and verteous at ȝour wis c1610 Melville Mem. 100.
How that my lord electour had procedit with Maximilien, and how his answer was at wissis 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 181/630.
Euen at the uishes als enioie most pleasant pleasouris to