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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Decline, Declyne, v. [ME. declyne, decline (14th c.), OF. decliner, L. dēclīnāre.]

1. intr. To turn aside or away; to deviate or depart. Also, to turn to a place. a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 166.
Gyf it hapnyt, in that tyme, Ane saw vthire, he vald declyne, & fle a-vay c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2161.
So he strenȝeit passing his way, Nocht wittinge quhar for to declyne 1533 Boece ix. xvii. 333.
Pichtis … abstenyng fra batell, to the nixt hillis declynit 1596 Dalr. II. 192/1.
Albanie shipit at Breste … and quyetlie declynet fra the curse that turnes to the Inglis cost

b. To deviate, go astray, fall away, from (some principle, etc.). c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2037.
Settand all schame behynd … , Declynand ay frome honeste 1456 Hay I. 298/16.
He wald never change, declyne, na vary in jugement Ib. II. 146/19.
Ellis he declynis fra the proprietee of princehede 1560 Rolland Seven S. 72.
He was courtes, cumlie, and richt kynd, Fra all fulische alluterlie declynd a1578 Pitsc. I. 105/17.
I grant … that na man sould … declyne frome right and ressone 1581 Misc. Bann. C. I. 120.
His Hienes had declynit fra the treuth

c. To withdraw, fall away, from (a person). c1515 Asl. MS. I. 242/7.
Ane letter wnder Sir James of Douglas sele … declynand fra the king 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. ix.
Gif it pleis that I thy bridill gide, Thow mon allway fra agit men decline 1567 G. Ball. 203.
Thay ar … lyke to raige out of thair mynde, Because fra thame ȝe ar declynde 1572-5 Diurn. Occur. 192.
Becaus he was ane of the principallis that haid fallin and declynit fra the kingis auctoritie

2. To descend or go down; to sink. c1500 Fyve Bestes 88.
So he saw … Of saulis dovne to hell declyne Ane multitud innomerable a1500 Seven S. 105.
Oder is the erd hiear rasit, Or hevyn declynit … Fer mare than it was yesterday 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 117.
So fast declynys Synthea the moyn Ib. viii. i. 88.
First as the starris declynys 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xv.
Phebus … declinand besaly To dip his steidis in the occeane 15.. Clar. iv. 1069.
Sa fra thair steidis he maid them to declyne 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 59.
Euer quhan thai struike at ȝou, ȝe did declyne and jowke in the water

b. fig. To sink to a lower state or level. c1420 Ratis R. 1456.
Suppos thai be declynand down and fautis of perfeccioune 1513 Doug. xiii. vi. 128.
Hys onweldy age, lyke to declyne c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1573.
Quhen he did declyne to age, He faillit neuer of his courage 1568 Pref. Lyndesay 6.
The stait of the kirk, than tendand and declynand fast to curuptioun 1570 Sat. P. xii. 96.
Lat nocht in cair ȝour curages declyne 1596 Dalr. I. 110/2.
Frome quhais integritie of lyfe albeit we haue declyned

3. fig. To consent, incline, or come to something. 1548 Orkney & Sh. Rec. 118.
The … officiaris declinand to the sammyne [request] … pat than instantlie the said Katrine Dunbrek … in possessioun 1562-3 Winȝet I. 112/2.
To nothir of ȝour partis may we decline Ib. II. 49/26.
The mater declinit heirto, that [etc.]

4. tr. To turn aside or away. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 956.
Vlixes … so declynand thar sentence, That he with hys fayr sermonynges Enduced so the forsayd kynges [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 298/13.
He suld never vary na declyne his hert fra justice a1500 Henr. III. 164/67.
Guberne this pestilens, … Declyne that pyne, be thy devyne prudens c1590 Fowler I. 99/50.
Claudius … That … from Italie declynde The tempestes of more greit effairis 1600-1610 Melvill 70.
Declyning my bodie a litle, I eschewed, and … gripped his sword arm

b. To turn downwards, to lower. 1533 Boece xiii. v. 506 b.
Declynyng his face he said [etc.]

c. To decline grammatically. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 8.
The lawast class is for thayme that suld declin the namis, and the verbes

5. To turn away or escape from; to avoid. c1420 Wynt. i. 628.
We mon declyne hys rychtwysnes, And on his mekyll mercy call c1420 Ratis R. 1654.
For-thi suld eild loue halynes, And haill declyne … gret couatice a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 582.
Declyne the wyce of willful negligens Ib. 1314.
Hele to recovire and seiknes to declyne 1533 Boece ii. xi. 79 b.
His sonnys declynyng persecucion of the confederatis be freyndis war convoyit to Ireland Ib. iv. ix. 138 b.
Sum lymmaris fled … to declyne the kingis ire 1570 Leslie 6.
The liefis of the ungodly … to be declinit and eschewit 1596 Dalr. I. 71/3.
To declyne the ire of his father and freindes, and to eschewe thair seueritie 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 34.
Quhen ane woman accused of ane crime, alledges hir selfe to be with childe, that therebe sche may decline (delay) the judgement 1669 Bk. Old Edinb. C. V. 145.
Missing thair bodies by thair declyning the stroaks

6. To reject as having authority; to refuse to acknowledge as judge. 1468 Lindores Abbey 163.
He declynyt the balȝe, and sayd he wald not be cureckyt be hym a1500 Henr. Fab. 1179.
Heir I declyne the iuge, the tyme, the place Ib. 1186.
Thairfoir iuge as suspect I ȝow declyne 1492 Acta Conc. 222/2.
Therfore he wes interit in pley and aucht nocht to decline the iugis 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 199.
The saidis maister Alexander … protestit that he micht hef lauchfull cause … to oppone & declyne the iuge … because of inimyte betuix the said schiref & him 1638 Short Relat. Kirk .
The supplicants declined the bishops from being their iudges, as beeing now their parties