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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Disperatioun, -acioun, n. Also: -ation, -acione; disparatioun, -atione. [ME. disperacion (14th c.), var. of desperacion, -acioun Desperatioun.] Desperation, despair. c1450 Cr. Deyng 137.
[Be] disperacione of godis mercy a1500 Bk. Chess 189.
Throw the quhilk is causit disperacioun, That drawis mannis saull to confusioun 1490 Irland Mir. I. 49/6.
And Iudas the traytour had … nocht fallin in disperacioun, he had bene saif 1531 Bell. Boece I. 68.
How Balus … slew himself be disperation Ib. 141.
The Pichtis … exhortit Caranach, thair king, to have na disperation 15.. Clar. iv. 2272.
Quhilke falling was in disperatioun 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 35.
That he sall … cast the spreit of feir and disparatioun in thair indurit hartis 1615 Highland P. III. 223.
To putt his Ma[jes]te to exspenceis and me to disparatione 1622-6 Bisset I. 8/14.
Pylot sleu him self witht his awin handis in disparatioun