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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.

Dout, Dowt, n. Also: dut, dwt, doute, dowte, dowght, doubt, doupt. [ME. doute, dowte, early dute (a 1225), OF. doute, dute.]

1. Uncertainty (of things or conditions); difficulty of deciding. 1375 Barb. xiv. 207.
Quhill efter mydmorne the fichting Lestit in-till sic ane dout 1405 Maxwell Mem. I. 146.
The forsaidis partis … gaif bodily athe to hald ferme and stabil, but … doute and myrknase c1420 Wynt. iv. 1780.
Giff ony dout suld rys, Quha suld succede 1456 Hay I. 255/15.
As of Provence, thare was neuer dout a1500 Bk. Chess 542.
For this dovte I cheis the best for me To leif allone 1513 Doug. x. vi. 159.
So that the bargane lang standis in dowt, Quha salbe victor, and quha vnderlowt 1533 Boece ii. v. 64 b.
Gif in ony of thir foresaidis war questioun or dout … ane iuge suld be namyt 1568 Pref. Lyndesay 5.
That na man suld … call in dout the authoritie of thair spirituall Father 1622-6 Bisset I. 148/18.
Incase of dout or difficultie … , the dout to be put to ane poynt be the lordis

b. A state of difficulty or risk. c1420 Wynt. v. 1723.
Gyff ony man in dowte ware stade, And nede off helpe or mystyr had c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 96.
His lyfe was in to dowt 1513 Doug. iii. x. 87.
On the craggis our navy stude in dowt Ib. v. xii. 60.
From the perrell salf and out of dowt Was all the navy c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 163.
For than thow standis in greitest dout, Be thow nocht gude of gouerning a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxx. 35.
Suppois my lyf wes oft in dout, Hir malice I culd nocht refrein

2. A matter of uncertainty. Freq. in pl.(a) 1385 Red Bk. Grandtully I. 139*.
Tharatour for syndry dowtis, I ordaynyt the forsayde Syr Robart frely to delyvyr [etc.] c1420 Wynt. v. 2495.
Gyff ony dowtys ware … That ware deficyle to declere a1500 Prestis of Peblis 145.
A problevme Quhilk is to me ane questioun & ane dowt 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 61.
Onone he knew our elderis dowtis ilk deill 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xlii.
Gevand his mind … to serche the verite of thir obscure and misty dowtis a1568 Scott i. 101.
Dowtis to discus for doctouris ar devyne 1595 Duncan Appendix.
Scrupus, vel scrupulus, … a dowte(b) 1456 Hay I. 102/15.
It is na dout bot bataill cummys be the decrete of that lawe of civile 1490 Irland I. 168/16.
By thé … ymaked is the pes … , it is no dout 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 108.
Remembir that thair is douttis of law to be sperit in Edinburgh 1531 Bell. Boece I. 54.
Thay maid lawis, to discus the doutis baith of publik and singular actionis 1558-66 Knox II. 459.
I began to find mo douttis than that I did befoir 1567 Sat. P. vii. 94.
Sum douts thair is, of quhilk rycht faine … I wald resoluit be

3. Uncertainty of mind; dubiety. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 361.
To gere thame of al dout quyt be, That there wes nane to cum bot he c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1888.
Thane thai, that ware before in dout, Gaf full credence thar-to all-out c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 22/1.
Confessioun … makis a persone sekere quhar he was before in dowt quhidder he had contricioun or nocht a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 66.
Thairof haif thow no dowt [M. doupt] c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 14.
Thus quhat to do I am in dowt 1513 Doug. iv. vi. 14.
Thus as he stude in dout, Thys reson hym semyt fynaly the best Ib. vi. ii. 11.
Out of thi mynd sik dowtis do away 1567 Reg. Morton I. 22.
That thai being certifeit of the veritie may be resoluit of all dout a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxv. 43.
Scho sall spek out haif thow na dout 1594 Hume Tr. Consc. iv. 73.
When a man … is in doute, whether the thing be gude or euill

4. a. But, withoutin, or foroutin dout, beyond doubt, assuredly. (Also occas. ony or al dout.)(1) 1375 Barb. xv. 421.
I sall assembill on hym but dout a1400 Leg. S. vi. 376.
Sa that all wend but ony dowt, That thare thai suld be ded alowte c1420 Wynt. ii. 1020.
Hyr awyne sone syne scho slw, but dowt Ib. viii. 311.
The fyrst of tha Bwt dout … my modyr bare 1456 Hay II. 115/11.
Be the quhilkis principles … , but ony dout, men fyndis the said science a1500 Henr. Fab. 1078.
That is evidence aneuch, but dout c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 47.
But onie dout thai sall not work be me 1513 Doug. ix. ii. 11.
Our ennemys cummys at hand, but dowt c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 55.
I jowkit than but dout quhen I thame saw a1568 Scott xvii. 26.
Ane blenk of hir but dout wald mak me haill 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. Pr. 4.
Sic dewils but dout sall in our dayis appeir 1587-99 Hume Epistle 166.
But dout, Their process will be lang in seeking out(2) 1375 Barb. iv. 136.
That battalyng, withouten dout, Saffit thair liffis a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 560.
Within scho wes withoutyne dout Of hewinly deu c1420 Wynt. i. 730.
Thai de tharof, wytht-owtyn dout Ib. iv. 2154.
This were civile ten yhere owte Contynwyde wes wytht-owtyn dowte a1500 Seven S. 899.
I mon de withoutin dowt, I am quhar I may neuer get out c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 958.
Without ȝe mak me sum remeid, Withouttin dout I am bot deid 1562-3 Winȝet II. 7/26.
In the House of God … the vndoubtit trewth without al dout is to be socht a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxv. 140.
Go serche thame out, withouttin dout Ȝe sall thame find(3) c1420 Wynt. i. 923.
In that se, forowtyn dowt, The watterys … tays entre a1500 Prestis of Peblis 314.
This is the caus dredles foroutin dowt a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxx. 19.
In all this land forouttin dout Off sturtsumnes scho hes no peir

b. Na (or no) dout, doubtless. c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 335.
Na dout, gude Lord, bot than tha wald refuse it Ib. v. 7.
Quha hants hurdome, no dout he sall be tint 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 805.
The vther, na dowt, had laid it downe

5. Apprehension, alarm, dread, fear.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 412.
Thai war in-to dout … To meyt thar fayis that spred war wyd Ib. xii. 64.
Forouten dout or abaysing a1400 Leg. S. xl. 877.
[He] bad hyme pas & haf na doute To contre thaim, tho thai var stoute ?1438 Alex. i. 1966.
Was nane sa hardy of that rout, That he na than to die had dout 1456 Hay I. 118/26.
Faynting and failling of hert, and causles dout and drede a1500 Henr. Fab. 917.
For dreid of deith, thay droupit all in dout a1500 Prestis of Peblis 212.
Scho had na dout for derth of ale nor breid 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6630.
Of ȝone knicht I put ȝow out of dout(b) 1375 Barb. vii. 357.
Thair may na dowt Ger it all out discumfit be 1392 Lennox Mun. 48.
Nouther throw dowte na forse led, … bot of our cler and fre wyll c1420 Wynt. i. 633.
We sulde have dowt and awe To leve hys byddyng and hys lawe Ib. ii. 710; etc.
But drede or dowte a1500 Bk. Chess 820.
That he maye vnto the pepill schaw Dowtis & weris that fallis thaim amang 1513 Doug. iii. i. 88.
Than wist I not quhat I suld do for dowt. The feir affrayit my mynd Ib. xiii. iii. 73.
[Kings being] in dowt From thar estait to dekey suddanly(c) 1389 Wemyss Chart. II. 23.
Nocht trocht dwt na awe led, bot frely and wyd gude wyl a1400 Leg. S. ii. 872.
Habundance of pece but strif, Sikirnes but dut or dred

b. Fear or dread of something. 1375 Barb. xii. 204.
For dout of ded we sall nocht fale a1400 Leg. S. v. 211.
He has … gret dut of the tynynge [of riches] Ib. xxxi. 901.
The basare … , that had na dout of God c1420 Wynt. ii. 1530.
Sic name ras off that reall route That landys sere off thame had doute Ib. v. 2544.
For dowte off tynsall off hys lyve He mad … hys sacryfyis 1456 Hay II. 36/6.
For dout of misgovernaunce of the ordre a1500 Bernardus 167.
Of thi fa gef thow hase ony dowte, Be wakyr al tyme and war thé abowte a1500 Doug. K. Hart 4.
He na dout had of misaventure c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 358.
Howbeit he stalwart be, and stout, My lord of him I haue no dout 1560 Rolland Seven S. 16.
All countreis … them about Of thair fell feir greit dreddour had and dout a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxii. 41.
Then wer I out of dout of deed

c. For dout (that), for fear lest. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 414.
For dut thai suld peryst be c1420 Wynt. i. 637.
For dowt that … We mon appere in jugement Ib. ii. 1468; etc.
For dowt that wemen wald me blame 1456 Hay I. 255/18.
For dout that the realme suld be mysgovernyt c1420 Ratis R. 1294.
Sum, for dout that thar be playnt, Wyll pres thaim prewaly to paynt a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 967.
Schir Gawane thai rew, … for dout he war defold

6. A cause of alarm or fear. 1375 Barb. xvii. 630.
The gude Steward, With armyt men suld ryde about, And se quhar at thar var mast dout c1420 Wynt. ii. 1437.
All the lawe that dowt swa drede, That thai tyll strayttare heychtys flede c1475 Wall. x. 616.
I cum to thé, may I chaip fra that dout a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1302.
The dout and the danger he tauld him quently a1500 Doug. K. Hart 345.
That wer grete doute A madin sweit amang sa mony men To cum alane 1572 Sat. P. xxx. 13.
In smallest danger, nane beleuand dout