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

Emprice, Empryce, n. Also: emprise, emprys. [ME. emprice, emprise, reduced forms of emperise, Emperice.]

1. An empress; a queen.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 422.
Ane erle … Quham for beute & waloure The emprice luffit paramoure c1420 Wynt. vii. 751 (C).
That lady That was crownyt than emprice a1500 Seven S. 1577.
Quhen the emprice hard that delay Full bitterly scho grat 1531 Bell. Boece II. 30.
Hary, … callit be the pepill, the son of the Emprice c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 20.
Ane quene, or ane emprice 1560 Rolland Seven S. 74.
This emprice tuke ane meruellous malady Ib. 137, etc.(b) c1420 Wynt. vii. 751.
The empryoure … weddyd that lady, That wes crownyd than empryce a1500 Seven S. 10.
Quhen the empryce … Throw det of nature this lyf left 1535 Stewart 42102.
Withoutin chyld borne of this ilk empryce 1603 Philotus ii.
For ȝow … I wald forsaik The empryce for to be my maik(c) c1420 Wynt. v. 4770.
He anherdyde till ane emprys, Teodora callyd be name a1500 Seven S. 277.
The emprys murnyt and maid gret caire c1515 Asl. MS. I. 203/22.
Gret baronnis … that falsly brak the aith that thai had maid befor to Mald the empris 1596 Dalr. I. 328/7.
King Dauid gaue Henrie the title of a knycht, because he was the sone of the Emprise of Ingland

b. Used without ending as a possessive. a1500 Seven S. 524*.
The empryce tale of the baire And the herd c1515 Asl. MS. I. 195/2.
Henry the secund … that was the emprys son Ib. 205/4.
This Henry the emprice sone was sa contrarius till God [etc.] 1535 Stewart 43971.
The emprys sone, Henrie of Ingland 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1453.
Euin sa of this emprice tale Ib. 8125.
All the ladeis of the emprice bour

2. In transferred applications, esp. as a title of the Virgin. a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 781.
For laydy of the warld we hir cal, & als emprise of hele withall 1490 Irland Mir. I. 112/13.
The noble lady and emprice … dame Misericord Ib. fol. 282.
Thi queyn emprice or lady souerane that thou lufis best c1515 Asl. MS. II. 245/1.
Ane ballat of our lady. O hie emprys and quene celestiale Ib. 271/7.
Emprys of hevyne, of paradys & hell c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 160.
Me thocht all flouris did reios, Crying attonis, ‘Haill, be thow richest Ros! Haill, hairbis empryce’