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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Separat(e, v. Also: seperat(e, sepirate. P.t. also seperat, separat. [Late ME and e.m.E. separate (a1450), seperat(e (1526), L. sēparāt-, ppl. stem of sēparāre to disjoin, sever, part, separate.]

1. tr. To part, divide, set asunder (two or more persons or things); to remove (one thing or person fra, from another).pres. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5628.
The angellis sall thame separate [Chalmers separait], As hird the scheip doith frome the gate 1596 Dalr. I 313/27.
Him in the feildes he seperatis fra the rest 1609 Edinb. Test. XLV 349b.
Scho committis … hir corpis quhair it sall pleis God the braith to seperat thairfra … to be buryit amangis the faithfull 1638 Henderson Serm. 114.
So as nothing sall be able to separate thee from himp.t. 1549 Compl. 173/9.
Auareis, inuy, ambitione and particular proffet, separat and deuidit them fra vthirs c1610 Melville Mem. 35.
The lowping ouer a dyk separat me fra the twap.p. 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 204.
To be excommunicated, sepirated and cuttit of from the societie and followschip of the congregacion of Crist Jesus and all benifites of His kyrk 1570 Reg. Morton I 51.
[They] will nocht be content I haif my awne habulliamentis separatit frome the rest of the geir 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 145.
That the quenis grace … sould be separated fra the said erle Bothwile 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 37b.
Efter the corneis … be schorin and seperatit fra the ground a1578 Pitsc. I 328/27.
The Earle of Angus … culd never be seperatit fre his grace

b. reflex. 1561 Peebles B. Rec. I 273.
All … fornicatouris … to … separat thame selffis sindry 1595 Misc. Maitl. C. I 74.
The kirk ordenis thame to separat thame ane fra wtheris 1596 Dalr. I 224/26.
Constantine … past in Irland, … to that end he mycht seperate him selfe frome the warlde 1596 Dalr. II 280/13.
Skairs durst ane seperat him selfe fra the hail band

2. To demarcate or establish the boundaries of (adjacent lands). 1634 Contract, Memor. Dr. Wilson of Falkirk v. Forbes of Callendar App. 2 (Jam. (1825) s.v. Meith).
To met deuyd excamb seperat meath and mairch the foirsaid … lands

3. p.p. Released from the obligation to cohabit with a spouse. 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 141.
Janat Kay … desyris hyr to be divorciat and seperated fra the said Jhon

b. intr. To detach oneself from (fra), to leave off cohabiting with (a spouse). 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 140.
Accordyng to the law of God the sayd Gelis Scryngeour seperated and divorciat fra hym

4. To divide or cut off (one place from another) by occupying a space or intruding between. 1596 Dalr. I 37/21.
The Water of Tai, quhilke separates Fife frome Angus

5. To pick out or isolate (a part from the whole, or one substance from another with which it is combined). 1682 Lauder Observes App. iv 304.
Ane printed copy [sc. of the Test Act] … [was] smured over with … butter; … this done, he [sc. the dog] … readiely took it, and … made a shift, by rowing it up and down his mouth, to separat what was pleasant to his pallat 1682 Lauder Observes App. iv 304.
All his irksome champing and chowing of it, was only, if possible, to seperat the concomitant nutriment

6. To divide into (two or more) parts. 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 87/17.
Moyses liftit vp his vand and seperat the see

7. absol. To make a division, cause a rupture. 1653 Binning Wks. 9.
Because of the cloud of our sins, that separates between God and us

8. intr. To secede or withdraw from. 1647 R. Baillie Anabaptism (1647) 51.
After they have separate from all other churches, they run next away from them their own selves

b. Of two or more persons: To separate company, to quit each other's company, to cease to meet each other. 1615 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 65a (27 Dec.).
[They] ar demit … aither to marie or els for awoyding of suspitioune to seperat companie