Show Search Results Show Browse

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1412-1586, 1691-1693

[0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1]

Suppris(e, Surprise, n. Also: supprys(e, suppryis, supprice, suprys, surpryis, susprice. [OF, AF suprise (OED), var. of OF sorprise, surprise (c1160 and 1294 in Larousse), p.p. fem. of surprendre. Cf. late ME surpryse (1457), suppryce, v.r. supprise (c1470), e.m.E. surprise (1592), and sussprise v. (a1400-50).]

1. A surprise attack, an unforeseen assault. Also, ? a band of armed men intent on making such an assault.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. 3420.
Ȝounder is ane gret supprise, I se cumand in batall Duke Bitis With all powar that he may gudlie be
a1500 Henr. Fab. 2132.
Wirk efter my deuyis, And ȝe sall haue it, and [= if] tak ȝow na suppryis
a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 859.
Bot endur thei mycht, apone no wys, The multitude and ek the gret suppris
a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 2649.
Sir Gawan, seing al the gret suppris Of fois cummyng in to sich o wys, Togiddir al his cumpany he drew
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii 242.
For thai wyrk ay to wayt ws with supprys
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii 476.
Sum mendis he thocht to tak off that supprys
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii 694.
Yhe wyrk nocht as the wys, Gyff that ye tak the awnter off supprice
a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1815.
Quha sall kep ws fra the suprys Or warn ws of our enemys
(b) 1412 Aberd. B. Rec. I 389.
Ilke man … to kepe … thair nychtbouris als fra schaith and susprice

b. The act of taking (another) prisoner, as the result of such an attack. 1584 Reg. Privy C. III 645.
Sindrie inquiet spreittis … authouris or divisaris of the treasounable surpryis and restraint of his persoun

2. A (military) defeat. c1420 Wynt. vi 1749 (W).
As he persauit in that fycht, At he wes neire a supprice sone, Out of the batall held
1460 Hay Alex. 1390.
Emenedus … saw thair vangard haue a gret supprise And that his vangard nothing warrit was
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iii 389.
Wallace drede and drew towart aside. With gude will he wald escheu a suppris
a1500 King Hart 210.
The watchis on the kingis wallis hes sene The chassing of the folk and thair suppryse
1533 Boece 94.
Cesare … tending … to renew the batell and be cruell slauchter revenge the supprise he had resauit

3. Injury, wrong; outrage, oppression. Chiefly, to do or mak supprise.(1) a1570-86 Wynt. in Maitland Folio MS 126/50.
Thus suffer thay on na kin wys Ȝow of sic micht to do suppryse
c1420 Wynt. vii 2132 (W).
Thare fell ane of his floure de lice, To do his fallow sic suppris
1442–3 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii 664 (25 Jan.).
It is decretit be the comoun consale that for the supprise that Master John of Caydow did in the outtakyn of Adam of Hillis net sal cum with his bruther befor the consale
1456 Hay I 127/30.
The vassall is behaldin to defend his lordis persone and he be in present place quhare men wald do him suppris
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii 26.
Our all the toune rewlyng on thair awne wis, Till mony Scot thai did full gret suppris
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi 358.
That rebald wenys, for he has done supprice To my pepill oft apon awentur
c1515 Asloan MS I 223/24.
[They] band the gentill man & thocht to strik of his hed and quhen this foull suppris was done till God and haly kirk than [etc.]
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxiv 49.
Substance with honour doing nane supprys
1448 Buccleuch Mun. II 41.
For the supprisis and scathis done
(2) c1420 Wynt. viii 4902 (W).
With his ost, … Gret suppris in the cuntre he maid
(3) a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2727.
Ȝe suld haf had na noy of me Maire than the child castin in the se Did till his fadere for his suprys
a1500 Quare of Jelusy 237.
Wickit men … That giltles dooth thir ladies to supprise Withoutyn cause
a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 690.
For to tell … his gret distresse Of presone and of loues gret suppris, … war to long
a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 1351.
In the defalt of law and of iustice, Wndir thi hond is sufferyt gret suppris
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 770.
My febill minde seand this greit suppryis Was than of wit and euerie blis full bair
1533 Boece 327b.
Aidane … instructit his meik flok, and nobilly defendit thame fra supprise of hething Saxouns
a1568 Bannatyne MS 69b/30.
Tak no suppryis that may ȝour honour pair

4. In a surprise, by surpryze without forewarning. 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 238.
He is not terrified with their sight when he calls them. But seeing them in a surprise (as often he does) frights him extreamly
1693 Laing MSS 477.
Wee are … concerned … that the case be fairly stated and nothing obtained by surpryze bot the honor of the court maintained

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Suppris n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/supprise_n>

40894

dost

Hide Advanced Search

Browse DOST:

    Loading...

Share: