hershipn.
/ˈhəːʃɪp/, U.S. /ˈhərʃɪp/, Scottish English /ˈhɛrʃɪp/ Scottish. archaic or Historical.
1. Harrying, pillage, plundering, devastation; a warlike incursion, or foray; harrying of cattle.
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > [noun] > devastation or desolation
harryingc900
harrowingc1000
wastinga1300
destructionc1330
harryc1330
wastenessa1382
wastitya1382
desolation1382
unroningnessa1400
wrackc1407
exile1436
havoc1480
hership1487
vastation1545
vastitude1545
sackc1550
population1552
waste1560
ravishment1570
riotingc1580
pull-down1588
desolating1591
degast1592
devastation1603
ravage1611
wracking1611
ravagement1766
herriment1787
carnage1848
wastage1909
enhavocking-
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > robbery > sacking, raiding, or looting > [noun]
harryingc900
harrowingc1000
skeckinga1387
pillagea1393
skickinga1400
forayingc1400
hership1487
direption1528
sackc1550
sacking1560
sackage1577
saccaging1585
picory1591
reprisalc1595
boot-haling1598
booty-haling1611
rapture?1611
ravage1611
prize-taking1633
plunder1643
booting1651
hen roost1762
ravagement1766
raiding1785
loot1839
looting1842
1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) ix. 298 [The king] heryit thame on sic maneir, That..neir fifty ȝheir, Men menyt the heirschip [1489 Adv. herschip] of bouchane.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) viii. l. 942 On Inglismen full gret herschipe thai maid.
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) i. 18 Maist extreme violent spulȝee ande hairschip of ther mouabil gudis.
1572 Compl. Inhab. Elsdon in Northumb. Gloss. at Har Night reffes and hearships by the thiefes of Easte and West Tividall.
1609 J. Skene tr. Stat. Robert III in Regiam Majestatem 60 The paine of slavchter, reif, destructions and heirshippis..It is statute that na man vse any..heirschippis, birning, Reif, slauchter, in time to come.
1814 W. Scott Waverley I. xv. 223 The committing of divers thefts, reifs, and herships upon the honest men of the low country. View more context for this quotation
1829 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian iv. (note) in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 60 Her'ship, a Scottish word which may be said to be now obsolete; because, fortunately, the practice of ‘plundering by armed force’, which is its meaning, does not require to be commonly spoken of.
2. A harried condition; hence, ruin, distress, famine, caused by robbery with violence or the like.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > state of being harassed > [noun]
drovinga1400
vexation1413
molestation1435
inquietation1461
inquieting1527
hershipc1540
pesterment1593
gêne1787
harassment1893
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > [noun] > devastation or desolation > fact or condition of being devastated
hershipc1540
vastation1578
c1540 J. Bellenden tr. H. Boece Hyst. & Cron. Scotl. xi. xi. f. 163v/2 The landwart pepyll be thir weris war brocht to sic pouerte and heirschip, that thair land was left vnsawin & vnlaubourit.
1556 W. Lauder Compend. Tractate Dewtie of Kyngis sig. A4 Bryngand thame to pouertie To hounger, hirscheip, and rewyne.
1609 J. Skene tr. Stat. William in Regiam Majestatem 8 Trubland Gods people with skarsnes, povertie, and outer hairschip.
3. Booty, plunder; esp. cattle forcibly driven off.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > stolen goods > [noun] > spoil or plunder > taken in war or raid > cattle
spreath1513
hership1535
spreathc1700
steak raid1775
1535 W. Stewart tr. H. Boethius Bk. Cron. Scotl. (1858) I. 117 All the heirschip, tane wes of befoir, To euerilk steid tha gart agane restoir.
1768 A. Ross Fortunate Shepherdess 46 (Jam.) The track at last he found, Of the ca'd hership on the mossy ground.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1487