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 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Barrat, Barret, n. Also: barat(e, baret(e; barrot. [ME. barat, baret (c 1225), barette, OF. barat masc., barate fem., deceit, trouble, confusion.]

1. Fraud, deception, guile. 1456 Hay I. 135/15.
Had he done ony barat or subtilitee Ib. 163/10.
Be rychtwis jugement, and nocht be fors, barat, na male engyne Ib. 271/30.
Be … sutelte and other engyne, barate, or cautele c1460 Wisd. Sol. 555.
Thar gudis … wonyng with trichory and barete a1586 Lindsay MS. 64 b.
To do wrang, tresson, and barret

2. Distress, trouble, vexation.(a) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1133.
Othir bernys for barrat blakynnit thair ble c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 51.
It … Is bair of blis, and bailfull, and greit barrat wirkis a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 376.
It is wele sett that thou sik barat brace 1535 Stewart 2490.
Greit harme it wes … till heir The baill, the barrat, and the daylie beir … of ȝoung and ald Ib. 17005.
The Pechtis than … Bundin in barrot mycht no langar byde 1528 Lynd. Dreme 851.
Quharein lyis our inprosperitie? … Or quho sall beir of our barrat the blame? 1572 Sat. P. xxx. 116.
Quhilk hes mair barrat to his breist inbrocht, Nor all the laif a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxvi. 20.
Thriftles and threid bair … In barrat to byd 1603 Philotus cxliii.
Is this ane plesant godlie lyfe, To be in barrate, sturt and stryfe?(b) c1450-2 Howlat 721.
Haile bute of our baret, and beld of our blis a1500 Henr. III. 146/5.
Luf ws fra barret betis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 189.
Quhilk brewis mekle barret to thy bryd c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 378.
Now may I bruik with greit barret and baill a1568 Bann. MS. 145 b.
In hevin or erd that wyfe be best Without baret or baill a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxxv. 2.
In baill be blyth for that is best, in barret gif thow be bowne to byd a1585 Polwart Flyt. 435.
Let neuer this vndought of ill doing irk, Bot ay blyth to begin all barret and baill

3. Anger; contention, strife. c1450-2 Howlat 332.
Kene knychtis of kynd, … but baret or boist c1475 Wall. i. 253.
The Inglis men, all thus in barrat boune, Bade byrne all Scottis that war in to that toun c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 346.
My breist … , bowdin wes sa huge, That neir my baret out brist or the band makin 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii. 45.
Brunt be ȝone Bischop in quhome this barret breidis 1574 Davidson Three Reformers 111.
I man speak something of his wife, Quha never made barrat nor strife