A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1629
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Bewté, Beuté, Beauté, n. Also: bewtie, -ty(e; beutee, -tie, -tye; beautee, beawte, -tie, -tye; beaulte. Also rare variants: bouté, bowté. [ME. bewté, beuté, beauté, bealté, etc., OF. beauté, bealté, f. bel beautiful. The most frequent spelling in Sc. is with bew-.] Beauty (of persons or things).(a) 1375 Barb. xi. 479; 1375 Ib. xix. 397.
The multitude and the bewte Of thair fais a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 990.
Ay the bischop … Beheld hyr bewte c1420 Wynt. v. 4669.
The bewte Off Antioche, the fayre cité c1420 Ratis Raving 665.
Fore bewte lestis bot a quhill c1420 Ib. 1077.
Of swet seruice and gret bewtee c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 63/9.
His fors, his bewte, his fairenes c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 21.
The lady in bour full of bewte 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 54.
Quha may thy versis follow … In bewtie? 1513 Ib. xiii. Prol. 39.
The bewte of the fructuus feld 1531 Bell. Boece II. 32.
Ane virgine of incredible bewte c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4698.
Ane uther [wyfe] of more bewtie a1568 Scott xiv. 13.
Hir bewty vndegraid 1570 Leslie 67.
Her gret bewtye and fayrnes a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lxxvii. 4.
Thir are the bewteis of the fute bale 1600 Colville Palinode 17.
The ornament, bewtie, and light of the world 1629 Mure Sonnets ix.1.
In bewty (loue's sueit object)(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 120.
He … of hyr beute had ferly 1490 Irland Mir. I. 26/20.
Thi farenes and beute 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 215.
Thus beutie bredis bitternes c1590 Fowler I. 84/180.
Fair Beutye now hes lost hir lampe(c) 1456 Hay I. 6/20.
That grete beautee and fairnes 1456 Ib. II. 13/25.
Bountee. and beautee, and nobles of cors 1489 Brus i. 382 (E).
That we Suld spek … off his beaute a1500 Bk. Chess 261.
A douchter … of sic excellence In till hir beawte c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 146.
Dame Beautee 1531 Bell. Boece I. 199.
Two douchteris of excellent beawte 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 70/5.
It vas … altrit in cullour ande in beaulte 1580 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 297.
Lat ws … put nocht our … plesour in beawtye a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xlviii. 117.
Hir birning beawtie dois … my mynd amayis(d) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 93.
Scho wes of sik boute That it wes wondir for to se 1461 Liber Pluscardensis 387.
Scho was off bowte mare perfyte
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"Bewté n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bewte>
