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: 1420, 1494, 1549-1587, 1639
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Chefftane, Cheiftane, n. Also: cheften, -taine, cheiftaine, chieftaine, -tane; schevetaine, scheiftaine. [ME. cheftayn (c 1330), chieftayne, etc., AF. chiefteyn, cheftain, variant of chevetaine. The more usual Sc. form is Chiftane.] A chief or chieftain; a leader. c1420 Wynt. iv. 972.
Cerces … delyuered hym his men, And made hym oure thame all cheften c1420 Ib. 2122; etc.
Auchtene thousand men wes tane, Slayne, and dede, wyth thare chefftane 1494 Loutfut MS 22b.
Passis ay befor as scheuetaines 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 97/19.
Inglismen tuik not God to be their cheiftane c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5658.
The nobyll cheiftane Iosue 1562-3 Winȝet II. 3/2.
The wailȝeant cheiftane of God and wpbigare of the wallis of Ierusalem a1578 Pitsc. I. 69/29.
The commonis of Ingland … choissit them ane Ireland man … to be ane cheiftane a1578 Ib. 266/1.
The Percieis of Northt thumberland was scheiftaine of the waingaird 1587 Acts (1597) § 94.
The captaines, chieffes, and chieftaines of all clannes 1639 Parl. Minutes 17 Oct. in Acts V. 613/2.
That the chieftanes of clannis … might be obleist to bring in all brokin men
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"Chefftane n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/chefftane>
