A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1629
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Hething, Heithing, n. Also: hethinge, -yng(e, (ethine,) heythynge, hathing; heiding, heidding, heydin, heading. [ME. hething, -yng, (ethynge,) early hæþinng (Orm), ON. hæðing.] Scorn, derision, mockery.Very frequent in Leg. S. and Alex.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints iv. 89.
He … at his master hethinge mad a1400 Ib. xi. 268.
The apostolis … The quhilkis than for thar clethinge Thai had in dyspyt & hethynge c1420 Wynt. vi. 170.
‘Swth’, scho sayd in hyr hethyng, … ‘Ane haly man … wes he’ c1420 Ib. viii. 4996.
Of this assege in thare hethyng The Inglis oysid to mak karpyng ?1438 Alex. i. 763.
He leuch for pryde, as in hething ?1438 Ib. ii. 6090.
Thus Alexander … Maid his scorning and his hething a1500 Henr. Fab. 243.
Ȝit at the last scho said, half in hething [Hart, hathing] c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 219.
Quha wald haiff said [etc.] … ,In gret hething my men it wald haiff taine 1513 Doug. iv. x. 38.
Thus drevyn to hethyng, … baris thou not ȝyt in mynd [etc.] 1533 Boece i. i. 33 b.
The … chargis of almichty God war be the king … takin in contempcioun & hething 1535 Stewart 13313.
Lichtlie he leuche with greit hething and scorne 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 171.
Thai … Will mok me now with hethyn, schame, and scorne a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS cxviii. 6.
Quhone … God and his flesche [are] sworne in hething (b) c1420 Wynt. i. 464.
Quhen that Noe gat wyttyng That Came had drywyn hym tyll heythyng c1420 Ib. iii. 836 (C).
He … luyche at hym dispitusly In heythynge of that mangery ?1438 Alex. ii. 4727.
Ȝe driue me fast to heithing ay c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 739.
Ane Clyfford come, … ‘Quha awcht thai hors?’ in gret heithing he ast(c) 1535 Stewart 15917.
To heir sic blame, The mekill scorne, the heidding and the schame 1535 Ib. 46541.
The lordis all … For his desyre to greit heiding him drawe [= drove] a1500 Peblis to Play 109.
Ane ȝoung man … began to lauche for heydin 1614 Forbes Defence 35 (J).
We … would laugh him to heading as a shameless lier 1629 Mure True Crucifixe 1171.
Hee laughs to heading their conceats
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"Hething n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/hething>
