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: 1399-1500
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Laucht, Lacht, v.1 p.t. and p.p. Also: laught. [ME. laht(e, laȝt, laght, laught etc., OE. (ᵹe)læhte (ONorthumb. -lahte) p.t., (ᵹe)læht p.p., of læcc(e)an Lach v.1 Cf. also Lauchtv.2]Only in early verse. Common, esp. in the spelling lacht, in Leg. S.
1. Seized, grasped, caught hold of.p.t. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxix. 418.
The tothir [he] on his bak lacht [: stracht] & bar hyme on a1400 Ib. 861.
I saw quare wild bestis thaim lacht [: macht] a1400 Ib. xxxiii. 514.
The cope to George he betacht; & but blissing he it lacht, & saynit it & drank of a1400 Ib. xlv. 190.
[Christ] To sancte Mychel hire betacht That blythly hire in handis lacht a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1262.
Lordis laught thair lancisp.p. a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 202.
To thre knychtis thane wes he tawcht, That hym to sla son has lacht a1400 Ib. xxix. 375.
The mastir … bad the laydy suld be lacht, & haldine with hyme for the fracht a1500 Golagros and Gawane 615.
Athir laught has thair lance a1500 Ib. 713.
Schir Lyonell schir Lowes laught has in hand
b. Snatched or drew swiftly out. a1500 Golagros and Gawane 623.
Thai lufly ledis belife lightit on the land, And laught out suerdis a1500 Ib. 922.
2. Caught, captured. Also fig. a1500 Golagros and Gawane 1182.
Say me ane chois, … Quhethir ye like me lord, laught in the feild, Or ellis my life … lelely forgafig. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3937.
He … in amouris heir-in is laucht With ane wenche that is weill taucht ?1438 Ib. 7965.
3. Accepted, received.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxviii. 71.
Fra he had this madyn lacht In ȝemsel, he gert hyre be tacht In Cristis lacht a1400 Ib. xl. 11.
The cud-clath, that he thare laucht, He kepit clene at his macht a1400 Ib. xix. 173.(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 214.
He has thai knychttis taucht, And thai all thre oure treutht laucht a1400 Ib. xxi. 750.
Thane in the treutht sa he hym taucht, At baptysme rycht sone he lacht a1400 Ib. xv. 140.(3) a1400 Legends of the Saints xx. 369.
Fra Jhesu Criste our flesch had laucht
4. Put for took, taken' in idiomatic uses of the verb ‘to take’, esp. the allit. phrase laucht his or thair leve or levis.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xvi. 596.
Thu … this far way for hir has lacht a1400 Ib. xxxii. 103.
A man that was of il renowne, & Cypriane to name he lacht a1500 Golagros and Gawane 764.
Thoght it [a battle] lestit neuer so lang, Yit laught it ane end(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxx. 110.
Fra he hard hyr sa say He lacht his lef & passit away a1400 Ib. xl. 188.
Thai lacht thare lewe c1400 Troy-bk. i. 187.
The messynger … At the Gregeois hys leve has lautht a1500 Golagros and Gawane 454.
Laught c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 1967.
Thar leyfff thai laucht and past but delay [etc.]
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"Laucht v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/laucht_v_1>
