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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhit, Quheit, n. Also: whit(e, quite, whytte; quheet, vheet. [e.m.E. whyt (1480), whit (1528), whitt (1539), appar. altered var. of e.m.E. wight (Sc. Wicht.] A very small, or the least amount; a jot, whit.Only in adv. phrases, with or without prep., and freq. including a negative.(In) everie quhit, completely, altogether, every bit. In a quhit, anie white, in the least degree, at all, in any way.Na quhit, not (nocht, never) a (ane) quhit, not in the least, not at all.(1) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 15.
Scho tuke it away everie quhit 1673 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III 17.
The council … are every quite as competent as the dean of guild(2) c1590 J. Stewart 198/90.
His maist prencelie Spreit, Quhilk vill appaise thy hoip in euerie quheit(3) 1596–7 R. Bruce in Calderwood V 575.
But away with this, that the discharge of our stipends sould move us anie white to consent to iniquitie! a1599 Rollock Wks. I 368.
Princes … ar bund to keip that wisdom in sinceritie, and not to prejudge hir libertie in a quhit(4) 1567 G. Ball. 203.
Hald ȝow … fast, And be na quhit of thame agast 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xl 128.
Ȝit schrinkit he na quhit from vprichtnes 1574 Id. Three Reformers 107.
To tell his freinds he na whit dred, How [etc.](5) 1549 Lamb Resonyng 53/22.
Quha neuer a quheit movit at ocht that Leirmonth said 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 398.
Bot the bischoppis at sic bourding leuch neuer ane quhit 1571 Events Q. Mary & Jas. VI 64.
We are not a quhit discouragit 1584 Montg. in James VI Poems I 5/11.
No, they augment the greater nocht a quheit [v.r. quheet; rh. heit, weit, sweit] Bot they them selues appears to grow the lesse 1600-1610 Melvill 71 (see Jarg v. 2). a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xl 43.
Not a vheet — 1592 Anal. Scot. II 171.
Malcankers crys a whytte shall not prevaill, Balfour may bost but all will be in vaine