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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Salt, Sawt, n.² Also: sault; sout, sowt. [ME and e.m.E. saut(e (1297), saulte (Caxton), sawte (1510), aphetic f. Assalt n.] An assault or attack; chiefly in the course of a siege.Const. to gif, mak, set (a) salt.(a) 1375 Barb. xviii 68 (C).
And thai Suld hald thar fais all that day … With thair saltis [E. ronnyngis] that thai suld ma c1420 Wynt. iv 104 (W).
Dykis deip About the wallis at thai mycht keip The toune gif ony wald assaill Thame with salt [C. seige, R. assawt] or with batall 1460 Hay Alex. 2739.
First thai gaue ane salt [B. assalt] and syne ane vther And sua contenand ilkane efter vther Ib. 3025.
The salt contenewit tua dayis or thre Ib. 17102.
A grete battalȝe … purpostlie to kepe the salt was sett Ib. 4868. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 473. c1475 Wall. vii 1010.
A trew squier … Come to the salt with gud Schyr Jhon the Grayme Ib. viii 744.
A sege thai set rycht sadly to the toun. For gret defens thai garnest thaim within. A felloun salt with-out thai can begyn Ib. xi 896.
To Sanct Jhonstoun thai gang, With felloun salt was hydwys scharp and strang c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 198.
The salt was all the sarar suth to sayn c1500 Makc. MS x 39.
Thow send ws help fra hewynis towr To … saif ws fra his saltis sour 1517 Acta Conc. MS XXX 106.
The said Henry … was slane at ane salt … with ane culvering 1533 Bell. Livy II 65/21.
Na rage na hereschip nor trubill of batall that mycht be devisit in perditioun of ane ciete failȝeit at this salt [pr. [as]salt] 1535 Stewart 6214.
And sindrie syis [MS sayis] thai saillit with ane salt [: falt] Ib. 20552.
Instrumentis … That neidful war to mak sailȝie or salt [: falt] Ib. 54146.
On to the toun ane salt tha set richt swyth a1568 Gyre-carling 15.
The king of fary … sett ane sege and ane salt with grit pensallis of pryd(b) 1375 Barb. ix 350.
& how the toun wes hard to ta With opyn sawt [C. assale] strenth or mycht Ib. xvii 356 (C).
Quhen thai without war all redy Thai trumpit till ane sawt [E. a salt, H. to the assault] in hy c1420 Wynt. viii 1736 (W).
He … set a segis [C. asseigis] sone to the tovne, And maid gret sawtis [v.rr. assawtis] and felloune(c) ?1438 Alex. ii 1350.
The folk of Inde … rewit that thay the sault began(d) 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 250.
The France men and Count Rangraif wald haif givin the sout, and Monsieur Dasse of gud mynd therto and the hour of the sout effext Ib. 251.
It was considerit that gif the sowt wer givin that [etc.] … and bettir was … to contenew the sawt and to mak for battall 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix 115.
Schir Harie Leis wes present at that charge; … Cottoun and Dyar saw the sowt at large