Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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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.

(Sething,) Seithing, vbl. n. Also: seything, seething, sathing. [ME and e.m.E. sething (Wyclif), seething (1585); Sethe v.] a. Boiling. b. fig. Bubbling, foaming, surging, as if boiling. c. pl. ‘Boilings,’ the detritus of grain left over from the process of fermentation in beermaking. d. attrib. in sense a above. = Used for boiling, boiling-.a. 1596 Dalr. I 94/36.
Thay take the hail meklewame of ane slain ox, … thay fill it partlie with watir partlie with flesche … and sa thay kuik it. … In quhilke kynd of seithing is another vtilitie ȝit fruitfuller and mair commodious 1628–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 253.
Rosset to mix with the said tar … aill for laying on thairof … to Archibald Ewing warkman for waitting on the said wark seithing thairof 1633 Orkney Bp. Ct. 87b.
Be seithing of thame [sc. three stones] fyre hoot in watter [etc.] 1648 Lee Hist. Church (1860) App. ii 411.
For seething bark on the Sabbath dayb. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 164/980.
As new wine raging fast, In seething in the bodie, makes A plouckie skinne at lastc. 1582–3 Perth B. Ct. 11 Jan.
The sowme of ten schillingis money and that for eftir wort draff and sathingis coft and ressauit be himd. 1596 Dalr. I 94/30.
In place of potis and sik seithing vesselis, the painches of ane ox … thay vset 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX 290b.
Nyne yrone seything pannis … xiij lib. iij s. viij d. 1597 Edinb. Test. III 290b.
Sevin seything plaittis … vij lib. vij s. 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII 287.
Twa frying panes and thrie seithing panes