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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Swet(e, Sweit, adv. Also: suet(e, sueit, sweet(e. [ME and e.m.E. swete (c1250), suete (Cursor M.), sweete (Chaucer), sweet (Shakespeare); Swet(e adj.]

1. Characterised by sweetness of taste, sweetly. Cf. Swet(e adj. 1. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i 9.
A bitter pleasant tast, of a sweete-seasoned sowre

2. = Swetely adv. 1. 1513 Doug. iv iv 38.
A soft garland of lawrer sweit smellyng 1596 Dalr. I 44/11.
Sueit sairing flouris a1661 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I 82.
The sweetest-smelled flowers

3. = Swetely adv. 2. a1500 Seven S. 1488.
He [sc. a priest] syngis sweit in the kirk 1549 Compl. 64/13.
Thai sang nocht sa sueit as did thir scheiphyrdis 15.. Christis Kirk 53 (M).
He playit so schill and sang so sweit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10502.
I suld ȝow schaw quhat ȝone bird sings sa sweit

4. With fresh water, in sense 3 d of Swet(e adj. c1400 Troy-bk. i 257.
Fresche wellis fare & suet spryngand

5. = Swetely adv. 4. 1460 Hay Alex. 464.
And correck thame that may correckit be Sweit at part, be thame allane and thé a1500 Seven S. 2601.
This child sa courtly & sa honest … wox & bure him … Sa meike sa sweit & sa lawly All man him lufit hartfully 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2126.
Of grace thy face in euerie place sa schynis, That sweit all spreit baith heid and feit inclynis Thy gloir afoir a1538 Abell 18b.
Scottis king 10 wes Fynnayin … sweit and weill manerit

6. = Swetely adv. 5. a1400 Leg. S. i 54.
For ay he grate, quhen h[e] cuth mene Of his master swet spekin[g]e [L. dulcis allocutionis]

7. ? Agreeably, delightfully; ? gently, as opposed to roughly or boisterously. Cf. Swetely adv. 3 and 4. a1649 Drummond I 142/34.
Let … sweet-breath'd Zephyres curle the medowes greene