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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Tobac(c)o, Tabac(c)o, n. Also: tobac(c)a, toba(c)ko, tobackka, tobaka, tobaico, tobbac(c)o, toubacko, towbaka, tolbacco, tolbac(c)a, tombakgow, tabacko, tabakow, tabac(c)a, tawbaka, tubac(c)o, tubacca, tuabaca, (tribecca), tobac, toubak, (dubace). [e.m.E. and 17th c. Eng. tabaco (1577), tabacco (1588), tobacco (1590), tabacca (1601), tobaco (1618), towbaco (1686), tobbacco (1689), Sp. tabaco, F. tabac, Du., Germ. tabak.]

1. Tobacco, the leaves of the tobacco plant prepared for smoking or taking in the form of snuff; the plant itself.(a) 1604 James VI Tobacco (STS) 85/31.
There cannot be a more base, and yet hurtfull, corruption in a countrey, then is the vile vse (or rather abuse) of taking tobacco in this kingdome 1607 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 227 (7 March).
Four wnce tobackka pryce of the vnce tuelff schyllingis 1638 Household Bk. M. Stewart 29.
For making a chest to Katharine Ramsay who deceast the night before, … for two half pounds tobako and 18 pypes to spend at her leikwake 1638 Dumbarton B. Rec. 56.
The maister of the Inglis schip entiris his vessel for the pettie customes, and agries to give four hundredwecht of guid tobacco in satisfactioun of [the] claims 1639 Acts V 597/2.
Anent the article against the patent of tobacco grauntit to Sir James Leslie and Thomas Dalmahoy 1640–1 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 117.
Tobaico 1643 Dunferm. Kirk S. 12.
Those who in the comunion yle in tyme of preaching and uthir tymes of God's service has thar comon discourses and conferences and taks thar sneising tobacco [pr. tobatto] in the most remott and secret pairt of the said yle whar they think they will not be seen 1657 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 1065.
The sowme of fyve pund sex s. viij pennies for ane roll of tobacco 1661 Edinb. Test. LXX 112b.
Fyve rollis of matted tobacco … at thrie pens tua bodells the pund wecht 1669 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 356b.
Ane certaine parsall of tobacco 1670 Dumbarton B. Rec. 86.
Sex dissen of glessin pypes for tobbaco 1675 Cunningham Diary 52.
For 2 ounces tobac: … 2 s. 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 82.
For half a pund comon tobacco 7 s. 1687 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 7 Oct.
Item half a croun [owing] to Margrett Smith for tobacko 1710 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 25.
For snuff and tobaca to cary to London 11 s.(b) 1608 Crim. Trials III 11.
The Lord Maxwell come in to the deponer, satt doun besyde him, drank tua pypis of tabaca, and spak no thing of his interprise 1614 Misc. Spald. C. I 262.
The Spaniards, who haue giuen it the right of naturalitie in their soyle terme it tabacco 1614 Misc. Spald. C. I 263.
In tabacco there is nothing which is not medicin, the root, the stalke, the leaues, the seeds, the smoake, the ashes, and to be more particular, tabacco may serue for the vse of man either greene or dry 1616 Reg. Privy C. X 516.
The Kingis Excellent Majestie is credibl[i]e informed that the use, or rather abuse of taking of tabacco is laitlie croppin in within his hienes kingdome of Scotland, ane weade so infective as all young and ydill personis ar in a maner bewitchet thairwith 1619 Edinb. Test. L 227a.
Threttie unces of tabaco at iiij lib. the pund weycht 1622 Reg. Privy C. XIII 28.
The kingis majestie oute of his … regaird for the weele of his subjectis haveing foirseene the grite hurt … that the commounweele sustenit by the abuse and frequent taking of the infective weade callit tabacco … wes thairfoir moved … to mak a restreante and prohibitioun of forder importatioun of tabacco within this kingdome … quhilkis haveing tane litle or no effect … his majestie wes thairupoun moved to gif way to the importatioun, and to sett doun ane certane custome and dewitie upoun the tabacco … thinking that this custome … sould haif beene more forceable to have produceit the effectis of the said restreante 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII 185b.
Tabacko 1641 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 636.
xx s. restand of the price of tabakow quhilk he bocht fra him c1650 Spalding I 186.
The covenanteris, quhairof sum war sleiping in thair bedis, vther sum drinking and smoaking tabacca(c) 1616 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 105.
My boyst of ben for tubacco 1616–17 Misc. Spald. C. V 97.
Tua unces tubacca, and tua dussone pypis 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 205.
A number of our nichtbors summondit … to give thair aithis of veritie quhat quantitie of tubacco thay thair wyffis bairnis or servands hes inbrocht or sauld within this kingdome since the last day of November lastbypast and the iust and full price peyte 1673 Funeral Acc. II 1/1.
For fyne tuabaca foure pound weght £6 … for ordinare tuabaca £5 8 s.(d) 1662 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 147.
Befor I come for England I must ingadge with the maister of the shipe to paye sex pound sterling money or else fyve hunder pounds of tolbacco in Virginia 1672 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 45.
Tolbacca 1678 Sc. Ant. IX 106.
Tolbaca(e) 1659–60 Peebles B. Rec. II 200.
Toubacko 1689 Weaver's Acc. Bk. 30 Dec.
To William Fliming roll of towbaka wighten 12 pwnd at 10 s.(f) 1650 Dumfries Treas. Acc.
Seke & French wyne … & tawbaka & pypeis & sume other nesesars(g) 1652 Thanes of Cawdor 310.
Ane memorandum of such necessares as was coft and spent at umquhill Sir Donald his lykwake … For sevein ells linning to be winding sheitt … also for fyve quarter pound of tombakgow, so the linning and tombakgow extendis to £6 3 s.(h) 1623 Perth Kirk S. MS 3 March.
Twa gentill men enterit within hir house to drink thair bonvale forssit hir to fill aill to theme, and befoir the same wes drukin, with tribecca the port wes steikit(i) 1661 Old Ross-shire I 151.
Sucrer and dubaces

2. comb. and attrib.comb. (1) 1604 James VI Tobacco (STS) 97/33.
And for the vanities committed in this filthie custome, is it not both great vanitie and vncleanenesse, that at the table, a place of respect, of cleanlinesse, of modestie, men should not be ashamed, to sit tossing of tobacco pipes 1614 Aberd. Council Lett. I xxii.
Tobacco boxes 1615 Edinb. Test. XLVIII 224b.
Tuentie tabacco buistis price of thame all vj s. viij d. 1619 Edinb. Test. L 227a.
Ten dosone of tobacco pypis at iiij s. the dosone 1619 Reg. Great S. 738/1.
Fistulas (tobacco pyppis) et alia vasa et machinas ex limo fieri solitas 1621 Edinb. Test. LI 63a.
Nyne tobaka caysis at iij s. the pece … Aucht dosone of tobaco pypis at tua schillingis the dosone 1628 Edinb. Test. LIV 299a.
Sex tobacco panis at ij s. the peice 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI 152a.
Certane small comodityes as … lockes tobacca boxes [etc.] 1652 Hawick Ann. 69.
Persewit be John Scott, merchant, for payment to him of £6 10 s. worth of tobbacco pypis, broken be him in carrying of thame out of Edinburgh 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII 10a.
Ane tobacco brod and knyfe estimat all to iij lib. 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 506.
For oringis vinegare spyce and tobaco pypis 18 s. 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 355.
A iron ligour tobacco box. A timber tobacco box 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 355.
A steill tobacco box 1695 Foulis Acc. Bk. 186.
For 4 tobacco pyps 8 d.(2) 1656 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 1028.
Admittis Thomas McClellane tobacco man burges of this burgh 1679 Edinb. Test. Index II 75a.
John Clark, tobacco-spiner 1693 Edinb. Marr. 180.
James Fyf, tobacco spinnerattrib. (1) 1638 Bk. Pasquils 69.
Each doge chyde thesse tobacco-breathed deuyns [sc. the bishops] Each pen dairt volums of acutest lynes, And print the shame of that black troupe profaine(2) 1685 Inverness Customs 9a.
Four matts with tubaco stalkes … Ane matt … tubaco dross 1690 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1905) 13.
Toubak stiks