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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Uncled, -clad, -clethit, p.t. and p.p. P.t. also unclethed. P.p. also unclaid, -cleithit, -clothed, oncled. [Late ME and e.m.E. vnclad (c1420), unclothid (1440), vnclothed (1495), all p.p.; Cled p.t. and p.p., Clothit p.p.] tr.

1. Undressed (of clothes). Also reflex. and fig.p.t. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxvii 31.
Thai vncled [P. vnclothiden] him of the mantil, and thai clethit him with his clathes c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark xv 20.
Vnclethit [P. vnclothiden] c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 547.
Venus gart ane sort of ladeis ȝing Sone Desperance vnto hir chalmer bring: And him vncled of all his awin vesturep.p. 15.. Clar. v 1659.
Quhen anon with them he was uncled c1590 J. Stewart 50/92.
This ladie ȝing Vncled befoir him quhytter than the laik 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 476.
I was … vnclothed to my skinreflex. ?1438 Alex. ii 306.
He vnclethed him full gude speidfig., p.t. a1400 Leg. S. xviii 1350.
Oure Lord … That … Vncled me of this wrechit fleschp.p. a1400 Leg. S. xvii 283.
Quhen thai vncled vare of this flesche a1599 Rollock Wks. I 311.
Suppois thy saull sall be for ane tyme uncled of this body, ȝit thou sal get it agane a1599 Rollock Wks. I 323.
Thou mon be uncled of this mortalitie or thou can see Him(b) a1585 Maitl. Q. 88/30.
Ane innocent plaine & patent With craftines oncled

b. p.p. Of furniture: Not provided with a covering. 1637 Brechin Test. V 220b.
Nyne cheiris of aik claid & vnclaid

2. p.t. Took off, removed (clothes). a1500 Seven S. 2434.
Scho vncled Swyth the clething that scho was in

3. p.p. Not provided with (a husband or wife). 1546 Stirling Archæol. Soc. (1905-6) 57.
Elspet Tailȝor, the relict of Alexander Tailȝor, to occupy the fredome of that craft as long as she is unclad with a husband 1563–4 Linlithgow B. Ct. 14 Jan.
The counsale havand consideratioun that Katherine Cadder is vncled with ony man 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII 200.
The barne to be gydit be him sa lang as he is vncleithit with ane marrow or lemene 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX 139b.
Sa lang as scho salbe vncled with ane husband

4. Of an infeftment: Invested with possession (cf. Cled p.t. and p.p. 2).Cf. also possession, s.v. Bell Sc. Law Dict. 1688 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 124.
A pursuer producing a base right, and competing thereon with a third party, must be as effectual to clothe it with possession … The Lords preferred Borthwick upon the first duply. And it was not known but that both infeftments were otherwise unclothed