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

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

Ȝouthheid, Ȝowth(h)eid, n. Also: ȝouthe(i)d(e, ȝouytheide, ȝouthhed(e, ȝhouthhed, ȝouththed, youthed(e, -edde, youth(h)eid, -(h)ead, yhouthhed, youitheid, ȝowthed, yowthheid, yhowthede, -eid, ȝuthe(i)d, yuthhed, ȝeuthede, -eid. [ME ȝuðhede (c1220), youthed (Cursor M.), ȝowthede (c1440). Cf. Ȝouthad n.]

1. Youth, the fact or state of being young. = Ȝouth(e n. 1. Also personified.Quot. Alex. may belong in 3 below.(1) 1375 Barb. i 334.
Till swylk thowlesnes he ȝeid As the cours askis off ȝowtheid a1400 Leg. S. ii 862.
Quhare hele beis ay but seknes, Ȝouthed but eld or wrechitnes c1420 Ratis R. 1440.
Quhen ȝouthed to eild is brocht c1420 Ratis R. 1694.
Ȝit is it [sc. age] wer of condiscioune Than ȝouthed c1420 Wynt. iv 1600 (C) (see Ȝouthad n. a).
Ȝoutheide a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 98.
Throu ȝouthede and throu ignorans c1490 Irland Asl. MS 61/28.
That thow art yong & will leve lang God will nocht tyne thé He knawis quhat the cours of ȝouthed requyris [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. III 104/4.
Sene thi hienes is of ȝoutheid of excellent wit and wnderstanding 1535 Stewart 2272.
Into the crownyng of sa ȝoung ane king Quhilkis hurtis ws in mony sindrie thing … Sen ȝouthheid is without ressoun or ryme 1566 Cal. Sc. P. II 271.
And now albeit, throw facilitee of youthead he be inducit to dissimul a1568 Wedderburn in Bann. MS 288a/76.
Ȝowtheid garris thair blude flow & rege 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Juventus, ȝouth-heid(2) ?1438 Alex. i 1339.
That tyme was nane of his ȝouthheid [F. eage] Of sa grit worship and manheid 1532 Crim. Trials I i 160.
To pas in the pairtis beȝond the sey … with his eme … considering his ȝouthhede 1549 Compl. 30/1, 2.
That follouis nocht that hys ȝouthed is ane plage … for the ȝouthed of ane prince … is nocht the cause of the ruuyne of ane realme 1568 Cal. Sc. P. II 556.
[Overcoming the effects of his] youthheid [she [etc.]]personified ?1438 Alex. ii 5162.
At this burd thare is sittand … Ȝouthhede, fairheid and amour c1420 Ratis R. 713.
With wyll and ȝouthed duellis hee a1500 K. Hart 492.
Delyte … with ane pull gat Ȝouthheid be the sleif. ‘Abyd abyd gud fallow’ 1540 Lynd. Sat. 982.
Quhen Ȝouthheid hes blawin his wanton blast

2. a. A person's youth. = Ȝouth(e n. 2. Chiefly const. possess. adj. Also transf.(1) 1375 Barb. v 277.
In his ȝowthed [C. ȝoutheid] He haid done mony a thankfull deid c1420 Wynt. vi 1608.
Yhowthede [C. ȝouytheide] c1420 Wynt. viii 1347.
All the floure off hys yhowtheid [He spendyt ay in gret manheide] a1568 Kennedy in Bann. MS I p. 38/7.
My licht ȝowthheid is opprest and done 1513 Doug. iv i 66.
Evir murnand thus waist away thy ȝowthed 1570 Liber Scon 210.
Havand consideratioun of … guid seruice done to ws Be our weilbelouit bruther … fra his ȝowtheid be the space of fifty ȝeris bypast 1581 Reg. Privy C. III 371.
Scho is, lyke as scho hes bene continewallie sen hir yowthheid, trew and faithfull subject(b) a1400 Leg. S. xiv 4.
In his ȝouthede leyrit he In Antyoche leche to be ?1438 Alex. ii 351.
Ȝouthheid c1420 Ratis R. 1101.
Sum thingis that may help & sped To knaw the cours of thi ȝouthede 1456 Hay I 301/19.
Ȝouthede a1500 Lanc. 2772.
Whar … knychtis … Hawntis ther ȝhouthhed in to knychtly dedis 1483 Acta Conc. II cxxxii.
In the youthede … of our said lord the prince a1500 Bernardus 317.
It cordis il in ȝouthhede of a childe Off tendyr age … Diuersiteis of wynis for to knaw 1498 Bk. Carlaverock II 451.
In my ȝoutheide, and nocht of … perfite age 1500 Exch. R. XII 266.
The gud … service done … to ws in oure youtheid 1509 Reg. Privy S. I 289/1.
A respitt maid … for the slauchter … committit be thaim in thair ȝoutheid 1533 Bell. Livy II 48/12.
To recovir the land in his auld dayis that he helpit to wyn in his ȝoutheid 1550 Rec. Earld. Orkney 104.
In to my minorete and youtheid 1551 Hamilton Cat. 109.
Fra the tyme of thair youthede to the tyme of thair auld age 1568 Peebles B. Rec. I 73.
He may nocht sustene me to hald me at the scoillis in my youtheid to leirne vertu 1570 Leslie 32.
Youthedde 1610 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 193.
The said Colledge of Glasgow, quhairin I was brocht up in learning in my youthhead 1633 Johnston Diary I 72.
Youthhead(c) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 443.
In the twel ȝer of my ȝuthed a1568 Kennedy in Bann. MS 53a/15.
Ȝutheid 1437 Reg. Panmure II 230.
In my yuthhed I was seruand onto my lord scher Thomas of Erskyn … and ofttymes I herd my lord … say [etc.] … and mair … in yhouthhed and in eld I herd neuer [etc.](d) 1529 St. P. Henry VIII IV 550.
Besekand ȝou have ane parte of pacience quhill we may … stable ane gude ordour for the ȝeutheid of the Erle Bothvile 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 408.
Ȝeuthede(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxv 236.
Hapnyt hyme in ȝouthhede That [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxix 731.
Ȝouthed ?1438 Alex. ii 5883.
Floridas, That florisheth into ȝouth-hede And wonder douchty is of dede! 1437 Reg. Panmure II 230 (see (c) above).
Yhouthhed c1450 Cr. Deyng (STS) 113.
Bot gyf thai be cumyne to the natural cours of eilde (the quhilk few cumys to, for ma deis of exces and mysgouernans in youthed, than is slane into batell) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 30.
Thocht lufe be hait, ȝit in ane man of age It kendillis nocht sa sone as in ȝoutheid c1490 Irland Asl. MS 61/14.
The quhilk … pennans ane persone suld tak in ȝouthhed and strenth for in the buke of Ecclesiastici is writtin that thow suld remember of thi Creature in thi ȝoung age 1490 Irland Mir. II 13/30.
A litle Cristin child in gret ȝoutheid 1493 Acts II 236/1.
That persounis constitute in ȝoutheid and tender age quhilkis ar greitlie dampnageit and skaithit in thair heretage be imprudent alienationis … may at thair perfectioun of age mak reuocatioun … of thingis done preiudiciall to thame in thair minoriteis and tender age 1526 Stirling B. Rec. I 29.
He was within youitheid and of mynor aige 1535 Stewart 27632.
Alls weill in ȝouthheid as scho wes in eild 1542 Lynd. Bk. Arms 3.
Alexander that decessit within ȝouthedtransf. 1513 Doug. Conscience 2.
Quhen halie kirk first flurist in ȝouthheid Prelatis wer chosin of all perfectioun(3) c1490 Irland Asl. MS 5/15.
Defer nocht thi pennance to thi eild for thocht … thou may forthynk thi syn neuertheles it is hard … to do and seld cummis in thi eild quhen all the ȝouthhed is spended in syn

b. A characteristic or quality of youth; youthfulness, youthful vigour, freshness, innocence, etc. = Ȝouth(e n. 2 b.Some examples may belong in a above. a1400 Leg. S. iii 952.
That in hyre suld assemblit be Sic nobillay, ȝouthed and bewte c1400 Troy-bk. i 452.
Men that eild had ourdrevyne That war fra delitis gevyne Scho couth restore agane … To the suete joye of thar ȝouththed c1490 Irland Asl. MS 3/22.
Ȝoung folk in thair strenth ȝouthhed & wantones a1500 K. Hart 6.
So proudlie wes he polist plane and pure With ȝouthheid and his lustie levis grene So fair, so fresche, so liklie to endure 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4118.
Ȝe twa met in ȝouthheid joy and blis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4125.
He is waik, auld, cauld, waistit and dry And as ȝe ken, mother, sa am not I, Bot in my flouris, of ȝouthheid blumand grene 1567 Sat. P. v 142.
All vitious wycht fra him exclude … To teich him vertew tak gude tent; Lat not his ȝoutheid be infectit

c. In addressing a young person of authority. 1456 Hay I 3/31.
Notable clerkis … sais that it sulde be ane of the hie lignie of France the quhilk suld sett remede in all this thingis … And for this caus my curage has gevin me to mak sum newing of thing till enforme ȝour ȝouthede of mony syndry knaulagis … And forthy I mak ȝour hienes … request [etc.]

3. Relative youngness of age, without regard to actual youth. c1460 Vert. Mess 30.
For al the tyme that a persone be at the mes he … eildis nocht bot haldis hym in the samyn ȝouthed he was in quhen he come to the mes

4. coll. Young persons. = Ȝouth(e n. 3. 1562-3 Winȝet I 23/13.
I iugeit the teching of the ȝouthed in vertew and science, nixt efter the auctoritie with the ministeris of iustice vnder it 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 535.
To have charge of Scottis collageis or universiteis, or yit privatlie or publictlie to instruct the youtheid 1570 Reg. Privy S. VI 175.
Sculis … apt for lerning of the youtheid 1558-66 Knox II 200.
Restis yit other two sortis of peple to be provided for, … to wit, the poore, and teachearis of the youtheid 1578 Acts III 98/1.
The vniversiteis of this realme ar appointit for the educatioun of the ȝouthheid quhilk suld be seid of gude learning and maneris within this realme 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 106.
That na maner of scole maisteris … be permitted to instruct … ony youthheid … except [etc.]