A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1512
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Breth(e, Breith, n.1 Also: brath. Also metathetic variant: berth. [ME. breth(e, breeth, ON. bræði f. bráð-r Brathe a.] Anger, fury; a fit of rage.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 525.
The hound … schot on Symeon in to brath [: vndirnethe] a1400 Ib. xlv. 275.
In mykil brath c1420 Wynt. v. 3820.
Till ras thame agayne That in thi brethe thou gert be slayne c1420 Ib. vii. 2862 (R).
Thai … slw and heryid in thare berth [C. berthe]c1420 Ib. viii. 1775 (C).
Al brym he belyt in to brethe [R. berth] 1456 Hay I. 54/5.
Rycht full of breth and ire 1456 Ib. 84/20.
In a breth of wodenes and ire 1456 Ib. 196/14; etc.
In hete of brethe of ire c1450-2 Howlat 69.
Quhom sall I blame in this breth … ? c1450-2 Ib. 916.
In breth as a batall-wricht a1500 Golagros and Gawane 571.
Athir berne in that breth bokit in blude c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 26 (M).
He wald oft ban me in his breth [Ch. breith](b) 1461 Liber Pluscardensis 383.
Turn al latis blyth in breith and bitternes c1460 Consail Wys Man 44.
It bringis men in a byrnand breith a1500 Henr. Fab. 1949.
In his breith he weryit thame to deid
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"Breth n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/brethe_n_1>
