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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Erast(e, Erest(e, adv. Also: eyrast, eirast, -est, earest. [Early ME. erest, earest, OE. ǽrest, ǽrost.]

1. Earliest, soonest in time, first. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 561.
Hichtand fare reward & gret To quha-sa erast mycht hym get Ib. xxxiv. 50.
Quha-sa wald mast hir gefe Of erand suld ereste eschewe c1420 Wynt. viii. 438.
Than war it to the comowne lawe, That is imperyalle, erast drawe 1456 Hay I. 131/13.
That a man in tyme of nede is mare behaldin to his carnale fader … , first and formast and erast 1458 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 329.
Sic chaplancie … sal be erast disponit and providit to the chaplanys that kan best [etc.] 1482 Fam. Kilravock 147.
Quhar the saide Lauchlane may eyrast ande best get and lows the saide x markis worth off lande 1513 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 83.
To gathir and ressaue xlij lib. … of the rediast of thar watter malis of Dee and Done, quhar it may be erast gottin

b. At an early date, in the beginning. c1475 Wall. viii. 1697.
Gud Wallace … Erest in weyr to Sanct Jhonstoun couth fair

2. In the first place, by choice or preference, most of all.(a) 1456 Hay II. 123/1.
And erast [eat] the maist moiste metis formest, for thai ar of mare lycht degestioun 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I. 203.
Til hyr ij sonys … for al the days of thar lyuys coniunctly and seueraly as it likys tham erast 1531 Bell. Boece II. 229.
Quhen he belevit erast to deliver him of al dangeir 1535 Stewart 26684.
The febris … Of quhome the nature … Is ay cald watter erast to desyre 1562-3 Winȝet I. 6/13.
Albeit it chance … that he fal on sleip quhen he suld erast walk 1570 Leslie 91.
We … willdo quhat we traist may erast caus yow to desist fra pursute of him(b) 1456 Hay I. 85/35.
The thing suld be erest chosin the quhilk is mare delytable Ib. 194/17.
He may ches him thare quham to him lykis erest to ga c1420 Ratis R. 1020.
Serue a mychty man, … And althir erest serf a kinge 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. lvii.
He that wes maist noble, desirit erest to fecht in the wangard 1535 Stewart 14933.
Skantlie he micht hald Britane into rest, So oft rebellit and erest of the best(c) a1586 Lindsay MS. 83 b.
Suppois ane circle forme be eithest to get, thai suld eirest cheis to mak ane quadrangle forme(d) 1535 Stewart 3273.
All lyfe also the quhilk is to detest, To God and man, and earest to the best 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 8.
Quhilkis corruptis the air earest in the tyme of Autumne 1587 Acts III. 521/2.
This appeiris earest be errour of the prentair