Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Fest(e, Feist, n. Also: feest. [ME. (c 1200) and OF. feste, L. festa neut. pl.]

1. A religious or church festival.(a) a1400 Leg. S. v. 27.
Eftir the feste of vitsonday, In Asya Iohne held his way Ib. vii. 281.
At the mydnycht Of thar grete feste thar com a lycht c 1380 Charter (Reg. H.).
I sall gif hym my chartyre … in the feste of sant Cudbart 1423 Edinb. Chart. 55.
Payand … at the festes of the Purificacioun of … Saint Mari the Virgine and Saint Petris day 1456 Hay II. 41/20.
This suld be done … in a grete feste. as Ȝule, Pasche, or Witsonday, or All Halowmesse a1500 Seven S. 149.
Chargeand thaim his sone to bring In the feste of the Trinite 1510 Reg. Privy S. I. 324/2.
The feste of Sanct James the appostile(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 1446.
Ilk ȝere solempnyt fest … Thai mad one that day scho deyt 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 44.
Yhour saufconduyt endurand quhill the fest of the natiuite of Seint John the Baptist c1420 Wynt. vii. 367.
Off that translatyowne, … The fest yhit is haldyne ay Before Mydswmyr the fyft day 1457 Acts II. 50/1.
That fra the fest of Sanct Michaell … thir mesurys of pynt and ferlot haif cours and nane vther c1475 Wall. xi. 352.
He said, it was bot till a kyrkyn fest 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 285/1.
The entre … beginnand at the fest of S. Elene callit Beltane 1520 Peebles B. Rec. 51.
All solempnit festis, dowble festis, Sondais and halydayis 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 87.
Entres … to begyn at the fest of Beltane, callit the Inuentioun of the Haly Cors 1562-3 Winȝet I. 29/11.
The fest of the dedication callit Encenia(c) 1431 Buccleuch Mun. II. 28.
The Wednysday next efter the Feest offe the Inuencioun off the Haly Cros 1507 Edinb. Chart. 191.
The feist of the dedicacioun of Sanct Gelis Kirk … quhilk fallis yeirlie on the thrid day of Nouember 1547 Reg. Cupar A. II. 44.
Thair entres … sal begin at the feist of Witsunday 1567 Ann. Banff II. 383.
The feist of andersmes callit Sanct Androw 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 59 b.
Quhilke enteres … salbe … at the feist of Alhallowmes nixt to cum 1596 Dalr. II. 282/25.
The Inglis hoste … persewit thame at the feist of Witsonday

2. A feast or banquet. Also fig.(a) 1375 Barb. xx. 72.
In-till his stede syne ordanit he Devysouris of that fest till be a1400 Leg. S. v. 569.
I lowe thé now … That me this callis to thi feste c1420 Wynt. viii. 3349.
At the Wemys by the se Poysownyd at a fest wes he a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 571.
Of thi nychtbouris the festis funerall Prent in thi hert a1500 Seven S. 1989.
In the myddis of the fest … Balan at his awne ȝet couth call c1500-c1512 Dunb. lvi. 1 (M).
Schir, at this fest off benefyce [etc.] 1513 Doug. i. x. 55.
Quhen scho … haldis thé … on her kne, At hir fest ryall sittand at the tabill Ib. iii. ix. 74.
Not onwrokyn … this feste he fand(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 386 (A).
Quhat is avale thi feist in rialte, With dreidfull hart and tribulacoun 1513 Doug. xi. Prol. 184.
Preis vs to wyn the kinrike ay lesting, Addres vs fast for till optene that feist a1568 Bann. MS. 138 a/73.
Tak thair for my pairte of the feist; It is weill knawin l am weill bodin a1568 Balnavis Bann. MS. 138 b/16.
Anwch is evin a feist 1570 Sat. P. xvii. 44.
Thinkand alwayis that mesure was ane feist (a1570-86 Dunb.) Maitl. F. clxix. 7.
Nou propois thai … Off Wenus feest to fang ane fill 1596 Dalr. I. 60/15.
Thay bring vthiris with thame … to the banquet and common feist with thame selfesattrib. a1540 Freiris Berw. 228 (M).
The mane breid, the bossis with the wyne. Sche hid vp all … That no liknes of feist meit micht be sene

b. Without article: Feasting, good cheer. 1375 Barb. xvi. 46.
He maid thame mekill fest and fare Ib. xvii. 908.
He … maid thame fest with gammyn and gle c1420 Wynt. iii. 194.
Gyff thai ware … Tyll fest callyd, that thai sulde be Dyspoylyt, it war wnhoneste a1500 Bernardus 49.
To mak fest … and hee costage And sumpteus spens is foly and barnage 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 95.
We … fest and ryot maid Throu owt the town Ib. iii. v. 139.
Gret festwith joy wes maid for luf of ws