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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.

Formast, -mest, -most, a. and adv. Also: formaste, -mist; foirmest, -most. [e.m.E. formost, ME. formast, formest, OE. formest.]

1. Foremost in place.(a) 1375 Barb. xi. 496.
Of thar host the lest hardy, Be countinans, vald formast be c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 3106.
At the entre was formast Neptolomus c1450-2 Howlat 494.
Wend on as thou was wont, … Ay formast in the front Thy fayis amang a1500 Henr. Fab. 296 (A).
Thai … unto go quha micht formast win 1513 Doug. x. viii. 46.
Formast he bownys to the jonyng place 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 370.
Formast, this day, the morne may go behind(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 947.
Scho was the fyrst that tuk the way, & in the kirk scho was formest ?1438 Alex. ii. 6340.
The ladeis saw him of the tour; Dame Fesonas … Ȝeid formest doun a1500 Rauf C. 579.
He went in at none, … formest of all 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 423.
And nixt the chair I saw formest appeir, … Mars, god of strife 1531 Bell. Boece I. 125.
I sall fecht formest in the bront 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 123.
The Vnicorne, being formest of the schippis 1596 Dalr. I. 166/26.
He … draue thame into thair strenthis, quha sulde be formest in flicht(c) c 1575 Sat. P. xliii. 141.
Was he not … formost at the bit 1596 Dalr. I. 91/11.
He was formost and gaue the first brasche in the feild

b. Absol. or attrib. with the.(a) 1375 Barb. viii. 75.
Philip the Mowbray, That vith the formast rydand ves Ib. 295.
The formast of his menȝe a1400 Leg. S. x. 534.
Of synnis kyndis are thre, & the formaste pride ma be c1475 Wall. iii. 145.
Wallace the formast in the byrneis bar 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 98.
The formaste haue thai stokyn And slane with swordis Ib. v. iv. 21.
He … wan befor the formast schip in hy(b) c1420 Ratis R. 483.
The formest of thai sisteris three c1475 Wall. v. 856.
Thai … tald thair lord how ewill the formest sped a1500 Lanc. 3472.
The formest sal mak al the laif afferd c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 238.
He was … with the formest in the feild 15.. Clar. ii. 1727.
The formist had Upon hir hand ane fair sparhalk 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 106.
Everie man had the said coird in his hand, and the formest to guyde all Ib. 246.
Johne Brand … being in the formest ranke 1596 Dalr. I. 10/1.
The first prouince of the formest parte is the Merse 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xvi. 25.
In a sea-fairing flot, the formest by saile doth fuir before 1655 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 315.
That … the foirmest furmes of the loft, … be maid readie

2. First in order. 1431 Reg. Great S. 44/2.
We will that … Patrik be payit of the formast penys cummand of the said baronry c1420 Wynt. v. 4886 (W).
The formast nycht of Februare Ib. vi. 1461.
The formest day … of Maij c1420 Ratis R. 1112.
The formest of thire eildis sere I set within the fyrst thre ȝere a1500 Prestis of Peblis 2.
The formast daye of Februar c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. 97.
The formest hoip ȝit that I haue Is in ȝour Grace 1513 Doug. i. vi. 117.
Gif I suld begyn And tell our labour from the formast end 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 64.
He … ceissed nocht till he obteaned his formest purpose

3. adv. In the first place. First and formast, first of all. 1456 Hay I. 5/18.
And first and formest the first questioun is, quhat thing is bataill? Ib. 131/13.
First and formast and erast c1460 Vert. Mess 3919.
Her begynnis the vertewis of the mes; … And first and formist [etc.] c1475 Wall. x. 13.
Schyr Jhon Ramsay formest his power saw 1572 Sat. P. xxx. 49.
Aganis his fais ay formest on his feit