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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Prech(e, Preich(e, v. Also: pretch, presche, preitch, prich(e, pritch, preach(e, preatch. [ME (Ancr. R.) and e.m.E. preche(n, also preyche (14th c.), e.m.E. preach(e, F. prêcher, OF prechier.]

1. intr. To deliver a sermon, on a single occasion or a series of occasions.Also const. to, till, also afore (the audience) or dative noun or pronoun, of, apon etc. (a topic or a text), for or in favour of (something), or agan(is (an adversary, an error, etc.).(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii 1007.
That he ymang the folk suld preche Ib. xvii 2.
Martha Our al the warld cane prechand ga Ib. i 193, etc. c1450-2 Howlat 211 (A). 1456 Hay I 20/8.
That the fals ypocrite the patriark of Constantynoble prechand said that [etc.] Ib. 147/31.
That he mycht nouther preche, na teche, na syng messe c1500 Fyve Bestes 178.
He was na master in diuinite Bot he wald preche in to that science hie 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 857. 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 231. 1559 Q. Kennedy in Misc. Wodrow Soc. 265.
Willok had prechit with intolerabill exclamatiouns, cryand out on the messe 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 86. 1562-3 Winȝet II 29/22.
Gif all the haill cumpanie of the apostolis, wald preche to ȝow by it quhilk we hef prechit [etc.] Ib. 23/12, 13.(b) 1490 Irland Mir. MS fol. 269 b.
The first lentryn that I preichit in this tovne c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiv 6.
So few till preiche and pray Ib. xxx 14. 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 194.
Domine doctor, quhair will ȝe preiche to morne Ib. 3411 (Ch.).
Thocht I preich not … For … the dyse … I may beir the pryse Ib. 1130. 1567 G. Ball. 195.
Preistis thole to preiche, Sen ȝe ȝour self can preiche na thing a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 172 (W).
To lait I hard the swallow preich 1596 Acts IV 107/2.
To command ony minister … to preiche or to desist fra preicheing in particular placeis as his hienes sall think maist meit a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1445.
When the tod preiches bewar of the hens 1637 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 243.
No preitching but reiding at efternoon, the minister being at Whitekirk, wha preitchet there c1650 Spalding I 92.
Thir thrie covenanting ministeris intendit to preiche, bot the tounes ministeris kepit them therefra Ib. II 186.
He beheld and preichit half ane hour longer nor the tyme(c) 1506 Treas. Acc. III 194.
For ane tod prichand 1655 Irvine Mun. II 257.
A minister that was imployed to pritch(d) 1675 Misc. Hist. Soc. I 288.
The common hangman of Irven keeps conventikils and pretends to pretch(e) 1682 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II 26.
At Inveresk Kirk wher the B. of Edenbruch preatched vere lernadly 1683 Cullen Kirk S. 6 May.
John Cumming … preacht in the fornoon(2) a1400 Leg. S. iv 175.
Til hym than Sancte James prechit, And Crystis law sa sadly techit Ib. xl 91.
For faute of wynnare that cuth preche The puple treuly & thame teche Ib. xxvii 926. c1515 Asl. MS. I 251/22. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 781.
Afore prencis precheing 1533 Gau 30/3.
We prech to the chosyne Iouis and gentils 1567 G. Ball. 45. 1641 Baillie I 369.
Mr. Murdoch … refused to preach to the Irish congregation bot day about(3) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 378.
Al … That to thame prechit the Magdalane Of Ihesu Cryste & of his layre c1420 Wynt. iv Prol. 16.
Off hym-self quhen thus he prechyde a1500 Rauf C. 345. 1490 Irland Mir. II 34/15. 1533 Gau 23/5. 1565 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 68.
His apostles messingers … preachit … among his faithfull to the gaine comeing of our Lord Jesus Chryst 1584 Misc. Bann. C. I 122.
To advert quhat was prechit and taucht toward the abus and misgovernment off the country 1669 Meikle Old Session Bk. 11.
After reading owr minister preatched upon the 5 of Jon. 28(4) 1639 Johnston Diary I a 57.
If he did not preach for the proclamation(5) 1490 Irland Mir. II 30/14.
Jhesus … preichit … agane thar euill lif and werkis 1514-6 St. A. Formulare II 104. 1570 Leslie 171.

b. In passive, of a church or congregation: To be preached to, to possess a preacher. — 1558–9 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I lxii.
And failȝeing thairof, that my Lord cause send ane prechor to ever ilk kirk that is nocht prechit in Lentron thaireftir

2. tr. To preach (the word of God, the gospel, Christ crucified, a doctrine, etc., and with cognate obj.); also, to preach on (a certain text).(1) a1400 Leg. S. iv 184.
To preche hym that one croice wes don Ib. i 337, xiii Prol. 41. c1420 Wynt. v 960, 1599. 1456 Hay I 10/33.
Quhen he [sc. St. John the Baptist] prechit baptesme and penitence 1533 Gau 27/11.
Quhat euerie ane of thayme suld tech and prech to the pepil quhair thay come … that thay suld prech the richt word of God Ib. 30/2.
Ve prech Iesu Christ crucifeit sclander to the Iowis and folie to the gentils Ib. 104/23.
The sekkis … quhilk … prechis dremis and fablis 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 223.
Itt [sc. God's word] suld be precheit to all dois seik it 1562-3 Winȝet II 23/12.
The fayth of thame quhais victorie we preche Ib. 31/12.
Thame, quha precheit ony thing by it quhilk wes anis resauit Ib. 34/11. a1568 Scott i 113.
The epistollis and evangelis now ar prechit But sophistrie a1578 Pitsc. II 232/28.(b) 1456 Hay I 11/13.
To ger schawe the Cristyn faith, and preich it 1490 Irland Mir. I 36/32. Ib. II 111/9. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv 37.
Syne thay sall … preiche in erth the Antechrysts impyre 1533 Boece 110.
In Rome preicheand the ewangell 1560 Conf. Faith in Cal. Sc. P. I 462.
And this glaid tydyngis … salbe preichit throwout the haill warld a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxii 30.
Bot had thai … The word of God syne preitchit faythfullie c1590 Fowler II 41/24.
Because that thair Christ was first preichit be his apostles 1600 Misc. Bann. C. I 166.
I wald haue farder licht or I preichit it 1622-6 Bisset II 357/5. 1635 Justiciary Cases I 234.
Preiched(c) 1589 St. A. Kirk S. 648.
He wes dischargit … to presche the word(d) 1579 Reg. Privy C. III 198.
The ministeris … dar not for feir of thair lyvis priche Godis word and minister the sacramentis(e) c1520-c1535 Nisbet 2 Cor. iii 6 marg.
To preache the letter is to teache the baire law 1558 Knox IV 368.
To preache repentance Ib. II 239.
Whensoever the word is preached c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 633. 1641 Baillie I 359.
Mr. Andrew Ramsay preached the 122d psalme(2) a1400 Leg. S. ii 978.
Till all he prechit his entent Ib. i 69. 1533 Boece 205. 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 318. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 289. 1571 Ferg. Serm. iii Malachi Title.
Ane sermon preichit befoir the Regent [etc.] … vpon [etc.](3) a1400 Leg. S. i 712.
And all the wordis Petir one rad, That he prechit in that stede 1456 Hay I 70/25.
The quhilkis prechis preching contrarye to the gude faith 1596 Dalr. I 220/11.
Quhen many … hevinly preichengis he had preiched(4) a1568 Bann. MS. 28 a/12.
And be appostillis preschit cleir … That [etc.] 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 177/1.
I harde sum of oure precheouris preche that the papistis will say mess for ane kow 1562-3 Winȝet II 37/16.
He … sumtyme precheit it to be coæternal, and euir alyke lestand with the Sone of God 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 128.
I hard … Mr. Johne Row … preiche concerning the papistrie, that [etc.]

b. To preche up, to extol by preaching. To preche doun, to decry by preaching. 1635 Dickson Wr. 212.
To preach up the glory of God's free grace 1677 Moray Synod 166.
That thrise a yeire each minister choose apposit texts for preaching doune rebellione

3. intr. Of a minister of the church: To officiate as ‘preacher’ (in contradistinction to ‘reader’) to a congregation. 1560 Bk. Disc. 196.
That nane be admitted to preche but thai that ar qualifiet thairfoir 1567 Acts III 37/2.
Ane persone beneficit being qualifiit sall preche him self at ane of his kirkis a1578 Pitsc. II 308/13.
Of the ministeris quhair sum gat four kirkis and sum gat thrie to preche intill 1586 Cal. Sc. P. VIII 359.
That ne immodest minister suld be tollerated to preache 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 474.
That Mr. Ralph Rodger preach in the Trongait Kirk heirafter

4. a. intr. To utter exhortations, to discourse earnestly or solemnly, to exhort. Const. dative pron. or absol.(1) 1375 Barb. iii 299.
He prechyt thaim on this maner a1500 K. Hart 24.
So prevelie thai preis him and him preicheid 15.. Clar. iii 117.
Romaryn bad hir be in comfort gud, And preichit hir of wirdis with plesance(2) 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 206.
Quhat nedis mair to preche? Ib. ix Prol. 19. a1568 Scott xxxiv 45.
Ȝe preiche, ȝe fleich, ȝe frane

b. tr. To declare insistently, urge; to assert; to urge or exhort (something) (to another). 1513 Doug. iii vi 152.
Abuf al othir this a thyng I thé prech 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 300.
The pepill prechit thir signis to cum in dammage of the Britonis a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx 74.
I dar nocht preis to preche ȝowe patience 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 152.
And thairupon hes preichit unto me that it was ane fulische interpryse