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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.

Prest(e, Preist(e, n. Also: preyst(e, prist, priest, preast(e, preest. [ME prest(e, preost, preeste, priest(e (13th c.), preist(e (Cursor M.), prist(e, pryst (Cursor M.), also pruest, e.m.E. preste, preest, preyst (1504), preiste (north., 1521), priest, OE préost.] A priest.

1. A clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church.A clergyman in the second of the holy orders; a clergyman of this order as officiant at the Eucharist or as confessor; more generally, a (Catholic) minister of religion of any rank or order.Early occurrences in placenames: Prestbrige (1153–61 Liber Calchou 298), Preston (1165–1214 Reg. Neubotle 51), Prestmunethburne (1214–49 Liber Melros I 196), Preston vel Presteston (c 1320 Liber Calchou 197), Prestdenheued, Prestefeld, Prestfeld (1327 Ib. 361), Prestisfelde (1376 Reg. Great S. 213/1), also (? with the OF form prestre) Prestrebrige (1153–61 Liber Calchou 299).(a) a1400 Leg. S. xl 324.
The parise preste by hire lay Ib. vi 533, xvi 809, etc. 1402 Scone Indenture (Reg. H.).
The forsaide religeouse men oblis thaim & thair abbay for to find a preste chanoun or secular for the saul of the … prince c1420 Wynt. v 397.
As byschope thare and prest [W. preistis] his lywe … he led Ib. 403, 1054, 3104, etc. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 110 (B). 1437 Cop. St. A. 150.
The paroche preste 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III 96.
Till a prest to sing perpetualy for my saul 1456 Hay II 42/25.
Rycht as nane may mak preste, bot he be preste Ib. I 21/17, 204/15, etc. 1462 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 368.
Chapillane and prest c1475 Wall. vi 150. c1490 Irland Asl. MS 19/15.
The persoun … suld be a prest hafand iurisdictoun of the synnare, that is, outher his curat, his bischop, or the pape a1500 Prestis of Peblis 32. a1500 Seven S. 2469.
The prest redy all rewest 1491 Treas. Acc. I 178.
To the prestis of Lythqow for the kingis derige, xxx s. 1495 Acta Conc. I 384/1. 1522 Douglas Corr. 84. 1533 Gau 81/12. a1538 Abell 30 b.
All prestis wes callit culdei 1539 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 207.
That thai sal … cheis the maist devot prest … to serf … the parochin 1543 Elgin Rec. I 74.
Javell prest, crukit carlis get [etc.](b) 1375 Barb. xvii 541 (E).
Preystis [C. Prestis], clerkys, monkis and freris c1420 Wynt. v 1255.
Quhen … the preyste makys hym bown To mak the levatyowne Ib. 2484. 1454 Invent. in Dundee B. Ct. I 3.
The lady preist a1500 Rauf C. 344.
The gentill Bischop Turpine cummand … With threttie conuent of preistis c1475 Wall. iii 218, v 371. 1490 Irland Mir. I 49/29.
Preist 1507 Treas. Acc. IV 36.
To ane preistis first mes c1500-c1512 Dunb. v (O.U.P.) 43.
Avys thé weill or thou cum to the preist [: breist, beist] Of all thi synnes Ib. xxxviii 105.
I will na preistis for me sing Dies illa Ib. lii 28. c1510 Prester John 310.
Thair is nocht sa gret honour … as till be callit ane preist 1528 Lynd. Dreme 180.
Curious clerkis, and preistis seculeris 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 22.
The … wphalding of Godis seruice … baith in oukly penneis, preistis meit, and all vthir dewiteis 1531 Bell. Boece I 264, II 52. 1533 Exch. R. XVI 567. 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 125.
Schir Johnne Jordane, elimosinaris preist 1549 Soc. Ant. XI 92.
Takkin out of sanctuarii the pwir preist of Farris insycht, cleding and geir 1551 Hamilton Cat. 221.
Ane consecrat preist c1552 Lynd. Mon. 28.
Our spirituall gouernour, And prince of preistis in this natioun Ib. 2686.
Ane craftye preist, or fenȝeit fals armeit, … for thare perticular profeit a1586 Maitland Ho. Seton 21. a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 133/20, 143/22. 1562-3 Winȝet I 99/20.
Nocht only a preist or inferiour minister Ib. II 22/26.
The slawchtir of the confessouris, the banissing of the preistis Ib. 76/32.
Quhow mony preistis in number, almaist for the maist parte metropolitanes 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 23. a1578 Pitsc. I 15/33.
Thair was na man to defend the burges preistis and puir men labouraris Ib. 209/7.
The myllaris wyfe … cryit for ane preist to the king 1581 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 170/26. 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 102.
Sic preist, sic pariche(c) 1380 Inscr. in Soc. Ant. XXX 42.
Heyr lyis Ingram of Kethenys prist maystr in arit 1478 Grey Friars 15.
Pristis(d) 1483 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 48.
Priest 1505 (c 1580) Ib. 103.
Euery maister … sall pay his oulklie penny with the priestis meit 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 11.
Followis the names of the priestis [sc. joining the Congregation], … Followis certane laymen names 1596 Dalr. I 106/11.
Bischopes, priests, and religious Ib. 106/21. Ib. 205/18.
Cælius Sedulius, Priest and Scottis man(e) a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 749.
He is lyk the preest that can not say mess of his awin book

b. After the Reformation: A Catholic cleric in contradistinction to a Protestant minister.Also mes-, seminarie-, trafficking-preste, qq.v. under the first elements, and s.v. Papi(s)ch(e adj. and n., Papist n. (adj.) b.(a) 1566 St. A. Kirk S. 284.
His sayd barn … wes baptist … be ane ald dayf prest, callit Schyr Alexander Broun, sumtym curat in Kylconquhar(b) a1568 Scott i 54.
With bischop preist and freir 1567 G. Ball. 195, etc.
Preistis, cut ȝour gowne, Ȝour nukit bonet put away 1568–9 Inverness Rec. I 174.
And callit him preist keait he was 1571 Sat. P. xxix 31.
The preist, I grant, his concubine wald hyde … The ministre … his hure in houshold chereis 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV 14 b.
Foure newkit blak bonettis for preistis c1590 Fowler II 100/15.
The former sort being bot preists Ib. 58/37. 1562-92 Wode's Psalter (ed.) 162.
Set in Ingland be ane baneist Scottis preist 1595–6 Colville Lett. 191.
Ane Irland preist, laitlie cum home by sea 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 145/8. 1612 Fife Synod 52.
Accused of having resaitt preistes, jesuites etc. and having messe-clothis in his hous 1654 Blairs P. 94.
He taketh home with him two Irish preists for our Yles(c) 1560 Bk. Disc. 223.
The poore … defraudit and oppressed by the preastis 1558-66 Knox II 371.
Some preastis in the westland war apprehended Ib. 289. 1596 Dalr. II 390/9.
The rest of the preastes … wald not pas vnder the blek of Apostasie 1651 Blairs P. 41.
In which English catholickes use to hyde preests

2. A priest in the Jewish church. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 27.
[King David] Four & twenty prestis made, To serue God 1490 Irland Mir. I 164/5.
In the auld tyme was anoyntit prophetis, kingis and prestis 1560 Acts II 531/1.
Greiter number followit the scribes phariseis and preistis than … beleuit … Christ Jesus 1562-3 Winȝet I 31/14. Ib. 41/1. c1590 Fowler II 51/7.
Becaus they war not ordaned by the hie preasts

3. Applied to Christ.As offering sacrifice or mediation for man: see Heb. v 6, vii 15–22. c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 17.
Be thir iiij bestis it is declaret that Jesus Crist is God and man, king and prest 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 163/11.
Sanct Paull affirmis oure salueour to be ane preist for evir 1562-3 Winȝet I 91/21.
And siklyke oure saluiour Christe Iesus being only our Hie Preist 1581 Sat. P. xliv 6.
The Kirk of Christ, our Preist and King

4. A heathen priest: the sacrificing priest or mediator of a heathen deity; any minister or functionary of a non-Christian religion.Freq. rendering L. sacerdos. a1400 Leg. S. vi 659.
Than al the prestis gef a ȝell c1400 Troy-bk. ii 218, etc. c1420 Wynt. v 1905.
In the tempyll off Jupytere … The preyst revestyd on hys wys For to resawe hyr sacrifys Ib. 1944, etc. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 2559.
Thair was a woman preist a virgine clene a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 107. 1513 Doug. ii vi 43.
Panthus … that mony ȝheris Was … Phebus tempill preste [L. arcis Phoebique sacerdos] Ib. viii xi 49.
The dansand prestis, clepit Salii … And Panos prestis, nakit Lupercanys Ib. ii ii 101, iv 27, etc. 1531 Bell. Boece I 8.
Preistis Id. Livy I 47/9. 1533 Boece 63 b. 1535 Stewart 3144.
Sayand tha war tua priestis borne in Spane 1549 Compl. 87/29. c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 126.
Quhilk salbe offerit … To Mars his preist c1552 Id. Mon. 2228.
Twelf gret louis … Quhilk wes all eaitin … be the prestis … and thare wyfis 1567 Sat. P. iii 100.
And ȝe defend the cruell Jesabell, Than Baallis Preistis will cal ȝow verray kynde 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas iii 55.
A virgin preist by chance … Expert in magick

5. a. Attrib. and possess.: Of, for, appropriate to or as used by, priests, in senses 1 or 1 b.(1) possess. 1505 Creswell Royal Coll. Surgeons Edinb. 3.
Every maister … sall pay his oulklie penny with the preistis meil 1537 Treas. Acc. VI 354.
Four Franche ladyis dule gounis maid of the fassone of preistis gounis 1563 Edinb. B. Rec. III 173.
In the presoun hous … callit the preistis presoun(2) attrib. 1559 Edinb. B. Rec. III 44.
Contenand thre capis dekyn subdekyn and preist with the pertinents 1561 Reg. Privy C. I 175.
Thre fardellis prest lynnyng 1588 Crim. Trials I ii 162.
His fader deit … for opining of ane preist-buik and luking vponne it 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII 49 b.
Tua how preist bonnettis … with tua brodis price xv s. ij d.

b. comb. with qualifying expressions. c1420 Wynt. vii 2203.
Jhon off Salerne, preyst cardynale 1558–9 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I lxiii.
Quhilk summonds sal be … execut be ane priest notar

c. As object in a comb. a1538 Abell 9* b.
Prest strykaris ar havyly pvnyst

d. Priestgone, over-run by priests or by clergymen generally. 1616 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. in Misc. Maitl. C. II 190.
Becaus this countrey wes priestgone quhilk he exponit that ther wes our mony ministeris in it