A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Ratherest, adv. [Late ME (c1420) and e.m.E. ratherest, Rather adv.] Soonest, as a matter of choice; most particularly or preferably; most of all. — 1570 Bann. Trans. 49.
I discoursed within my awin hart what thing ratherest to doe for my releif 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 39.
Bot of hir self I had ratherest beleif hirself Ib. 54. 1581 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 479.
That the Assemblie declare … in quhat place they wisch them ratherest to serve a1651 Calderwood VII 76.
And therefore, perhaps, has wisdom himself made choice of this sort of governement ratherest
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Ratherest adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 24 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/ratherest>
