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 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Regrat(e, -grait(t, Regret, v.¹ Also: -greit, -great(t, -greet, -grett-. [OF regrater (1190 in Wartburg), regreter, -gretter, ME regret(t (14th c.). Larousse suggests as an ultim. source ON gráta (Grete v.¹⁾.]

1. tr. To lament (something); to feel grief, sorrow or dismay at (some injury, loss, event, condition, fact, etc.); to express such feelings (to a person); to complain about. Also const. clause object.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvii 24.
Of that [town] come thane bath ȝung & ald, Thare skath regratand c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2504.
He … told him his … caire, The quhilk Pirrus regratit thare 1513 Doug. i iv 106.
The pietefull Eneas Regratis [Ruddim. regrettis] oft the … cace Of stern Orontes new drownyt Ib. v xi 25. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 8.
How the Britonis regratit thair seruitude 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 74/17.
Albeit this is to be hauelie regratit … ȝit [etc.] 1588–9 Crail B. Ct. MS 26 Feb.
Jhone Dauidsoun baxter … regratit the gryt abuse and misordour that hes cruppin in vithin this brught 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv 140. 1645 Anal. Sc. I 109.
Regrateing the town's charitie bestowed upon them so largely 1657 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 145. 1666 Inverurie 339.
The minister publicklie out of the pulpit regrated the gross brack of Sabboth in the summer time 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XII 139.
He regrats his circumstances 1690 Cramond Kirk S. III 18 Sept.(b) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 35.
Thy cruell deid with piete to regrait 1513 Doug. v ii 16.
Thys is the day that euermor sall I Meyn and regrait 1530 Aberd. B. Rec. I 131.
To complene and regrait the cruell oppressioun … and slauchter 1570 Sat. P. xix 58.
Ȝe burrowis, murne and regrait his fall 1589–90 Edinb. B. Rec. V 13.
Thomas Fischear [etc.] … to pas to … my lord Bothuell and thair regraitt … the wrangs done to the town 1614 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 148.
He now persaues the errour and regraitis it be ane letter 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xviii 9. 1624 Melrose P. 642*.
He thairupoun tooke occasioun simplie … to regrait the same 1639 Baillie I 241.
I shall in quiett silenc regrait your onkyndnes 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II 3.
Robert Thomsone, lait baillie, to ryde in to Dalkeith … and regraitt the tounes lossis 1671 Bonckle Kirk S. 32. 1693 Melville Chart. 230.(c) 1549 Compl. 26/1.
The kyng Demetrius regrettit hauyly the slauchtir of his fadir Antigonus 1623 Perth Kirk S. MS 14 May.
Regreitting hir estate as being at the poynt of deith(2) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 455.
[He] regratit ofte be-twene, That euir he had the Magdelan sene a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1115 (Wr.).
If hee regrated not how hee Had learnd my lesson late 1615 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 89.
Maister John regrated that there war sae many railers in the toun 1642 Lesmahagow Ann. 93.
[Did] regrate that … his daughter, in time of the troubles, had stolen out a decreet against him 1642 Strathbogie Presb. 32.
The Laird of Cromby regratit that the stool of repentance wes sett wp contiguie to his dask(b) 1661 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 827.
The minister and elders regreatt that their schoolmaster is too gentle in correcting the children 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 310.
He would regreet that ministers had too mean stipends(3) passive 1627 Rep. Parishes 204.
It is regraittit be us all that the teindis of that land is rentallit abone the worthe werrie far 1643 Baillie II 70.
The misregard of the letter of the moderator … is regrated 1644 Strathbogie Presb. 52.
It vas regraited be the bretherin that they could not get burialls in kirkis restrained 1649 Brechin Presb. 7.
It being regraited … that the greatt boat of Ferriden transported passengers … on the Lord's day, the maister of the boatt … was sharplie rebuked 1664 Rothesay B. Rec. 78.
It being regratit and complenet to the … baillies be John Ker Adamsone burges of Rothesay upone Mathow Mwir burges thair that [etc.] 1678 Moray Synod 171.
[It was] regrated the kirk bell was riven 1693 Lanark B. Rec. 247.
Yet it … cannot be enough regrated that [etc.] — 1644 Elgin Rec. II 249.
It was regrated of bearing of burne … on the Sabbath day(4) 1598 Mill Mediæv. Plays 256.
The Presbitrie had greitlie regraitit vnto him the profanatioun of the Sabboth be ane profane play 1599 Stirling B. Rec. I 93.
Haiffing regraittit to thame quhat fachrie he hes haid … in craiffing of his stipend 1600-1610 Melvill 9.
A speciall freind of myne, to whom I was regrating the mater 1639 T. Hope Diary 98.
About midnycht, as I wes regrating to the Lord the calamitie off his kirk [etc.] c1650 Spalding I 197.
The toune … began havellie to regrait thair misereis to the generall ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. II 135.
He bidd such as complained of it goe to the sighinge sisters and regrate it to them 1684 Cramond Ch. Lhanbryd 15.(b) 1655 Argyll Synod II 127.
[The] minister at Glenelg, haveing regreated his conditione to the synod, that … his stipend was detained from him(5) 1541 James V in St. P. Henry VIII V 197.
Ȝe sall regrate to our said darrest uncle that [etc.] 1638 Baillie I 103.
To sundry I did regrait … that they gave us our desyres by bitts, and with boasts 1641 Strathendrick 105.
That the minister … regrats to the visitors that the kirk door is not made patent 1653 Argyll Rentals II 7 June.
The mylner regrated to my Lord Marqueis that the mylne being ruinous … he builded the samen himselfe 16.. Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 3.
A woman regrated to him that she had got from his man very bad and thick oil

2. To mourn (someone); to lament or mourn for the loss, death or absence of (a person, or place).In later use, chiefly or only passive. a1400 Leg. S. xii 207.
Regratand alswa hyr husband That ded in hyre ȝard scho fand ?1438 Alex. i 1721.
Phylot … Regratit his cousine that he slew Ib. ii 4288.
The Bauderanis … Thare lord with greting regratand That presonere in the citie was Ib. i 518. c1610 Melville Mem. (1683) 118.
He dyed regrated by many Ib. 156.
Much regrated by all who heard his grave harangue 1625 Garden Kings 14.
As Galdus gone was by goode regrated 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 69.
This Robert … ended his lyff at Dounrobin and wes much regrated a1649 Drummond Wks. (1711) 78. c1650 Spalding I 226.
And efter thay are deid havellie regraitit(b) 1549 Compl. 25/18.
The queene Rosaria regrettit hir spouse kyng Darius Ib. 25/25.
The consule Marcus Marcellus regrettit hauyly the cite of Syracuse, quhen he beheld it birnand

b. With the qualities of the dead person as object. — 1375 Barb. xv 233.
Schir Edward … regratit his gret manhede, And his worschip with douchty dede Ib. xx 259.

3. intr. a. To regret the death or absence of a person. b. To mourn, lament; make lamentation.a. ?1438 Alex. i 502.
He kest doun his he[ve]de in hy And regrated full tenderly Of the kingb. (a) 15.. Clar. iv 2639.
The pepill … weipit for rewth … To sie the king regrate on sike ane wayes 1604-31 Craig ii 100.
Then giue mee leaue (sweet lady) to regrate 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xi 18.
Eyes, by ȝour streames of silwer trickling teares, Regrait, since sche is butt remorce!(b) 1549 Compl. 33/26.
I haue herd diuers pepil regret, maling, ande mak exclamations contrar the varld 1604-31 Craig i 36.
This causes mee alone for to regreat [: deceat]

4. a. To lodge a formal complaint. b. tr. To report (misconduct) to the authorities; to complain formally about.a. 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I 39.
The Master of Glammis hes regraitit as we suppos in his letter … for almaist he wes an seing witnes thairtob. 1639 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 212.
The … contempt committit be John Smert [etc.] … in making of insufficient malt being regratit to the … counsell