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

Request, -queist, n. Also: ra- and -queste, -qwest, -quiest; -queast; -quist, -quyste; -qyest. [ME and e.m.E. request(e (Manning, Chaucer), -queste, OF requeste (c1155 in Larousse), f. as Requer(e v.]

1. The act of, or an instance of, asking for a material or non-material thing; a petition or expressed desire; a request. b. A writing or document putting forward a request, petition or application.For (someone's) request, in response to, or in fulfilment of, (his) request.(1) 1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
Gyf yhow lykes nocht to full his request Ib.
Syn owr request mycht nocht be spedde anens yhow 1391 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 163.
The kyng … said that hym thocht his request was resounable 1513 Doug. iv viii 59.
With syklyke wordis hir request scho maid 1545 Douglas Corr. 162.
Traisting ȝe will grant me this resonable my request [sic] for sic liefful service 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 193.
All the saidis schippis … wer dimittit agane by the quenis request(b) 1533 Boece 430.
To hir requeist consentit the infortunate king c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 190.
Chais na pure tyke frome his midding, Throw cast of court, or kingis requeist 1563–4 Acts & Decr. in Sc. Ant. XVI 80.
Na persoun … durst … refuys his chairgis and commandis or requeistis for feir of thair lyvis 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 135.
Sa I wald assure him of his requeist a1578 Pitsc. I 28/21.
Charllis … grantit glaidlie to thair requeist and message 1586 Waus Corr. 361.
Prayand your ll. to hald me apardonit of this my hamelie requeist 1596 Dalr. I 192/14.
Contemneng his requeistes with cruel and lychtliful anssers 1607 Facs. Nat. MSS III lxxxvii.
Reposeing vpone your maiesties guid acceptatioune of this our … requeist(c) 1559 Knox VI 87.
The authoritie of the Frenche king and quen … wilbe in wourd till thei deny our most just requeastes(d) a1578 Pitsc. I 128/20.
Partlie be the requist and intercessieoun of the nobillis of the realme(e) 1638 Henderson Serm. 63.
Let our requiests be made known to God(2) 1401 Aberd. B. Rec. (S.H.S.) 210 (see 2 (1) below). a1500 Henr. Fab. 1398.
For my requeist … I pray … Ane morall fabill ȝe wald denȝe to say 1509–10 Edinb. B. Rec. I 125.
This ye wil the erar do for our requeist and prayer 1513 Doug. Direct. 75.
For ȝou maid I this buke, my lord, … for ȝour tendir request and amyte c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 238. Id. Seven S. Schort Schawing 24.
Gif sum verse haltis … For my requeist tak out ane pen and blek thame 1609 Peebles B. Rec. I 76.
Quhilk we salbe lothe to do for ony manis request or perswasioun(3) sing. 1398 Acts I 211/1.
Cursit men … put fra the kyrke at the requeste of the kyrke c1400 Troy-bk. ii 991 (C). 1416 Liber Melros 539.
At our speciale instance and besy request c1420 Wynt. v 3503 (C).
Sancte Jerome … translatyt the saltare At his raquest and his instance c1450-2 Howlat 856 (A).
At thar alleris request 1456 Hay I 257/11.
To say that … God suld at synfull mannis request kythe miracle 1490 Irland Mir. I 102/17. 1513 Doug. xii xiii 24.
The buk of the concepcioune virginale, maid at the request of … James the Thrid 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 395.
At our speciall supplicatioun instans and request 1545 Reg. Cupar A. II 225.
At the request and desyre of … his fader, being seikpl. 1491 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 327.
At the requestis of the said lorde erll marchel and Alexander Irwyn(4) c1420 Wynt. ii 1297.
Off this request scho wes sa thra That [etc.] 1456 Hay I 138/23.
And the King of Spaigne … sendis but ony message, or request fra the King of Fraunce, a grete ost of men 1487 Acts II 178/2.
Nocht be parcialite nor masterschip quhilk is vndoing of the borowis quhare masterschippis & requestis cummis 1525–6 Edinb. B. Rec. I 227.
For the defens of thair materis … dependand befor the toun 1533 Bell. Livy II 86/27.
Gevand na attendance to the requeistis or to the mynassing of faderis 1545 Aberd. B. Rec. I 217.
It salbe the henmest request that I sall charge yow of 1562-3 Winȝet II 33/25.
It is a iust requeist and nocht lang to be delayt a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. 29/56.
This last requeist I leirnit at the frieris 1589 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 122.
Moniest votes grantit to the said requiest 1647 Glasgow B. Rec. II 126.
Anent the requeist of Mr. Johne Spreule, … for ane leace of the chop, … it is condiscendit vnto … that [etc.](b) 1456 Peebles B. Rec. I 115.
Frer John Jamson com to the curt with a leter a raqwest fra the menyster of Fayl 1531 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 23 Feb.
That the myllars sall not ansuer the fermars for na raquests c1595 Maxwell Mem. II 179.
That the raquestis suld tak na feke quhill ȝour metyng and his(5) 1456 Hay I 232/6.
Quhethir gif … he suld ȝelde him agayn, and delyver him at request of frendis a1500 Henr. Fab. 34.
Off this poete … I wald preif To mak ane … translatioun … be requeist and precept of ane lord 1535 Stewart 35718.
Throw greit requeist of sindrie men of gude, Tha fand borowis 1589 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II 106.
His majestie … at requeist of the quene yelded to him his pardone 1596 Dalr. I 227/18.
Nochtwithstandeng with requeist of the Papes Halynes … mony … conioyned thame selfes to [etc.] Ib. II 368/11.
Leist … the Scotis steirit vp with requeist of the Frenchmen 1622-6 Bisset II 270/20.
These officemen … suld nocht be chosin be partialitie nor maisterskaip nor at requeist thereof

c. A request to do something. 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. I 189.
The gouernouris request, to gif to the religiouse men … daylie … thre s. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7223.
For all requeist, planelie the king said nay For to remane 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 279.
Be the reqyest of Mr. Thomas Heppburne in the queenis name to proclame hir with my Lord Bothwell, I plainlie refuissit

2. To ma (mak) request (to (til, unto) a person, also with indirect object), to ask or beg.Const. clause object or infin., also without const.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 697.
Bot he … requeste to thame can may That [etc.] Ib. xxv 150.
& sic request til hyme cane ma, That [etc.] 1401 Aberd. B. Rec. (S.H.S.) 210.
We made hym request that he suld frely delyuer thaim, for the quilk request he has delyuerit thaim frely at this tym 1456 Hay I 4/3.
And forthy I mak ȝour hienes hertly request and supplicacioun that nathing that I sall put in this buke ye dispris Id. ?1438 Alex. (S.T.S.) 3480.
And till him hartfully he maid requeist That he wauld grant to pas a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1172.
I mak you request … That ye wald to me … Tell your entent(2) 1456 Acts II 45/2.
It is thocht spedfull that the king mak request to certane of the gret baronys … to mak cartis of weir c1475 Wall. xi 351.
Quhat gestis he had, to tell thai mak raquest(3) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 122/2.
Off benefice … Quha monyast hes makis maist requeist 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1607.
Ȝit not the les vnto the ministeris, Prouestis, sergands [etc.] … He maid requeist 1571 Ferg. Serm. iii Malachi in Tracts 78.
[God] speiks als submissiuely as it were a borower making requeist to a lenner

b. To ma request (for something), to ask for. 15.. Christis Kirk 49 (B).
For mald he maid requeist

c. comb. In request-maker. a1599 Rollock Wks. II 306.
The request-maker was one Joseph

3. Without determiner in various prepositional phrases: The act of asking, or the fact of being asked (to do something or for something).As, with, for, throw or of … request. Also, in letter of request. 1398–9 Liber Melros 490.
I hafe purchacide with speciale request the seales of … Patrik and Johen of Kelchow and Dryburgh Abbotis to be set to with myne 1418–19 Ib. 502.
Because at the forsaid Nychole throw gret instance and request in his myster has borwyt … fowrty pundis c1508 Ch. & M. Prints v 165.
The iugis … Oft tymes … Stopand the laif for luf … or feide For radour request for meid or warisone 1513 Doug. xi xiii 107.
As he besocht for grace with gret request, Scho dowblit on hir dyntis c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 741.
Beseikand ȝow … quhair ony thing is tald Throw haltand verse … With all requeist excuse that ȝe wald me 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv 145.
The colour of greatest request among them is greene — 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 38.
Letter of requeist send be the king to the constable to mak resignatioun of his landis and heritage

4. Maister (also, once, Lord) of Requestis, the title given to one of the members of the Privy Council whose special duty it was to deal with petitions or the like submitted to the king or Privy Council. ‘He prepared council business receiving petitions from suppliants, and presenting them for consideration by the council. After 1603 he also acted as intermediary between the Council in Scotland and the king in England, transferring petitions from one to the other.’ The Juridical Review New Ser. IV 211, q.v. [1754 Goodal in Scot Staggering State (1872) 33.
We have no Master of Requests now, that charge being swallowed up by the secretary's office. Their business with us was, as at Rome, to represent to the king the complaints of the people]Also, Office of Requestis.(1) 1389 in Latham Med. L. Word List 403/2 s.v. Requisitio.
[Magister requestarum 1554 Treas. Acc. X 217.]
Johanne Hay, Magistro Requestarum supreme domine nostre Regine 1561 Reg. Privy C. I 159.
Gif ony letter, supplicatioun, requeist or bill … be direct fra the quenis grace to the Lordis of Counsale, that the Maister of Requeistis present and deliver the samyn to the Chancellar … to be sichtit be the saidis Lordis for ansuer geving thairto 1564–5 Ib. 324.
The Lordis of Secreit Counsall … ordanis the Maister of Requeistis to declair the caise … to hir majestie and thaireftir to report to thame quhat is hir hienes will … to be done thairin 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlvii.
The quenis maiestie having vnderstand be the report of … hir hienes maister of requestes … that the said erll … had declarit that he wes contentit to cum to hir maiestie 1578 Reg. Privy S. VII 439/2.
Maister of Requeistis to his hienes Prevy Counsall 1578 Acts III 97/1.
The Maister of Requeistis and Clerk of Secreit Counsall sall euerie day remember the Lord Chancellar … concerning the estait of the causis dependand 1581 Ib. 229/2.
Supplicationis in write quhilkis his maiestie … or his Maister of Requeistis will alwayes ressaue 1593 Ib. IV 34/1.
[Appointed to the Privy Council,] Maister of Requestis, Secretair, Justice Clerk, Comptroller [etc.] 1615 Reg. Privy C. X 838. 1619 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 247.
Sir Williame Alexander of Menstre Knycht Maister of Requeistis to his majestie 1621 Acts IV 595/2.
Officaris of estate … Maister off Requestis 1657 Balfour Ann. II 194.
Requystes — 1594 Reg. Privy C. V 755.
Lord Newbottle Lord of Requeistis(2) 1582 Reg. Privy C. III 529.
It pleasit his majestie … to admit the said Maister Johnne in his houshald and to promote him to the Office of Requeistis