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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sad, adj. and adv. Also: sadd(e, sade, said. Compar. saddare, sader. Superl. saddest. [ME and e.m.E. sad (c1200), sadd (Cursor M.), also sađ (Layamon), OE sæd.]

I. Of persons and in non-material applications.

1. a. Satisfied; satiated. b. Exhausted, tired, weary. Also const. of. 1375 Barb. iii 319.
That I am sad off my selwyn sua That I count nocht my liff a stra c1420 Wynt. ii 67.
Off chawmbyr play scho was nevyre sade, For all the copy that scho hade Ib. v 539. 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 111.
On slummyr I slaid full sad and slepit sound Ib. x xiv 78.
Meȝentyus … Seand the steid drowpand and sad, thus said [etc.] Ib. vi viii 90.

2. Steadfast, constant; determined, resolute. a1400 Leg. S. iii 418.
For hardines is nocht … Bot of sad thocht anerly. That I dred nocht of ded the payne Ib. xlii 36.
As Quincyane persawing had That scho wes of wil sa sad c1420 Wynt. viii 2540.
The thryd bataylle swne sawe thai Cwmmand on in sad aray 1460 Hay Alex. 2548.
Na for na lychtlines thai ar nocht changeabill Bot sad of feris a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 567.
For thay ar sad as widdercok in wind a1500 Quare Jel. 264.
Thir ladies bene echone Als trew and sad as ony tyme aygone Ib. 474.
For euery wicht that is with lufe ybound And sad and trewe in euery faith yground Syne likith nocht to varye nor eschewe

b. Steadfast in battle, firm in resistance, valiant or indicating steadfastness or valour. c1450-2 Howlat 514 (A).
Circulit with Sarazenis mony sad man That tranoyntit with a trayne apon that trewe knycht Ib. 596.
Thire … armes Bure the Erll of Murray As sad signe of assay His fell fais till affray c1475 Wall. iv 603.
Sad men off armes that war off eggyr will Ib. x 860.
At hand strakys thai war sekyr and sad

3. Of persons: Responsible in judgment; serious in character and conduct; not frivolous or unreliable; stable, sober, grave.Passing into next main sense. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 175.
In thewis saddare thane wes he ere c1450-2 Howlat 85 (A).
The plesant pacok … Sad in his sanctitud sekerly & sure 1456 Hay I 285/9.
Clerkis ar mare sad of counsale … and ferrar can se in the ground of a mater na seculeris c1460 Wisd. Sol. (STS) 324.
For vysmen are ay sad and fulys ay blyth and oft-tymis be the sad continans of a wysman fulis are correkit c1460 Dietary 63 (Makc.).
In ȝouth be lusti, sad quhen thow art ald a1500 Henr. Orph. 19. c1475 Wall. i 201.
Sad of contenance he was Ib. xi 1334.
The king gert charge thai suld the byschop ta, Bot sad lordys consellyt to lat him ga Ib. ix 1926. a1500 K. Hart 85.
Full sendill sad or soundlie set to sleip a1500 Bk. Chess 2090.
Richt sad in moving suld thir women be And of schort space & to no fer cuntre c1500 Fyve Bestes 357.
Richt sad of langage suld he be ane kyng And weile avysit or he said the thing 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 145.
To write onone I hynt a pen in hand Fortil perform the poet grave and sad 1517 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 87.
That ye leif nocht the common weal on dwne … bot that ye be kend for sade men 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 28.
Scho postis to Setounis hous with a verray few, and thay not all of the saddest company a1586 Sat. P. xxxvii 41.
Gif ȝe be secreit, sad, and solitair, Peirtlie thai speik that privalie ȝe play 1587-99 Hume 86/205.
Learne to be sad, silent, sober, and sanctifiedabsol. as noun c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 321.
The saddest said, with sable countenance, ‘Allace, brother, thow rauis’

b. Said of demeanour, speech, counsel, etc. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii 517.
Be commowne consel, gud & sad, … thai ware had To Constantinnople a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 428.
Than said the syre of the sail, with sad sembland c1475 Wall. vii 32.
With sad awys agayne to thaim he said [etc.] a1500 Prestis of Peblis 460. a1500 Colk. Sow ii 81.
He coppeit this ȝong wench attentely In his consait with sad degestioun a1508 Want of Wyse Men 36.
Sad maturitee c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 447.
According to my sable weid I mone haif sad maneris 1513 Doug. xii i 45.
Kyng Latyn tho with sad and degest mynd To hym answeris 1553 Rec. Earld. Orkney 252.
With ane ryipe and sad consell c1590 Fowler I 70/87.
Her countenance, sad, sober, and so grawe 1596 Dalr. II 261/1.
He oft vset to preueine materis of waicht with a sad counsell and graue 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 207.
I would I could begin to be a Christian in sad earnest

c. Of a matter, a topic, evidence, etc.: Serious, weighty, important. a1500 Henr. Fab. 26.
With sad materis sum merines to ming Accordis weill Ib. 1100.
Richt so vnder ane fabill figurall Sad sentence men may seik 1490 Irland Mir. I 74/15.
Sad and gret materis 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 22.
Be not displeisit … Amang sad mater howbeid we sumtyme relȝie c1552 Id. Mon. 210.
Bot sad sentence sulde haue ane sad indyte 1572 Buch. Detect. D i b.
Quhilk esteme the sclanderis of maist lewd slicht personis, for sad testimoneis

4. Of persons, their thoughts, feelings, disposition, etc.: Sorrowful, mournful, melancholy.In some quots., with admixture of material senses (5 ff.). c1450-2 Howlat 187 (A).
Heronnis … Ay sorowfull and sad [B. said] … Was neuir leid saw thaim lauch bot drowpand & dare 1456 Hay II 119/31.
And he that has a wayke calde stomak he is of hevy chere and hevy hertit and sad a1500 Henr. Fab. 503. c1475 Wall. iv 337.
Now lycht, now sadd; now blisful, now in baill Ib. x 619.
The Bruce tuk leyff … Rycht sad in mynd for Scottis men that war lost Ib. iv 188.
Sadde a1500 Bk. Chess 1892. ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 25.
Jesus, witand quhat pane he wes to suffer, was sad and dolorus c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 147/20.
Me thocht the drerie damiesall Distres … Sad as the leid in baid lay me abone 1513 Doug. iii iii 12.
With wordis to asswage My thochtis and my hevy sad curage a1538 Abell 95a.
Sad and sorofull he passit hame in Ingland 1549 Compl. 68/8.
I beand in this sad solitar soune sopit in sleipe, ane hauy melancolius dreyme [etc.] 15.. Clar. iv 1894.
Sade a1570-86 Maitl. F. 250/1. a1578 Pitsc. I 45/12.
Bot this earle and his brother behalding this money fauld treassone witht sade mynd and werie continance start wpe fre the bourd Ib. 234/4.
Sade Ib. 258/8.
Sad 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas ii 79.
Sade 1633 Lithgow Poet. Remains 112.
Trone lords, Which beare sad burdens, bund with rops and cords a1651 Calderwood VII 584.
He … walking in Paul's Church sad and pensive, made his mone to a Scottish man walking there 1666 S. Ronaldshay 54.
For … quyeting of the sadd heart of the widdowesabsol. 1588 King Cat. App. 39b.
The hop and conforter of al sad haue mercie on me

b. Expressive of sadness, melancholy. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 110.
That he wes nere fra his wit; Sad sorow sa cane hyme hit a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 540.
With siching sair and sad [: stad] 1549 Compl. 39/17.
The dou croutit hyr sad sang that soundit lyik sorrou 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 85.
Thair was all the way ane sad glowming silence 1637 Lundie Poems 32.
Braue soules quho in sadde theames delicht 1696 D. Williamson Scotland's Sin, Danger, and Duty (1720) 24.
We are become like stocks and stones, a sad token of the Lords withdrawing

c. Of (the occasion of) an occurrence: Causing sorrow, lamentable, distressing; painful, severe.In some quotations perh. with admixture of sense 6. a1400 Leg. S. iii 524.
He flat no sad mys ony man till Ib. xii 189.
& [of] that sad ded the ranowne Sowne rane throw al the towne 1567 G. Ball. 33.
Quhome God ressaifis to his sone and air, Him will he scurge with plagues sad and sair 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 177.
That this poor distressit place … as yit is lying vnder manie sad dispensations both in its sprituall and temporall conditioun, which ar werie justlie inflictit 1663 S. Ronaldshay 44.
Ane sadd accident fell out by lose of ane boate and foure men 1663 Rep. Sir Rob Menzies MSS 699.
So sadd an occasion to wreatt to you 1667 Dunlop P. III 5.
Ther is many thinges sader in our lot than the death of a child; yet I had my own heavines for him 1676 Strathblane Par. 333.
12 sh. … to be given to ane poor lad … in his sad seiknes 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 92.
Gilbert suffered much loss, and had many sad nights. … In this sore and sad affliction [etc.] 1691 Farther Vindic. 20.
The messages of the prophets direct to kings, which sometimes were very sad and peremptor

d. Of a state of affairs: Deplorable, lamentable; painful, harsh. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1290 (Asl.).
Off temporale plesans vnto perpetuale pane This sad [Harl. said] resemblans mark in memoriale 1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith 259.
Christ's gloomings and sad desertions, though to the belieuer they be death and hell, yet [etc.] 1651 Brechin Presb. 57.
The present sadd condition of the Kirk of God in this land 1669 Jus Populi 435.
A sad overplus of ill grounded charity 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 92 (see c above). 1720 Rothesay Par. Rec. 353.
The aggravations of her fall being laid before her, especially considering her former fornication, … she acknowledged she was in a sad condition

II. In various physical applications. 5. Of material objects: Solid, strong, massive; firmly fixed, stable. Also fig. 1456 Hay I 12/27.
The ferme erde, depe and sad a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 249.
Side-wallis war set, sad to the see c1475 Wall. iii 215.
Thai band thaim fast with wedeis sad and sar c1500 Fyve Bestes 284.
His scheldis ware richt sad and sure His tuskis scharpe [etc.] 1513 Doug. xi xi 47.
The schaft was sad and sound, and weill ybaikfig. 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 139.
It is not my apprehension that createth this cross to me; it is too real, and hath sad and certain grounds

b. Only in Nisbet after Purvey: Not liquid, solid. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Hebrews v 12.
To quhilkis is nede of mylk and nocht sadde [Wy., P. sad] mete

6. Of a blow or the like: Heavy, vigorous.Freq. in the phrase sad and sare.Also, transf., said of the person inflicting the blow.(1) 1375 Barb. xii 134 (C).
He … pressit thame so woundir fast With sad strakis, quhill, at the last, Thai fled ?1438 Alex. ii 7122.
Quhen men in turnay ar purueyit, Thay sall wele mare redoutit be, … For to stryke sad straikes, I wis! c1475 Wall. v 845.
Wallas … Hewyt on hard with dyntis sad and sar Ib. vi 750.
Robert Boid … a sad straik on him set Awkwart the crag [etc.] Ib. v 383, ix 510. ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 85.
The gret sad straikis and iniuris that ȝe sufferit in ȝour precius body Ib. 133.
[They] tuk the scharp croun of thorne … and … set apone ȝour tender heid with mony sad straikis and sair 1513 Doug. xii vi 148. 15.. Clar. i 65.
Thus war thair straikes baith sad and keine Ib. v 2337. 1606 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 28.
Giving him mony sad and sair straikis 1629 Boyd Balme of Gilead (1629) 41 (Jam.).
The longer the stroake be in comming it commeth down the sadder a1700 Mare of Colinton 440.
He thought that she had been dead: For he had hit her on the head A sad stroak and a sickerellipt. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 175.
In the car hand he bair ane bludie hart, Thirlit outthrow richt scharplie, sad and sair, With ane fell flane(2) a1578 Pitsc. I 222/10, 13.
Bot the strampe of Mr. Patrickis was so sade wpoun his brotheris footte … thairfoir … [the latter] said, ‘Thow art ower pairt lurdane and sad to strampt on my fute’

b. Of a punishment: Severe. 1598 James VI Minor Prose 81/15.
Incase hee forget himselfe … the sadder and sharper wil his correction be

7. Of colour: Of a darker or deeper tint; dark, deep; sombre; sober.Usu. in collocation with the names of colours, also cullour, cullourit, etc., also, with the name of the object alone.(1) 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 25.
viij elne sad Franch tanne 1535 Ib. VI 255.
iiij½ elnis and ane quarter sad grene to covir the latronis in the kingis study 1538 Ib. VII 110.
Sad crammesy welvot … to be ane pair of hois 1539 Ib. 172. 1550–1 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 37b (20 Feb.).
Ane stik of sadgrene 1568 Edinb. Test. I 170b.
For twa sad blew bonettis 1575 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 335.
That thair haill habite be of grave collour, as black, russet, sad gray, sad browne 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 192b.
Sad gray clynkand ribbaneis 1597 Ib. XXX 160.
Twa elne sadd greine craip 1600 Tailor's Acc. Bk. 4 b. 1602 Treas. Acc. MS 122.
Fourtene elnis sad gray veluote 1607 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 72.
To be littit sad russet 1620 Edinb. Test. L 352b.
Thrie elnis sad philamort temming 1631 Aberd. B. Rec. III 34.
The cullour of thair gownes … salbe sad tannis 1632 Inv. Newark 2a.
Ane sad reid browderit pand 1633 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 368.
Ane sad broun mear 1662 Crim. Trials III 615.
Som … in sadd-dun, som in grasse-grein Ib. 606. a1688 Morisone in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 214.
A sort of nutts … round and flat, sad broun or black coullored(2) a1500 K. Hart 568.
Bird think schame and of thy riot rew, Saw thow thy self in to thy colour sad a1586 Lindsay MS 46b (see Law adj. 3 c). 1613 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 111.
Blew clayth to be littit of a said and grave cullour 1628–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 257.
The timber wall to be set af in pannallis of licht cullour and the bandis in sad cullour 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 63.
And the hall [to be painted] sad colour(3) 1613 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 358.
For 8 ell half sad collourit perpetuane to be slipes above my claythis 1648 Edinb. Test. LXIII 271b.
Ane sad cullourit gray cloath 1676 Douglas Corr. 276.
It is … much better then the sad coloured cloth 1696 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 192.
Grisis sadculerd goun 1697 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. II 90.
Sadd cullored — 1692 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. II 92.
Ane stand of sad cloath collored courtins(4) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2835.
The blaberyis, thocht thay be sad off hew, Ar gadderit vp quhen primeros is forsakin 1567 Crim. Trials I i 495.
His … riding cloak … of sad Inglish claith, callit the new colour 1660 Bk. Dunvegan I 189.
1 ell of sad bustim for pokets 22 s. 1661–70 Old Ross-shire I 143.
Ane sad turk cloak 1681 Fam. Rose 372.
A sad plain fan for my lady 1688 Douglas Bequest 24 July.
3½ ells finn sad cloath 1691 Brechin Test. VIII 41b.
Ane large bedsted hung with sad cloath

b. ? Of rich or deep colour. 1603 Philotus 483.
Ȝour louesum lips sad, soft, and sweit wee sie, As roses red

8. ? 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 99/4.
The changing rounde, the shining beamie light, The sadd and bearded fires

III. 9. adv. a. Badly (damaged) as by heavy or violent blows, badly (sense 6 above). b. Firmly, fixedly (sense 5 above).a. ?14.. Ship Laws c. 27 (H1).
And gif ony debait be amang the schip of thair gudis and thai be sad [B. sare] grevitb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2161.
He laid his halfheid sicker hard and sad