Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Saith, n. Also: sayth, sath, saethe, seith(e, seyth, seth(e, seath(e, sheath, syth(e. [ON seiðr (Norw., Dan. seid, sei). Also in the mod. dial.] The mature coal-fish. Also comb. 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XIV 54b.
Lang fische … saithis … killing 1571 Reg. Privy S. VI 227/2. 1572 Exch. R. XX 97.
30 s. of 500 fish called sathis 1590 Black Bk. Taymouth 303.
Enterit and coft out of Perth … off keilling … off seythis 1591 Crail B. Ct. MS 30 Nov.
To … pay to Thomas Dott xij gude and sufficient saethes or then xvj s. for the price thairoff 1592 (16..) Dundee B. Laws 131.
Ilk c of seithes, 3 d. 1599 Exch. R. XXIII 335.
10 s. of 500 dry fish called sathis 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 46.
The said David to have coft fra him ane thousand saithis 1604 Ib. 113.
William Mortoun is tryit to haife gripit fyfteine saythis apertening to Patrik Gray 1612 Reg. Privy C. IX 727.
Sethis, the barrell, v lib. 1619 Dundee B. Laws 152.
Fourteen score seathis dry fishes which fish was taken to Dundie 1633 Lithgow Poet. Remains 102.
Salmon, salt, herrings, killing, sethes and colle, With skin and hyde transported still to Polle Id. Trav. x 500.
Seaths 1650 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 590.
Second table, 2 hunder sythes 1661 Acts VII 254/1.
Seathes ilk fyve hundreth therof c1650-1700 Descr. Zetland 8.
Well stored with all common sort of fishes, as mackrels, … haddocks, whitings, sheaths, but especially with podlines (young sheaths) called by the inhabitants polltackscomb. 1610 Brechin Test. II 35b.
Fourtie seathe fische pryce vj lib. clengit 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 101.
The seath fish is catched at the foot of rocks, close by the shoar 1683 A. Garden in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 135.
We have also the seath fish, mackreel and flook, these we call our small fishes 1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. iii 28.
In Boreali Scotiae plagâ the seath-fish c1650-1700 Descr. Zetland 1.
By the Scots & English it is called Shethland, because in old time there were many sheathfish caught about its coast 1707 Conv. Burghs IV 427.
That ther be payed for each hundred of codd, ling, or syth fish, … ane premium [etc.] Ib. 428.
In respect it hes been customary … to export cod, ling, and syth fish in barrell, that therfor the same drauback be alloued for each barrell of codd, ling and syth when exported as is allowed for the herrings 1711 Ib. 515.
There has been a trade of barrelled codd, ling, and seith fish