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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.

Seth(e, Seith, v. Also: seyth(e, sceith, seath(e, seeth(e. Pres. p. also saithan. P.t. sethit, seithit, etc., -yne. P.p. sod(d)in, -yn, -en, sodne, sotten, -yne. [ME sethe(n (Wyclif), p.t. sing. seð (c1250), seeth (Chaucer), seþe (c1440), pl. suden (Layamon), sode(n (1297), sothe(n (14-15th c.), siþen (Cursor M.), OE séoðan, p.t. séað, pl. sudon, p.p. soden.]

1. tr. a. To subject to the action of boiling liquid; to cook by boiling. Also absol.Also const. indirect object or to the person for whom the cooking is done.(1) 1375 Barb. xx 571 (C).
His men … Gert seth [E. scher] hym [swa that] mycht be tane The flesche all haly fra the bane 1456 Hay II 127/4.
The naturale hete is disposit to mak gude degestioun, for than is it hate as fyre, and sethis the mete wele at poynt(b) 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 130.
For twa pannis to seith the salpetir in 1576 Crim. Trials I ii 53.
Thom gaif hir … ane thing lyke the rute of ane beit, and baid hir owthir seith, and mak ane saw of it or ellis [etc.] 1588 Sc. Ant. IV 38.
Tak garlek and het milk and seith thame togidder & drink in the marnynge twa or three dayes 1593–4 Ayr B. Acc. 180.
Seyth 1594 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 3a.
For ane pot to seithe our pes ine 1597 Crim. Trials II 26.
The said Cristian Saidler bad hir tak thre pyntis of sweit wirt and seith it with a quantitie of fresche butter 1597 Crim. Trials II 27.
[She] bad her tak brwme and cammamyle and seith in quhyte vyne 1603 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 446.
That na persoun … eit flesche on Fryday or Settirday … and that nane … roist or sceith flesche the saids dayes(c) 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 22 Nov.
For grene herbis to seathe the whay with 1646 Montgomery Mem. 297.
A chopin [of ale] to seath a codline(d) 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 116.
The Savoyard or the Swisse, Who apples seethes with roasted geese(e) 1589 St. A. Kirk S. 653.
Deponis sche hes sein Mr. Androw saith herbis in ane panp.t. a1400 Leg. S. vii 699.
Hyre awne barne scho slew rycht thar & sethit hyme, & ȝete the halfe For hungyre c1420 Wynt. ii 1021.
Sethyde 1596 Elgin Rec. II 45.
Scho … pat the samyn in a pane mixit thair with aquavytie, raw hony and seithet thame altogidder 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 7.
Scho … seithit kaill rwntis in watter for ane ill … scho had in hir head 1662 Crim. Trials III 617.
Seithedp.p. c1420 Wynt. i 439.
Than thai tuk wpe to thaire fwde For tyll ete fleyhs forowtyn blude; Rostyt, sodyn, or in paste a1500 Henr. Orph. 526 (Ch. & M.).
He to the soupere Slew his awin sone … In till a sewe wyth spicis sodyn wele 1494 Loutfut MS 41a.
And the pepinis within quhen thai ar soddin [etc.] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5103.
Sum, hangit … Sum, brynt; sum soddin in to leiddis 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 25.
All fischis most be sodin with vater etc. 1587 Carmichael Etym. 5.
Hydromeli, water and honie sodden togather 1596 Dalr. I 94/26.
Thay fand out a new … maner of kuiking, quhairthrouch verie esilie thair fleshe was sodne 1596 Dalr. I 100/21.
Als mekle salmond of this same sorte he walde eit rawe as mony vthiris mycht thoch weil sodin 1596 Dalr. I 31/33.
Sodne 1606 Edinb. Test. XLII 6.
xxx stanes of hemp quhilk wes killit & soddin 1629 Kirkcaldy Presb. 53.
We replie that we think crambe recocta is cold kaill twyse sodden 1634 Reid Auchterarder 204. c1700 Fugitive Poetry II xli 4/104.
Vile stinking filthie jugs, Tat herring had peen sotten in(2) c1420 Wynt. v 3904 (C).
Scho sparit noucht … to seythe thaim fische or flesche a1500 Henr. Fab. 235 (Bann.).
A gentill hairt is bettir recreat With blyth visage than sethe to him a cow a1500 Henr. Orph. 535.
Men … The god of riches that ar ay redy For to ressaue … And to him sethe thair sone in pecis smale(3) absol. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1231.
Martiall was cuik till roist seith farce and fry

b. To cause (liquid) to boil. Also const. away.(1) 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 131.
For the cariage of ane troche and ane pott to seithe the tar in 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II 96.
xiij dosone killing sundis to my and this glew … of collis to melt and seith it with(2) 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Excoquo, to seathe away, to fyne

2. intr. a. To be boiled, to be cooked by boiling. 1566 Sources and Lit. Sc. Law 300.
[That Alexander Heuch] tuk done the caile pott quhilk was sethand on the said fyir … and turnit the caile and met quhilk was sethand in the said pott in ane foule tub 1595 Misc. Spald. C. II 130.
As alsua, fand in your hous, sethand in ane pote, tua scheipis leuaris, tua hartis [etc.] 1607 Crim. Trials II 526.
The fagget of Hell lycht on thé, and Hellis culdroune may thow seith in! 1618 Trial Isobel Inch 4.
I wold be content that my saull war saithan in the cauldroun of hell 1648 Cullen Kirk S. 16 July.
Issobell Patersone was delait for cursing in saying God graunt that his soul seath in the playing pott of hell 1648 Robertson Cullen Ch. Ann. 31.
Seethe

b. To boil, to be boiling hot. Said of liquid, also of the container of the boiling liquid.1566 Sources and Lit. Sc. Law 300 (see 2 a above). 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Bullio, to seith, or play as a pot 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 153/370.
The pleuresie … makking euer seith that bloode quhiche under his ribbes abydes 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 159/434.
The creische of all oure boddie in the urine seething fast a1605 Birrel Diary 48.
He had aquafortis continuallie seithing at the irone window 1632 Justiciary Cases I 211.
And eftir heitting thairof [sc. water and salt] upone the fyre quhill it was seithing and lowing hett