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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sicht, v. Also: sycht, sight, secht, seicht, seight. P.t. and p.p. also sicht-, sechtet, shichtitt, shechtyt, sichit, sycht. [Sicht n.¹ Cf. e.m.E. sight (1602).]

1. To check, examine carefully, inspect, survey (a thing, also, a place). Also, to seke (seirce) and sicht, and to vesy and sicht (and perambulat, etc.).(1) pres. 1556 Peebles B. Rec. I 234.
To caus ane of the saidis wobstaris … pas done with ane of the baillies to sycht the saidis stanis and se the saidis stanis reformit 1561 Peebles B. Rec. I 273.
The counsale ordanis the baillies to sycht the towrpykis in Edinburgh and cheppis, and … thairefter to sycht the said cheppis within … Peblis 1562 Edinb. B. Rec. III 135.
Maister Robert Glen … to … sycht and consider ane place maist apt and abill … in the North Loch for dowkeing of the saidis fornicatouris thairin 1570 Inverness Rec. I 195.
Quhilkis personis sall sycht the vplandis meit and beiff that cummes to the mercat(b) 1615 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 375.
For my chairges in ryding to sight the wood of Monteyth 1670 Soc. Ant. XXX 20.
Both … pairtis is to sight ther goods ane to ane other or hallowdayp.t. 1576 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 178b.
Johne Nilson … sychttit the place of Lowet and maid inuentor 1615 Reid Auchterarder 62.
[They] sichtit the said land and tenement 1624–5 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 133.
For wyne to the meassones that sighted the astlerp.p. 1561 Dumfries B. Ct. fol. 7.
The saids grond & wall … oftymes vesyit and the fundacione of the samin sychtit be thaim 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 38.
Wechtis, mesouris and all and syndrie metlumes … to be sychtit and considerit that thai beis just in thame selfis 1575 Inverness Rec. I 246.
Tuaye pair bernis schone … to be schawin and sychtit be the visitouris 1554–89 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XV 45.
Chirurgeanes … declairet that thai had sichtet the wounds and hurt of James Marjoriebanks 1590 Nat. Lib., Adv. MS 34.2.17, fol. 21.
The siluer werk of his maiesteis cophous was sychtit in the handis of Iereme Bowe 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 128.(b) 1671 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III 295.
The said chartor chist should be sighted that the wryttes therein be not spoyled nor consumed(c) 1543 Prestwick B. Rec. 59.
The gers to be shechtyt be thyr iiij men … and thay ar suorne to secht the samen 1570 Lanark B. Rec. 48.
For to haf ilk persone thair kavil [pr. kavie] of certein of the muir quhilkis the provest [etc.] … hes sechtet and bundet(d) 1624 Perth Kirk S. MS 17 May.
Wntil that … the samyn houssis war sichit and considderit be honest … men(e) 1581 Elgin Rec. I 163.
That thai sell nane thairof vnto the tyme thair haill fleschis, skyn [etc.] … be sycht be the bailȝeis and pryseris of flesche(2) 1536 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 132.
And in likvyis saidis landis be the said officer ver socht and seichtit and culd nocht be comprehendit thairon 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 39.
To gang throw the toun … and seirce and seicht the stoupis and furlattis(3) 1571 Peebles B. Rec. I 328.
The inqueist ordanis the baillies and counsale to vesy and sycht quhair Johne Patersone desyris the chep to be biggit 1572 Crail B. Ct. 1 Sept.
The bailȝeis … hes weseit sichtit and perambulat thair said mwir 1582–3 Perth B. Ct. 23 Feb.
[They] veseyit sichtit and considderit the said tenement 1584 Burntisland B. Ct. 5 May.
That the baileis heirof visie sicht and perambulat the meithis merchis and bundis off this burght at the twa termis apoinctit 1609 Inverurie B. Ct. 26 May.
[They] sall gang … and wissie and sycht bayth corne and hanit girs quhilk the corn be begun to scheir 1689 Falkirk Par. Rec. I 250.
To visit and seight each fair and mercat day all iron and pewther worke that comes to be sold therintill

b. To investigate, scrutinise (a person, or body of persons). Also const. to be.(1) 1577–8 Glasgow B. Rec. I 67.
That ewery dekyn sycht thair craftis and gif vp in ticat … how mony of the ane sort and how mony of the wther 1614 Misc. Spald. C. V 218.
It is appointed that the barlamen sall gang to Cragidarge, and ther sall sicht the persones that ar infamous 1654 Rec. Old Aberd. I 328.
Quhen they goe to mak ther sey … that ther be tua of the traid he is of and to put him in ane close hous and seightit twa tymes evrie day(2) 1640 Rec. Old Aberd. I 70.
To be sichtit to be guid nichtbouris in sua far as they have kaill and elding

c. To study carefully, peruse critically (a document, etc.). Also fig.pres. 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 402.
George Erle of Huntly … to sycht the propositioun and articles presentit to thair Majesteis 1601 Melvill 492.
Sight the conclusioun of your last Assembliep.p. 1557 Peebles B. Rec. I 242.
This our writting to be sychtit be my lord of Glasgw 1559–60 Edinb. Old Acc. I 314.
The compt … sichtit be the auditors 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 344.
Ay and quhill the proces and procedingis … may be sichtit be the Clerk of Register and Advocat 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 404.
His compt buik … wes sichtit, sene, and laid be the thesaurare c1575 Balfour Pract. 653. 1593 Bk. Univ. Kirk III 815.
The buiks … to be sychtit and considderit 1602 Melvill 550.
Quhilk act … wald be sichted and cleirlie interpretit(b) 1594 Highland P. I 185.
The band … quhilk … I deliverit to be sightit … be him(c) 1647 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 256.
James Mershells compt shichtitt be John Halledyfig. 1630 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 55.
I hope your present process shall be sighted one day by Him, who knoweth your just cause

d. fig. To investigate, look into (a matter, problem, etc.). ?1555 Corr. M. Lorraine 402.
Tyll syc day as this mater may be sychtit afor your grace 1577 Rep. Menzies MSS 17.
The Erll of Athole is content that freindis sicht the maters … betwix him and ȝow 1631 Linlithgow B. Rec. 11 March.
The bailleis … to goe and sicht the wrong of nichtbourheid betuix William Bell and Johne Bell and to repair the samein

2. To look at, view (a place). 1600-1610 Melvill 41.
His companiones … wald ly down lyk tyred tyks bot he wald out and sight the townes and vilages withersoever they cam