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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Traist, adj. (adv.). Also: traiste, trais, trayst, traest, trast(e, trest, treist, treast, trist, trust, truist. [ME and e.m.E. trust(e, trest (all Cursor M.), traist, treist, trist, tryst (all Manning), trastir (compar.) (north. c1460), trayst (north., c1461), ON treystr p.p. of treysta to make firm, etc., traustr firm, strong.]

A. adj. 1. Faithful, trustworthy, reliable. b. Of a precious stone: ? True, genuine.(a) 1375 Barb. i 627.
The king thocht he wes traist inewch Sen he in bowrch hys landis drewch, And let hym with the letter passe 1375 Barb. x 272.
He knew his worthi wasselage … His traist [C. trast] hart and his lele seruice 1412 15th Rep. Hist. MSS App. viii 10.
Our traist and wele belofit cosyng, Schir William of Douglas c1450-2 Howlat 286 (A).
The trewe turtour and traist 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III 100.
He to be gud trayst and helplyk freynd til his moder 1456 Hay II 153/28.
This man is thy frende, traist as tresour, for he and all his is thyne c1460 Consail Vys Man 49.
That euir thi word be trew & traist 1460 Hay Alex. 922.
In reirgarde a battall stark he made, Of the eldest and maist traist men he hade 1491 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 482.
Richt traist and hartly belovet clerk and counsalour a1500 Bk. Chess 1334.
This lauborar he suld be trew & traist Vnto his lord 1504 Stirling Chart. 67.
Richt honorable men and traiste nychtbouris 1533 Boece 177b.
He was comptit amang the kingis traist familiaris 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2661.
Scho being fals, and he sa traist and trew a1585 Maitl. Q. 161/26.
In amitie Perithous To Theseus wes not so traist(b) 1375 Barb. xvii 32 (C).
Letteris … he send … with a trast man a1400 Leg. S. xvi 556.
Of myn wyfis saule … That to me wes traste & trew c1450-2 Howlat 867 (A).
Dame Natur the trast 1513 Doug. i Prol. 401.
Pres nocht, … thou traste interpreter, Word eftir word to translait thi mater(c) 1483 Exch. R. IX 227 n.
Traest 1576 Fam. Rose 267.
Traest cusinge(d) 15… Reg. Morton I 1.
Trest cousing and counsalour We greit ȝou weill 1566 Lennox Mun. 429.
Treist a1568 Bann. MS 80b/4.
Gud faith is flemit I wat nocht quhair Trest fallowschip is evill to find a1568 Scott ix 28.
Ane constant hairt bayth trest & trew 1576 Fam. Rose 268.
Treist 1578 Moysie 16.
Treast a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 197.
A trest freind best kend in adversitie(e) 1540 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 416.
Letter from the King praying his trist consalour the bischop … to consent(f) 1568 Misc. Spald. C. II 109.
To our truist freind the Lard of Arbuthnot(g) 1514 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 15.
Tak our signettis … and send thaim … with ane trais servandb. 1460 Hay Alex. 1861.
His scheild was all plantit with diamantis … His cot-armes was all of topas treist [: infeist]

2. Of a person, his attitudes, etc.: Secure, assured of one's safety; firm; confident, sure (of an outcome). 1375 Barb. ix 386.
Thai off him herd na thing … Thairfor sekyr and traist thai war 1375 Barb. xiv 466.
All traist in the toun thai wer a1400 Leg. S. iii 1153.
He … That … traste is now To bruk that blyse a1400 Leg. S. xvi 146.
Haffand na dispare of hyre syne, Bot in traste hope pardone to wyne a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 482.
The feynd thane Wend he traste wes of the mane ?1438 Alex. i 788.
I … stridin our my stalwart steid, I am traistar … Than I into ane castell ware a1500 Rauf C. 547.
‘Be thow traist,’ said the Coilȝear, ‘man, as I am trew’ c1475 Wall. iv 161.
The lord was traist, the men sekyr and trew; With waik power thai durst him nocht persew c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 159.
That of ȝour toungis ȝe be traist

b. Of punishment: Assured, unavoidable. 1533 Bell. Livy I 96/21.
Seruius … commandit vnder maist traist punycioun [L. cum vinculorum minis mortisque] that [etc.]

3. Of a place or thing: Assuring safety, secure; inviolable. Passing into sense 3 b below. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 389.
Which stede may trust [L. tutus] or sekyr be c1420 Wynt. ii 300.
The ile off Rodys than tuke thai And it inhabytyt … For trayst and fre possessyown 1456 Hay I 244/10.
Be way of lawe all sauf conduct suld be traist and seure a1500 Henr. Practysis 54.
This dia … is trest & trew a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 913.
The trew helmys and traist in tachis thai ta 1482 Reg. Morton II 247.
In the maste traste & sickyr styll & forme of obligacione 1513 Doug. iii ii 88.
The traist [L. fida] serymonys of sacrifice 1538 Misc. Spald. C. IV 203.
In the maist traist styill, form, and band of lawtaye and suthfastnes

b. Of a thing: Firm, strong, not liable to break. c1450-2 Howlat 405 (A).
Tuscheis of trast [B. trest] silk tichit to the tre c1460 Regim. Princ. 8 (Maitl.).
Gif the stringis be nocht all trew and traist [Qu]hat sall we say suld we the menstrale wyte 1460 Hay Alex. 532.
He was boundin with iron chenȝeis fast Baith hed and feit with lokis that was traiste c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 195/28.
Trest as the steill

B. adv. a. Truly. b. Securely.a. c1450-2 Howlat 992 (A).
In the forest … Of Terneway, tender and tryde, quho so trast trowis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 292.
Trou ye full traist, My hecht sall haldin beb. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 526.
Ane hie toure that tight wes full trest 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1360.
This gudelie carwell, taiklit traist on raw, With blanschite saill, [etc.]