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.
Trist(e, Tryst, adj. and n.2 Also: triest, trest. [Late ME and e.m.E. trist (Lydgate), triste (a1450), tryste (Caxton), F. triste, L. tristis.]
A. adj. 1. Of a person, their appearance, etc.: Sad, sorrowful, melancholy.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. 296.
He … in his mynd worth trist and dolorus 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 569.
Dolorous Progne, trist [L. triest] Philomena 1513 Doug. vi vii 49.
In that ilke sted was trist [L. maestam] Eryphyle—Hir crewell sonnys wondis schawys sche 1513 Doug. vi ix 200.
Thar beyn … ful sorofull and tryst, Thai quhilk thar dochteris chalmer vyolate 1513 Doug. xii xi 149.
Left his sistir trist and dissolate(b) c1590 J. Stewart 203 § 15.
The godlie maede douce Charitie … Vith visage trest
2. Of an event, thing, state of affairs, etc. a. That causes or is characterised by grief or sorrow; grievous, lamentable. b. Betokening sorrow or lamentation.a. 1494 Loutfut MS 11a.
To mak significacioun of … the mast trist and sorrowfull deid thairfor wes ordanit that the maist pairt of religioun suld were blak 1533 Bell. Livy I 60/24.
That he suld nocht be auctor of sa trist and vnthankful iugement aganis this nobill man a1570-86 Arbuthnot in Maitl. F. 57/68.
All grave purpois is trist and but confort 1587-99 Hume 109/19.
His waiknings will be triste, & his body commoved with heit and beitting, as though he were in a fieverb. 1513 Doug. x v 142 (Sm.).
Lyke as the comete stern sanguynolent, Wyth hys red cullour trist and violent [L. lugubre]
c. Of a sound: Strident, discordant, grating on the ear. 1513 Doug. vi ix 88.
With horribil sovndis trist Tha wareit portis, iargand on the hirst, Warpit vp braid [L. tum demum horrisono stridentes cardine sacrae panduntur portae]
B. noun. A sorrow, affliction. a1500 K. Hart 804.
The … watchis … said thai saw ane felloun mist. ‘Ȝa,' said Wisdome, ‘I wist it wald be wa. That is ane sing befoir ane hevie trist’
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"Trist adj., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 25 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/triste_adj_n>
