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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.

Trist(e, Tryst(e, v. Also: tryist, treist. P.t. and p.p. also trystett, trested, traysted, thristit, traist. [Trist(e n.¹]

1. intr. To keep tryst, meet (with another, each other) at an appointed time and place. a1400 Leg. S. xxx 334.
Scho kepyt the trist wele scho hicht, & with hyr brocht the man in hy, Quhare scho tristit priuely a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1349.
Seindle trysts huntars but followars 1668 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 571.
The said Earle of Cathnes his freinds and followers … have bein trysting these few dayes bygone 1675 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 45.
The said pannell and Ivar beg M'Ivar in Leiks tristed together on ane sabbath day and … they both stoll ane browne horse 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i xx 3 (1699) 108.
Whosoever intercommuns with thieves … or trysts with them any manner of way 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1933) 81.
For the inconvenience of their succubi, who tryst with men, it is abominable

2. To agree, arrange, undertake (with someone) to do (something), esp. to meet at an agreed time and place. c1420 Wynt. iv 1638.
For tyll have met thai trystyd [C. thristit] eft, The neyst tyme that thai mycht se A day set in serenyte a1500 Rauf C. 794.
To the montane he maid him full boun, Quhair he had trystit to meit Schir Rolland 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 173.
The lord Hereis, trysting to meit him at the same place 1586–7 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 139.
This day at efternone we have trystit to ga doun and to enter to our offres 1592–3 Warrender P. (SHS) II 198.
Quhat noble men had trysted to meit thame at thair landing 1662 Highland P. III 20.
He … wald have taken her be the hand bot she refused bot traysted to meet him that same night eight nights at Knockanrioch 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 103.
For she had ether in the afternoon tristed to come again to them, or tristed them to come to hir 1667 Argyll Justic. Rec. I 5.
[They] drove the saids stollen kyne to the water of Seall quher he had tristed with John M^cIllespick his brother and John Dow … to attend his returne from Moidart 1690 Cramond Kirk S. III 29 May.
Adam Johnstoun … and … his sons … had trysted to meet at the Dean that Sabbath with Richard Johnstoun her husband, and that he had mistrysted them … & gone to Borrowstounnes

3. tr. To appoint (another) to meet one, or to perform a service. 1533 Bell. Livy I 20/9.
Romulus … trystit [L. iussit] his freyndis … to mete him 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 325.
Mr. James Kirkcaldie trystit sex suddartis to tak his pairt in defending of him and the said hous 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 103 (see 2 above).
Tristed

b. To fix a day or place (for a meeting); to arrange (a meeting). 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV 63.
Upoun the xi day of Marche … as the day tryistit and appointit be the said Williame Ker 1589 Crim. Trials I ii 174.
For performing quhairof ȝe tryistit ȝoure meting att the Quarrell-hoillis

c. To order, bespeak (something). 1592–3 Ayr B. Acc. 177.
[To a messenger to the limekilns] to tryst the lyme, 3 s. 4 d.

4. To befall; to afflict, favour, visit (persons) (with some good or bad consequence). 1645 Baillie II 314.
That this should have trysted the enemie at that tyme and place … is evidentlie God's hand 1672 Edgar Old Church Life II 49.
[A collection … on behalf of a poor man] trysted with a sad dispensation of fyr 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 299.
That victory slipt through his fingers, … Montrose, thus tristed, takes up new resolutions 1676 Red Bk. Grandtully I clxvi.
If ever I be treisted with an occasion I shall make it [sc. his gratitude] effectually to appeare … to the world 1679 J. Somerville Mem. I 33.
He had been trysted with the said dispensatione of his eldest sone Rodgers death 1669 Fleming Fulfilling Scripture 6.
The most eminent and honourable service of the church doth usually tryst her in a low and suffering condition 1686 Old Ross-shire II 19.
Cheirfullay to submit to whatever the Almightie treist us with 1687 Sel. Biog. I 499.
Having all discouragements from the world that a poor thing could be trysted with 1692 Presb. Eloq. (1694) 82.
Let us never be trysted again with the bag and baggage of the family [of the Stewarts]

b. absol. or intr. To be afflicted by, meet with. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 423.
It begins now to be the fate of that famely to trist with bad tutors c1684 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 223.
Its surrounded with a fair wood which none presumes to cutt and such as have attempted it, have been observed to tryste … with some signall inconvenience

5. intr. To coincide in time, occur simultaneously (with something); to happen, come about (at a coincidental or inconvenient time).(1) 1649 Rutherford in Sel. Biog. I 409.
The expiring of his breath, the ceasing of the motion of his pulse, … trysted all precisely with the ‘Amen’ of his prayer a1652 Dickson Psalms I 63.
When their hope is deferred it makes their heart … cry out, How long? how long? When comfort trystett not with our time, fear of eternall off casting may readily slide in 1664 Pitcairn Spiritual Sacrifice 409.
May not a call and fit season triste with his unfitness and indisposition 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 205.
Our intentiones [in choosing Michaelmas Day for the elections] … wes cheifly to tryst with the meitting of his majesties privie councill 1680 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 212.
Sudden newes of his Royal Highnes being called up … This trysts verie ill with your effair befor the Counsell for we'll have great losse … of his Highnes [etc.] c1680 W. Row Blair 134.
He had much ado to bear up under the load, … his stroke [sc. his wife's death] trysting with the public burden(b) 1668 Laing MSS 368.
Your brothers alarum trested odly with the peacable news from the west I sent yow(2) 1651 Johnston Diary II 83.
This defeate in Fyfe seimed strange newes so to tryste imediatly after Assembly's dounsitting 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 425.
Next morrow it tristed that the City of London emitted a declaration quherin they clear themselves of the guilt of the King's death 1695 Annandale Corr. 108.
The chancellor has had the cold so that he hass not been out these three days, which has trysted ill, for the king begins to think that it's a designe

b. tr. To bring or arrange (two things) together; to cause (one thing) to coincide with (another).(1) 1652 Nullity of the Pretended Assembly 25.
We take to be not without special providence that the Lord hath trysted together in this Assembly so much illegality in forme, and so much iniquity in matter a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 578.
The sending of ministers and the encreasing of the Church go together and are trysted together(2) 1638 Henderson Serm. 229.
Blessed be Thou, the Lord, who has not casten our lot to live in these parts where religion has not shined, but has … trysted our time with this time 1655 Nicoll Diary 153.
The Lord was weill pleased and it wes His plesour to tryst the desyre of the pepill with fair and seasonable weather 1669 Fleming Fulfilling Scripture I (1726) 148.
What a marvelous concurrence of providence … was in this judgment, the besieging of Jerusalem by the Romans, trysted with the very time of the passover

c. To arrange the meeting of (two people). 1666 Jurid. Rev. XXIV 26.
My redeemer trysted us so that I was but new come out of prison … when she came to my bed side

d. To (come to) meet, rendezvous with (someone). 1630 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 83.
That nane of the maisters of the said craft tryst, house, harbour or ressaive any uther maisters prenteis 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 139.
This, before my compearance … did trouble me … howbeit Christ … trysted me precisely at the entry of the door of the Chancellor's hall and assisted me so to answer, as that [etc.] 1680 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 112.
No persone within the toune sall tryst nor buy the same [goods] except on the merccat day in tyme of merccat

6. To treat, come to terms; to negotiate, have dealings with (another). b. tr. 1576 Reg. Privy C. II 548.
We … sall [not] … intercommoun with ony of the saidis declarit tratouris or thevis … nor yit sall we tryist or haif intelligence with thame 1638 Johnston Diary I 351.
We trysted on al day with the commissioner, bot could settle nothing c1650 Spalding I 176.
[He] wes forsit to tryst and give his band … thairefter, wnder trust, takin aganist his will southp.t. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1122.
Syne thai traist in that field, throu trety of trew; Put up thair brandis [etc.]fig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 445.
You came to this life about a necessary and weighty business, to tryste with Christ anent your precious soul a1658 Durham Blessedness Death 12.
Death … will not tryst, nor treat, but suddenly and inexorably separate you and them 1664 Pitcairn Spiritual Sacrifice 35.
He (while now in the heavens) appeareth … as a mediator between God and man, ready to tryst and interpose for their reconciliationb. 1676 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III 89.
Colinton offered to get him L. 500 sterling … but he was inexorable, and told them, they got not salaries to be arbitrators but judges, and if he had minded to have trysted it, he had not troubled them