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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.

Trumpet, Trumpat, n. Also: trumpett, -eit, -ate, -att, -ait, -it, -ot, -ant, -eth, truimpit, trwmpet, trompet(t, -at, troumpat; (turnepett). [ME and e.m.E. trumpette (14th c.), trumpet (14th c.), trompett (c1440), trompet (1412-20), OF trompette.]

1. A trumpet, esp. as sounded at the beginning of a battle, to herald a proclamation, etc. Also trumpett of weir, weir trumpat.There may be some ambiguity with 2 below.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xl 909.
The knycht, one the tothire syd, Quhen he hard his trumpat blaw, Come on hastely but ony haw ?1438 Alex. i 827.
Trumpetis, taburnes and hornes blast Soundit sa hideously and sa fast ?1438 Alex. i 1087.
Perdicas sawe … The folk assemble with routis ryde, And hard trumpettis and hornes blaw ?1438 Alex. ii 10078.
Trumpits c1475 Wall. viii 1021.
Trumpattis blew with mony werlik soun 1490 Irland Mir. II 50/3, 6.
For caus that kingis and princis eftir victorie … enteris in thar realmez … with trumpatis with honour and glor Jhesus the king of glor of man and angell eftir his gret battale … enterit in his hevinly realme … with trumpatis and vthir maner of melody befor him 1494 Loutfut MS 17a.
The hors is a richt meke best & seruiciable to the man and of his natur reiois of the sownd of trumpeitis and til haf batalȝe 1533 Gau 53/1.
He sal send furth his angel with ane trwmpet and sal gader to gider al his chosine barnis 1533 Gau 71/1.
Trumpait c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 446.
Trumpotis 1554 Treas. Acc. X 225.
Sex quarterris of reid taffateis of the cord to his trumpet a1578 Pitsc. I 74/28.
Thir wordis being said the truimpitis soundit to joyne the airmieis a1578 Pitsc. I 119/25.
Trumpantis a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 28/27.
All ȝour stairis with tapessarie gar hing … Blaw vp ȝour trumpatis and on ȝour drummis ding [sc. to celebrate the Queen's marriage] a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 5.
He was then baptesit be the naymis of Charles James and James Charles, be thryse repetitioun of the voyce of heraldis and sound of trumpettis a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 417.
The sixth trumpet louseth the four angels at Euphrates 1695 Acts IX App. 110/2.
The sentence … of forfaulture was … intimate with sound of trumpet in presence of the Lyon deput with his brethren heraulds & pursevants(b) 1558-66 Knox I 86.
Oliver upoun spearis lyft up upoun menis schoulderis, and thair with sound of trompett was he proclamed generall lievtenneant(2) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 199.
To foure mynstralis that playis upoun the trumpettis of weir a1578 Pitsc. I 379/29, 30.
The king ressawit the quen in his palice to the denner quhair thair was great mirth schallmes draught trumpattis and weir trumpatis witht playing and phrassis efter denner quhill tyme of supper

b. fig. A person or thing which proclaims a message, doctrine, etc.; a boaster. Also applied to non-material things. 1513 Doug. i Prol. 340 (Sm.).
Venerable Chaucer, principall poet but peir, Hevinlie trumpat, horleige and reguleir … said That he culd follow word by word Virgill, Wisare than I mycht faill in lakar stile c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. vi 2.
Quhen thou dois almes, will thou nocht blaw trumpet befor thee, as ypocritis dois in synagogis and stretis, that thai be wirschipit of men 1562-3 Winȝet I 35 title.
The Last Blast of the Trompet of Godis worde aganis the vsurpit auctoritie of Johne Knox and [etc.] 1562-3 Winȝet II 9/16.
The trompet of ȝour fame … is blawin loud amangis al Christiane nationis 1562-3 Winȝet II 31/21.
He quha is the trompet of the Apostolis

2. A trumpeter. Also as a personal name. Also trumpett of weir. See Draucht trumpet n. for further examples.(1) 1446 Exch. R. V 219.
Marco Trumpet 1447 Exch. R. V 263.
Marco Trumpate … joculatoribus regis 1455 Exch. R. VI 4.
Johanni Trumpat 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 102.
To the Italiane trumpatour … callit Johne trumpat 1566–7 Reg. Episc. Morav. 395.
Alexandro Trompet(2) 1452 Exch. R. V 502.
Uni nuncupato Buchan le Trumpet domini regis 1473 Treas. Acc. I 57.
Fustiane to the trumpatis doublatis 1488 Treas. Acc. I 92.
Jok Pringill the trumpat 1507–8 Treas. Acc. IV 102.
To the draucht trumpet that hed ane sair lip, xxviij s. 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 313.
To iij Scottis trumpatis playand at the outputting of the kingis gret schipe, xiiij s. 1533 Bell. Livy I 95/5.
The cryaris, seriandis & trumpettis, bugil-blawaris and menstralis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3791 (Ch.).
Cum heir trumpet & sound ȝour warning tone That every man may knaw quhat we haue done 1549 Treas. Acc. IX 306.
To ane Inglische trumpet that come furth of Hadingtoun with writtinges 1567 Treas. Acc. XII 75.
Trumpeth 1634 Buccleuch Mun. I 264.
A trumpet cled in the defuncts liuerey, ryding one horsse back, sounding 1644 Act for Putting the Kingdom in a Posture of Defence 3.
They are … to see the captaines of each company provided with colours and drums, and the root-master with trumpets and cornets 1667 Sc. Hist. Rev. XII 154.
A trumpet two months pay at half a croune a day in 28 days is 3 U. 10 inde for two months 1685 Misc. Maitl. C. III 164.
To our trumpetts £20(b) 1474 Treas. Acc. I 61.
iiij cotis of armez for the heraldis, iiij banaris to the troumpatis(3) 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 118.
To foure trumpettis of weir … xij elnis of dymmegrane to be ane part of thair coitis 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 182.
To Kemp and his collegis trumpettis of weir that past furtht in the Unicorne to seik the pyrotis

3. possess. and attrib.possess. 1474 Treas. Acc. I 61.
iiij vnce of silk for the trompatis banarisattrib. 1503 Cal. Doc. IV 441.
vij trumpetbaners pro v trumpetters et ij shakbotters 1543 Treas. Acc. VIII 192.
Twa trumpet bannaris 1549 Compl. 14/34.
He herd neuyr the dolorus trompet sounde befor the iunyng of ane battel 1559 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 58.
For viii geists to the trumpet loft 1628 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 239.
Doore bandis … for the doore of the turnepett loft 1629 Misc. Maitl. C. III 376.
The trumpet loft to be weill paintit and set af with housingis and pilleris