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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.

Umast, adj., n. and adv. Also: umaste, umaist, umest, umeist, umuest, umais, (unmeist), wmast, wmest, omast, owmest, oumaist, amast, amaist. [ME vuemeste, iuemaste (both Ancr. R.), ouemeste (c1290), omest (c1430), OE ufemest, superl. of ufera (Over adj., Uver adj.).] = Humast adj., Overmaste adj., Upmaist adj., Uvermast adj.

A. adj. 1. Of clothes: Outermost. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1932.
Pallamydes, … tuke of baith hois & schone And syne his vmast clath [L. superfluis vestibus] 14.. Acts I 325/2.
Gif ony stranger within the forest in ony forbodyn place be fundyn … gif he be knawyn he aucht to be tan … to the kingis castell ande vtouth the ȝet the forster … sal tak his vmast [Skene Reg. Maj. ii 11, vpmaist] clath 1570 Leslie 119.
He … causit convoy the Scottismen furth of his realme one futt, with ane quhyt crose sewit upoun thair umast clayth 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 104.
The haill college of the chappell royall, with thair habittis and vmaist coppis

b. specif. Umast clathe, the coverlet of a bed, claimed as a perquisite by the parish priest on the death of a parishioner.(a) 1484 Acta Aud. 148*/2.
For the withhalding of ane vmast claith pertening to the said vicar be the deces of Jonet Badly c1513 Acta Conc. in Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. lvii.
Corpresentis and umest claithis c1513 Acta Conc. in Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. lvii.
[The laird has to pay £10] for ane corspresent haknay [of his father, with £2 for the] umest claith 1531–2 Reg. Soltre 196.
Cors presentis and vmest clathis … nocht put in this comput 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1995 (Ch.).
Thair vmuest [B. vmest] clais, quhilk was of roploch gray; The vicar gart his clark cleik thame away 1544–5 Acts & Decr. II 47.
Reservand to the vicar pensioner of Halirod his ȝeirlie pensioun with his assignatioun of meill beir and siluer vmest claythis … vsit & wont 1558–9 Statut. Sc. Ch. 158.
The corps presentes, kow, and umest claith, … and Pasch offrands quhilk is takin at Pasch fra men and women for distribution of the sacrament … were at the beginning but as offrands and gifts at the discretion … of the givar only 1564 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 347.
The viccarage … be ressoune of new ordour, reformatioun and dischairging of corps presentis, umest clathis, pasche [pr. pasehe] raikningis and utheris offeringis, thai quha herd of befoir for the said hundreth merkis refusis now for xxiiii lib. 1567 G. Ball. 196.
Preistis, tak na kyis, The vmest claith ȝe sall quyte clame 1569 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 351.
Umais 1589 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 190.
In vptaking and receaving of all personis vmaist claith quha puttis thame selfis to death(b) 1536 Douglas Corr. 144.
This was the pwntis of the kingis charge … bydand the clarge gyff owr the crospresandis and the owmest claycht throw all Schotland 1564 Lochwinnoch Par. 79.
Oumaist

2. That is situated at the top; highest, topmost, uppermost. Also ellipt.(a) 1494 Peebles B. Rec. I 195.
The vmast loft of the said Newark 1513 Perth Guildry 483 (18 April).
The myddill mylne of the thre vmast myllis 1517 Treas. Acc. V 116.
In mending of my lordis new turnegre and umast loft 1528 Prot. Bk. J. Foular II 267.
The umest greit hall chalmer kiching and all the loftis abone the samyn 1555–6 Glasgow Prot. V 3.
To have the umest half of the said yard nixt adjacent to the waist 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 437.
Umeist 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 180.
Twa jestis quhareupon the endis of the jestis of unmeist chalmer rystis 1564–5 Glasgow Prot. III 66.
The waist tenement at the umest pairt of the clois 1573 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 4.
To dam and had in the North Locht to the vmest hous 1575 St. A. Kirk S. 409.
He sal sit upon the umest penitent stuil with ane paper about his head ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 77.
Ane kind of fish the quantitie & shape of ane salmond … the umaist half narrest his bak jeat blakellipt. c1420 Wynt. viii 4654.
Endlang the wode war wayis twa: The erle in the umast lay off tha(b) 1556 Inverness Rec. I 2.
The sayd Thom bostit … to brek the wmest bane in his heid 1563 Echt-Forbes Chart. 98.
Ascendand the said burne and maist wattergang thairof upthrowe the correis to the wmast maist speciall dissens of the valter of the samyn(c) c1475 Wall. vi 458.
He … Atour a bray the omast pot gert fall c1550-c1580 Art of Music 20b.
The quhilk pwint is eftir singnat till ony perfyt noit at the owmest part of the same nocht eikand nor perand the sam(d) c1420 Wynt. iii 8 (C) (see Utmast adj. 2.
Of his fyngeris euerilkan And of al his tais withe The amast [R., W. utmast, A. omast, E. vmaist] endis be the lithe Qwhit was strikyn of

3. transf. Uppermost in precedence or rank. a1578 Pitsc. I 284/4.
The Earle of Angus become werie prude and insolent in all his doingis, thinkand quho ewer had right to the autorietie he sould be vmest

B. absol. as noun. 1. That which is highest or uppermost. ?1438 Alex. ii 5789.
The standart and the gumfioun Sall baith throw me be dungin doun Ay quhill the vmest lauchest be

2. transf. That which is of the highest importance; the salient point, gist (of a matter). 1513 Doug. i vi 66.
Lang war the iniuris, the dowtis lang to be tald Bot I the vmaste of the mater sall hald [L. sed summa sequar fastigia rerum]

C. adv. 1. In the uppermost position, highest. 1513 Doug. x viii 96.
The schaft … hym smait Apon the schulder, abuf the gardis hie That rysys vmast [Sm. amaist, Ruddim. vmaist] therapon

2. In the highest or foremost place, in terms of precedence or rank. ?1438 Alex. ii 2048.
Thay ȝeid To sit on sege … Ay tua and tua; dame Fesonas Sat vmest [F. premerains] and syne the Bauderane [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 5214.
Ȝe ar the eldest of the floit, And vmest sittis in cumpany [F. si seés au dessus]! ?1438 Alex. ii 10756.
Syne ȝeid thay halely to meit; The King of Grece was vmest [F. premerains] set