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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.

Wad, Waid(e, Wa(u)ld, n. Also: wadd(e, wade, vad(de, vaid, walde, vald, wawd, vyad, wold, woad, we(a)d. [ME and e.m.E. wod (a1200), wode (a1250), woad (1419), wad (1485-6), wadde (1562), OE wád, MLG, MDu. wêt, wêde, OF waide, gaide, med L. weida (1176), waida (1204), vaddum (1228), wadium (1303), gaudo (c1440, all in Latham), or ME and e.m.E. welde (Chaucer), wolde (Prompt. Parv.), weld, wold (both 1676), MLG walde, waude, MDu. woude, F. gaude.]

1. A dyestuff.Prob. chiefly or only woad, deriving from the plant Isatis tinctoria, and giving a blue dye. However there may be confusion with weld a yellow dye deriving from the plant Reseda luteola.The distinction wad/wald, cannot be simply aligned with the ME forms woad and weld (blue and yellow dyestuffs) as the l in Scots may be no more than a spelling convention.(a) 1368 Rot. Sc. 925/1.
Una pipa waide 1496 Halyb. 45.
In Schir Thomas Todis schip 3 ton of waid, ilk ton 8 li. 1498 Halyb. 220.
Bocht in Medylburch … and schepit in Neylboyll a pyp of waid c1500 Makc. MS xiii 48.
Hec gaude, waid 1582 Digest Justiciary Proc. K 38.
Tua Frenche barkis mercheand from Burdeaux ladin with waid 1593 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 49.
Vaid 1656 Edinb. Test. LXVIII 316a.
Certaine litster wair as waides(b) c1420 Bute MS 171b.
Gyf ony schyp cum wyth wad [Acts I 306/2, walde] he sal gyf for ilk frael at the entre xxij d. 14.. Acts I 318/2.
De tynctoribus burgensibus ponentibus manus suas in le wadde [Skene Reg. Maj. I 156b, wadd] 1474 Acta Aud. 31/1.
Twa tun of wad j cark [? cask] of alum j poke of mader 1521 Old Dundee II 332.
His half pok of Albe wad, bocht frae the Spangeartis 1543–4 Aberd. B. Rec. I 187.
Vad 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 225a.
As souertie for James Abircado litstar for vad & vtheris cullors 1586–7 Reg. Privy C. IV 134.
Ane schip of the said Helias laidnit full of wynes and wad 1597 Bk. Rates 12a.
Vadde the half polk … xxx li. a1650 Buchanan's Hist. MS Index.
Glastum, a woad or wad for dyers 1672 Aberd. Council Lett. V 160.
Wadde and everie thing relating to litting(c) 14.. Acts I 304/2.
Of a soume of madyr or wauld on a hors i d. … Of a byrthing of mercery a farding 1468–9 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 23.
Ane pok wald 1523 Dundee B. Ct. I 145b (5 June).
Thar part of the wald & wad bocht be hym of the Franch schip 1543–4 Aberd. B. Rec. I 187.
xv stane of vald 1627 Edinb. Test. LIV 42b.
xx pund wecht of indego … Ten dosone of Frenche wald 1672 Acts VIII 63/2.
Noe vther incorporation … to buy or sell … wald and vther materialls for dying(d) 1437 Aberd. B. Rec. MS IV p. 99 (10 June).
Wade 1597 Exch. R. XXIII 187.
£8 8 s. of 42 sacks called half poikis wade(e) 1498–9 Acta Conc. II 307.
In to ane schip callit the Sacre certane bere, wawd, and uther merchandice in Deip to be furit in Scotland(f) 1567 Edinb. Test. I 1a.
Foure polkis of wold price of the polk tuenty pundis(g) 1625 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 323.
Spannis vyad(h) 1685 New Mills Manuf. 97.
To deliver … the following dye stuffs, allum, … logwood, weadattrib. 1521 Dundee B. Ct. I 41 (30 July).
That & he or ony of his seruandis in his werk hous cast wad paist in the burn or dam to pay xl s. 1670 Edinb. B. Rec. X 89.
Ane blewfatt and wedfatt … for sufficient dying and litting of the cullers of black, green, blew, purpure … and divers others cullers which cannot be sufficientlie dyed without the saids blew and wedfatts 1687 New Mills Manuf. 146.
The makeing of ane wadd fatt about fivty gallones

2. The plant from which a blue or yellow dyestuff was obtained. 1553 Dundee B. Ct. II 235b (4 July).
The wald quhare it grew wes reservit to hym for this ȝeir 1585 Perth B. Ct. 20 Aug.
The said Adam haid … in tak tua riggis of land … for to haif sawin vald thairintoattrib. 1553 Blackfriars Perth 234.
Certane neichbours … sew ane pest of wald seyd in the … croft eftir that it was twyce tyllit to the beir seid to the utter destruction of the said croft