Show Search Results Show Browse

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wait, Wat(e, n.1 Also: waite, waitt, vait(t, uaite, wayt(e, vat(e, weat, woit. [ME and e.m.E. wayte (1298), waite (Cursor M.), weyt(e (Trevisa), watte (c1440).]

I. The action of Wait v.1

1. The act of waiting or watching, chiefly to hald, ly, etc. wait ((up)on, for a person, etc.), to keep watch, lie in wait (for), to waylay, ambush (a person, etc.). Also attrib.(1) 1460 Hay Alex. 3359.
Ochtery Emenedus could mete And on him brek his spere … Bot he that evir was wise … Helde waitt on him at his income agane, And schupe till him ane straik
a1500 K. Hart 874.
And he be tynt, in parell put we all. Thairfoir had wait, and lat him nocht away
1566–7 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 63.
That diligent heid and wait be tane that na person … be sufferit to commonicat that ar debarrit for ony crymes
1570 Leslie 113.
The king of Ingland … laid schippis … to hald wate one his cuming
a1578 Pitsc. I 55/32.
Ilk ane lyand wait for wther as they had ben settand tinchellis for the murther of wyld beistes
a1578 Pitsc. II 185/30.
Vthir sum said that scho [sc. the ship] come to hauld wat vpone my Lord Bothwell and to haue tane him vpone the sie
c1650 Spalding I 260.
Letteris wes daylie intercepted quhairby the castileanis hard no ward fra the King, becauss Edinbrugh laid wait for sic letteris
attrib. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 187/688.
Uaite lying, murther, & reafe
(2) 1531 Bell. Boece II 402.
Hantoun … ceissit nocht fra continewall wait quhil at last he slew this Spensar

2. To do something at (the) wait, to observe secretly in order to act from such a position of advantage, to act cunningly or by devious means. 1460 Hay Alex. 12164.
He askit trewis of pece … And wnder that contraffit ane grete dissate And sett apoun him … at the wate
c1475 Wall. x 379.
A suttell knycht … Folowyt at wait, and has persawyt weill Gramys byrny was to narow … On the fyllat full sternly straik that sle
1513 Doug. xi xiv 83 (Sm.).
Aruns … Circulis at the wayt, and aspyis abowt The swyft madyn Camyll
1513 Doug. xi xiv 99.
Aruns … thyftuusly … Withdrew hys pays and held on hir hys e, Lurkand at wayt, and spyand rownd about

b. To ly, etc. at, in, etc. (a, the) wait, to waylay, ambush, lie in wait for. Also fig., or transf. or in fig. context. Also attrib. with Lyar n.Some instances of indef. art. may be further examples of Await n., q.v.(a) 1513 Doug. xi x 104.
A valle … Ganand for slycht till enbusch armyt men … The place he tuke and ful prevy onknaw Lyggis at wait [Sm. wayt, Ruddim. wate] vnder the darn wod schaw
1513 Doug. xii vi 68 (Ruddim.).
Ligging vnder couert at ane buschement or wate [C. await]
1531 Bell. Boece II 410.
Ane buschement of Turkis, quhilkis war lyand afore at wait, come on him
1531 Bell. Boece II 434.
Robert … lay ilk day in wait quhill at last he slew the marscheall
1533 Bell. Livy I 149/2.
Als sone as Hermyneus herde the noyis of Valerius cumpany, he ischit with his buschement haistely fra the wate [L. concurrit ex insidiis]
1533 Bell. Livy I 180/19.
Tane vnder wait [L. in insidias]
1535–6 Reg. Privy S. II 274/2.
Lying at wait for the slauchter of … Heburne
1560 Rolland Seven S. 2330.
In ane windo … Mekill of the nicht thair sat he at the wait
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 154.
He caused certane licht horsmen … to ly at a wait
a1578 Pitsc. I 31/25.
Or evir he cuild persawe the chancellaris folkis lyand in the wait for him he was … circuatt round about with thame
1596 Dalr. I 286/6.
Wayte
1596 Dalr. I 304/4.
Wayt
c1615 Chron. Kings 48.
This king was slayne be sudderttis … lying in vaitt and ambuiss
1643 Acts VI i 18/1.
Certane friggotts … furnisched with all hostille provisione who lye at wait for them
(b) a1538 Abell 18a.
Aristobill put in ane woit ane multitude of armit men quhar Antigon wes to cum that and he come armit thay suld sla him
(c) 1600-1610 Melvill 70.
Sa, coming from him in the kirk-yeard, my schollar, lying in weat … to strik me
fig. or transf. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 12/12.
The auld kene tegir, with his teith on char, Quhilk in a wait hes lyne for us so lang
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 182/34.
Wo that evir lyis at the wait
1549 Lamb Resonyng 33/1.
For to mantene and defend continewalie xv ȝeiris nobillis fugitivis of Scotland lying alwayis in a vait, quhen the vncle micht noy the nephew
1549 Lamb Resonyng 159/25.
Henrie … mantenit all his lifetym certan Scottis nobillis, abyding on a vait for to noy and weir one his nepheu
a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxiv 22.
Lurking Love vha lang had lyne in wait Persaving Tym he took me at a stot
1641 Baillie I 323.
So long as Maynard was principall speaker, Mr. Glyn lay at the wait and uswallie observed some one thing or other and uttered it so pertinentlie that … he gott great applause
a1658 Durham Commandments (1675) 102.
Ungodly men … lye at the wait to catch all advantages
attrib. 1588 King Cat. 30.
Be ane defence … to my saule and body Ding bak from me al vaitlayers for me lat myn ennemie gang [etc.]

c. proverb. To ly at the waite,? to watch or wait expectantly or ? a further example of b above. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1723.
Ye are lyke the auld hound, that lyis at the waite

II. A person who watches or waits.

3. a. A watchman, guard, one furnished with a trumpet to sound the alarm or give a signal. (Cf. c below.) 1513 Doug. iii iv 60.
Quhen the sey costis … Resoundis at down come of thir harpeys, Mysenus, the wait on the hie garet seys, And, with his trumpet, thame a takyn maid

b. One who attends (an occasion, etc.), an attendant; ? a suitor. 1562 Inverness Rec. I 89.
To preistis, freiouris, clerkis, vatis and wther funerall expensis
1650 Stirling Ant. IV 156.
The said James … said that she had been the only vait of his kow's sicknes
1663–6 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp 38b.
To the vaits and many poore people

c. One of the players of musical instruments, in Edinburgh, who in winter signalled the time of day. 1675 Edinb. B. Rec. X 240.]
[Act anent hoboymen. The councill grants libertie to Robert Wood [etc.] … Inglishmen to goe throw the citie in the morneing … and make use of that instrument that they use to play upon viz. cornets and jackbotts for giveing advertisement that it is about that tyme of the day … and this but prejudice to the toun drumers
1679 Edinb. B. Rec. X 382.
The councill grants warrand to James Smith musick master … his servants to play every morning (excepting the saboth) throw this city as waitts upon ther cornets and uther instruments and grants warrand to the thesaurer to furnish them coats in the touns liverie
1689 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 262.
The good towns waits craveing payment … for their paines each morning for their making use of their instruments by playing thorow the cittie tymly in the morning
1694 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 162.
Alexander Murie … to be one of the good tounes waits on hoye boyes
1696 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 195.
John Monroe [etc.] … are found compleat master of playing upon the French hautboyes and double curtle which are instruments far more proper for the touns waits then the instruments they now play upon that the said John Monroe be adjoyned … as one of the good touns waits who are not to exceed four in number or fyve
1701 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 295.
Upon ane petition … be Alexander Clerk, Alexander Mure, John Monroe and Edward Reid the good touns waits or hoyboyes discharges all others to exerce the said office … and appoints the petitioners to begin their usuall play upon the first Teusday morning of October and to continue every morning (except Sabbath … )untill the eleventh day of March

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Wait n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/wait_n_1>

48531

dost

Hide Advanced Search

Browse DOST:

    Loading...

Share: