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

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

Witnes(s)ing, -yng, vbl. n. Also: witnesinge, -yne, witnasing, -yng, vitnesing, -eyng, vitnessyng, vitnising, wytnes(s)ing, wytnesyng(e, vytnissing, vttnasyne. [ME and e.m.E. wit(t)nesing, wijtnessing (all Cursor M.), witnessynge (Chaucer), witnessing (1405), wytnessyng (1422).]

1. The action of attesting to or recording (a fact, etc.). Also to beir wytnessing.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 188.
For his vmbre heilyt sek men, As men may preiff furth bringe Be the ewangelis in witnesinge
1490 Irland Mir. I 102/34.
Tharfor in witnessing of hire hie and nobile wertu … sche had excedand fairnes
1490 Irland Mir. I 103/21.
And how the pastores come and maid witnessing
1490 Irland Mir. II 12/15.
Has nocht all the partriarkis … maid testificacioun and witnessing for this haly faith of Jhesu
1490 Irland Mir. III 17/11.
This haly sacrament of confirmacioun is maid in the … forret of the persoune for significacioun & witnessing that [etc.]
1490 Irland Mir. III 37/8.
Gif thou desiris probaciounis of the verite of this sacrament … mony thousand mirakle has bene schawin in witnessing of the verite of it
1562-3 Winȝet II 49/12.
Gif ony resauis nocht a testimonie be report of ws Christianis lat him at the leist resaue the confessioun of the ethnikis, according to the witnessing of philosophouris
(2) 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 100.
Cearse the Scriptures, because thay beir wytnessing of me

b. In legal contexts: The action of attesting to (a fact, etc.) in a dispute, etc., the action of testifying or giving evidence. Freq. const. to bere witnessing.(1) 14.. Burgh Laws c. 90 (B) (see Witnes n. 1).
Wytnesyng
1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 145.
Robert Schortreid … laufully sworne … and concordis in all thingis with the first vytnissing
1558-66 Knox II 284.
It is no reassone that eather of the parteis be farther beleved, then thei are able to prove by insuspect witnessing
1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 15b.
Gif he sayes [etc.] … he sall proue the samine be the witnessing of … men … quha saw [etc.]
(2) 1463 Liber Aberbr. II 131.
It is medful [blank] to ber witnesing to the suthtfastnes
1493 Lennox Mun. 147.
This endentour, … proportis, … and berreris suithfast wytnesing, that [etc.]
1496–7 Acta Conc. II 48.
Summondis made apone David Campbell [etc.] … to bere lele and suthfast witnessing in sa fer as thai knaw or salbe sperit at thame in the accions … persewit be the sade Andro
1511 Dunferm. B. Rec. 143.
Vitnesing
1531–2 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 53.
Vitneseyng
1538 Aberd. B. Rec. I 158.
Wytnessing
1552 Crail B. Ct. MS flyleaf.
Witnasyng
1555 Ayr Chart. 106.
That thai on na wis suld be haldin … to beir witnessing in ony uthir actioun
1562 Reg. Privy C. I 225.
To summond the witnes … to beir witnessing in the said mater
1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 22.
To beir suthfast witnessing anent the tumvlt [etc.]

c. Of the document attesting to some event or, esp., of the seal or signature applied to it for the purpose of authentication. Const. in(to) (the), for witnessing of (something). Also lettris of witnesyng.(1) 1380 Yule Chart. (Reg. H.) Section 1 No. 29.
In to [the] witnesyne of this oure seale we have gert be put to
1385 Red Bk. Grandtully I 140*.
The ta parte of this endentur in wytnesynge of al thyng in it contenyt … vndyr my sele
14… Reg. Paisley 375.
In wytnesynge of the qwylk thyngis … I haif procuryt … the seylis of worschipful men
1420 Reg. Episc. Morav. 476.
Apon the quhylkis thyngis the sayde Willȝame … requirit vs in witnesyng be our lettris testimoniale and our selis
1420 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 182.
Vitnising
1436 Coll. Aberd. & B. 394.
This … I mak knawin be thir present letteris to the quhilkis I haue put my sele in witnesyng
1456 Wemyss Chart. II 75.
To the mar euydent vttnasyne, thai haf enterchanaply put to thar seillis
1456–7 Reg. Dunferm. 341.
Witnasing
1472 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 590.
Vitnessyng
1561 Exch. R. XIX 481.
Robert Hammiltoun … for the mare witnessing hes subscrivit this his obligatioun with his hand
1581 Warrender P. (SHS) I 147.
In witnessing heirof … our greit seill is heirto … to hungin
(2) 1432 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 285.
To thir present lettris of witnesyng & haf set my sele

2. Matter in support of an attestation, testimony, evidence. a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 625.
Gyf scho has witnesing Of hyre controwit fals lesyng Lat hyr gere thaim here apere [That] thare fals witnes we ma here
1424 Acts Jas. I 85 (see Ost n.2 b (1)). 14.. Acts I 49/2.
Gif … anent the samyn thar may be witnessing [L. testimonium] of thre lele men … he sal be hangyt
1476 Acta Aud. 52/1.
The sadis partijs beand personaly present & thare allegations & witnessingis … herd
1478–9 Acta Conc. I 20/2.
Johne … sal bring sic document & witnessing or testymoniale of his sesing that he has
1490 Irland Mir. II 81/24.
For … Guillerimus Altisiodorensis sais in the fyrst cheptur of his noble buk [etc.] … thus be the saw and witnessing of thir twa doctouris [etc.]
1562-3 Winȝet I 5/4.
Ȝour symonie, ȝour glorious estait … witnessing in all aiges to cum of ȝour godlines
1616 Haigs of Bemersyde vii 158.
His habitude of lying, his noted perjury [etc.] … qualities for which any mans witnessing were to be repelled in judgment

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"Witnesing vbl. n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/witnessing>

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