A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1400-1629
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Hervest, Hervist, n. Also: (h)erwest, herveist, herwist, -wyst. [ME. hervest, OE. hærfest, herfest. Cf. Harvest and Hairst.] Harvest: the autumn, the season of harvest; the harvest crop. Also fig.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1645.
This tyme, quhen that herwist had In law places his coursses maid 1456 Hay II. 130/20.
The thrid sesone that is callit autumpne, that we call hervist 1478 Acts Lords of Council 16/1.
Thai gert it [a brief] be seruit in hervist quhilk is feriale tyme and forbiddin of the law 1531 Bell. Boece I. xlii.
Thir salmond, in the time of hervist, cumis up throw the smal watteris 1533 Id. Livy II. 149/9.
Somer fowlis, quhilkis flies, als sone as hervist cummis, to sum bene hous 1573 Rec. Earld. Orkney 351.
Upbaldand ane daylie scherar in tyme of hervist 1576 Compl. Zetl. MS. 28 b.
The said Laurence … hes … causit courtis to be … haldin within the feriat and clois tyme of hervist and vacancie(b) 1545 Prestwick B. Rec. 21.
Fra our lady day in lentryn quhyl our latyr day in erwest 1585 Acts III. 376/1.
That the sessioun … sall begin thair sitting … efter the greit vacance of hervest 1604 Dundonald Par. Rec. 56.
Robert Hopkin … deponit that in hervest ves ane yeir … he sav licht in Pet Lovries 1616 Elgin Rec. II. 148.
Sonday nixt to be ane day of publict fast … according to our anniversarie custome befor hervestfig. 1611 Mure Misc. P. ii. 96.
Content I am, and sua my faith deserwest, My spring be toylsume with a pleasent herwest
b. Attrib. with fie, feild, gluif, labour, purvyance, tym. 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 84.
Fat swyne in sty Sustenyt war … On hervist and on symmeris purvyance — 1612 Brechin Testaments II. 251.
To Johne Sufwricht for his heruest fie and his wyif 1629 Ib. IV. 362 b.
To Christiane Black for hir herwest fie 1583 Ib. I. 93 b.
In the barne … and heruist feildis the groutht of sewin bollis aittis 1611 Ib. II. 142.
xvij dussone heruest gluifis 1600-1610 Melvill 23.
My father setts me about the hervest-labour 14.. Quoniam Attachiamenta viii.
Or in hervest tym
c. Hervest hog, ‘a young sheep that is smeared at the end of harvest, when it ceases to be a lamb’ (J). 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 66/33.
Gylmyrs and dilmondis, and mony herueist hog
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"Hervest n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/hervest>
