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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.

Tra(i)sty, Trusty, adj. (n.). Also: tra(i)stie, trustie, -ey, truistie, trousty. [ME and e.m.E. trusti (a1225), traistiest (superl.) (Cursor M.), trusty (1432), trosty (Prompt. Parv.), trustie (noun) (1573).]

A. adj. 1. Trustworthy, faithful, reliable. = Traist adj. 1.(a) 1513 Doug. v x 5.
And in hys trasty [Sm. traisty; L. fidam] eyr thus prevaly He rownys 1513 Doug. x xiv 9.
Hys trasty [Ruddim. crafty] chosyn verlettis hym abowt 1533 Boece 188.
Natholok … walit ane man of Murray … beleiffing him maist traisty of ony vtheris 1571 Bann. Memor. 204.
Rycht traistie cowsine 1592 Digest Justiciary Proc. 7.
Gif he knew ony vemen to be trastie & meit for the executioun of the said purpois(b) 1412 Hawick Ann. 12.
We … grants, a special confirmation in the maist forme, till our trusty … cosyng [etc.] a1570-86 J. Maitland in Maitl. F. 434/9.
Thy hous hes ay bene trustie and inteir Defamit nocht with fraud and fickilnes 1570 Reg. Morton I 51.
To caus sum trustie seruand … transport the same a1578 Pitsc. I 171/17.
The king … beleiffit suirlie that thay war baitht trustie and trew that seruit … in his companie a1585 Maitl. Q. 243/9.
Is not a trustie freind by tryell bocht 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV 70b.
My bukes … to be valued be my trustie & faithfull bretherine 1585 Acts III 383/2.
His obedient lawtifull and trustie subiectis 1603 Aberd. Council Lett. I 93.
Trusty freindis … we haue understand … ȝour joy [etc.] 1627 Haddington Corr. 154.
Al such of your freinds and nichtbors … that ye find trustie 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 173.
Such as he knew wer trustiest to the Earle of Southerland 1632 Red Bk. Menteith II 47.
Truistie(c) 1561 Sel. MSS Q. Mary 90.
Trousty

b. Of things: Trustworthy, reliable. a1510 Aberd. Univ. Rev. XXXVI i 53.
Trusty pennis convenient to write 1584 Cal. Sc. P. VII 167.
I wald crewe … that I mycht hewe this licence … wtherwayes it wilbe langsam and onable to ws to gett trustey deling with our freindis at home c1700 Pennecuik Poems 363.
The trusty punler of the Newland pease

c. Truthful, honest; genuine. a1585 Maitl. Q. 257/3.
Trustie talk with taillis so trew 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. I 23.
Thou hast a trusty token of my love

2. Confident, assured (of success). = Traist adj. 2. 1549 Lamb Resonyng 3/14.
Think ȝow nocht the Inglismen be guid trastie men of warre and victorius peopill that dois baith ruffill ȝow and the Frenche-men?

B. absol. as noun. A trustworthy person. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 118/11.
Be cairfull to preferre euir the … trustiest to the inuardest offices about you