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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.

Translat(e, v. Also: translait, transulat. P.p. also translatt, -ate, -ait. [ME and e.m.E. translate (Cursor M.); p.p. also translate (Cursor M.), translat (1517), F. translater, L. translāt-, ppl. stem of transferre, med. L. translatare.] tr.

1. To remove, convey, transport, transfer (a person, esp. a corpse or bones, or thing) (fra (out of) one place to (in) another). a1400 Leg. S. xi 460.
He gert the apostolis translat, & brynge to the sammyne citte … & … Mad thame a costlyk sepulture c1420 Wynt. i 78.
Adame … Lyk made to Gode … And say fourmyde … Translatyde wes in Paradys c1420 Wynt. v 3384.
Off Saynct Andrew the body was That tyme translatyd fra Patras Till Constantynopill a1500 Henr. Thre Deid Pollis 40.
Peure and riche salbe but differens … in erd translait 1518–19 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 352.
The tovne … ordanit the masteris of kirk-werk to translat thair funt and passag to the rudloft … and mak a fair wyndo in that gavill a1538 Abell 76b.
Gife the wod of Birna wer translatit to Dynsynnan hill 1540–1 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 227.
To translait the meill merkate fra the croice to the est end of the town 1552 Edinb. Hammermen (ed.) 153.
For other iiij batts to put the images up with iiij s. … for the payntin of the images xxx s. … to the wrychtis in drinksilver that morn thay translatit the imagis 1558-66 Knox II 81.
That na uther artailyerie be translatit out of this realme, bot thay quhilkis war send and brocht in fra the … deceise of Francis, King of France 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 239.
Monsieur Verac … haldin … in Leith, wes translaitit thairfra 1596 Edinb. Test. XXIX 268.
That nane of hir bairneis sall translait hir hous or houshald geir salang as scho leuis c1650 Spalding II 323.
Lord Fraser … causis translait his victuall … out of the girnellis of Wattertoun … to Muchallis

b. To convey to heaven without death; to deify; also, of the death of the righteous, to convey to a better life. 1490 Irland Mir. III 83/30.
That the realme of Jhesu sal neuir tak end bot indur to the iugement and syn be translatit in paradice supernale 1513 Doug. x v 47.
Cybele … has ws all translait … tobe deificat As goddessys c1520-c1535 Nisbet Heb. xi 5.
Be faith Enoch was translatit, that he suld nocht se dede a1538 Abell 3a.
This Enoch … was translatit in Paradis c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 55.
Anno 1645, in the gret plague, she with all her children was translated to a better life

c. To move (an ecclesiastic) from one charge to another. 1567 Coll. Aberd. & B. 226.
Johne Philpe, minister, … translatit to Dunbennane c1650 Spalding II 156.
Mr. Alexander Henrisoun … wes translatit thairfra 1677 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III 158.
He never being Archbishop of Glasgow, in so far as he was never legally translated from Dumblaine to Glasgow

2. To translate (a book, (the work of) an author, etc.) (out of one language in another).(a) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 37.
For til eschew ydilnes I hafe translatit … Sume part as I fand in story Of Mary & hir sone Jhesu a1500 Henr. Orph. 42.
Tersicor … Thus out of Grewe in Latyne translate is c1490 Irland Asl. MS 4/6.
Some personis appruf nocht the translacoun of haly writ in Ynglis toung … for the werray letter beand translatit without the … hevinlie mynd that it contenis … quhilis soundis evill 1513 Doug. Direct. 51.
I haue not interpryt ne translate Every bural ruyd poet dywlgait 1549 Compl. 17/14.
Quhou beit that he fynd sum purposis translatit in Scottis that accords nocht vitht the Lateen regester c1552 Lynd. Mon. 680.
Lat ws haif the bukis necessare To … our saluatioun, Justlye translatit in our toung uulgare 1562-3 Winȝet II 1 title.
A … buke … neulie translatit in Scottis 1567 G. Ball. 85.
Heir … beginnis the Psalmes of Dauid … translatit out of Enchiridion Psalmorum a1585 Maitl. Q. 208 heading.
Ane Elagie translatit out of Frenche in English meter 1585 James VI Ess. 20.
Which, albeit it be not well translated, yet hope I, ye will excuse me (fauorable reader) sen I neither ordained it, nor auowes it for a iust translation: but onely set it forth 1622-6 Bisset I 251/24.
The saidis proces of comprysing of landis … quhilk is translated out of Scottis in Latyne and pasis all the seillis 1622-6 Bisset II 263/23.
The Franche admirall and seæ lawes ar … sa weill translated … that ȝe neid nocht have ane trynscheman nor interpritatoure thereof(b) ?1438 Alex. ii Prol. 21.
I will set myne intent … For to translait in Inglis leid Ane romains 1460 Hay Alex. 19319.
Translaittit it was … At the instance off Lord Erskein be Schir Gilbert 1513 Doug. i Prol. 401.
Pres nocht … thou traste interpreter, Word eftir word to translait thi mater 1535 Stewart 110.
I thé requeir Translait this libell in our mother toung 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2052 (B).
I gif to the divill … This wofull wicket new tessment, With thame that it translaittit 15.. Clar. v 2255.
He, that did it out of French translait, Hes it depaint of langwage full ornate a1568 Bann. MS 266b/13.
Quhen … Inglische tungis translaitit ar in Grew Scho quhome I luve sall steidfast be & trew

b. To change, rewrite or recast (a work, text, etc.) (out of one form) in another. 1560 Rolland Seven S. Schort Schawing, heading.
Ane schort schawing quhair and quhen and at quhais requeist this buik was translatit out of prois in Scottis meter 1560 Rolland Seven S. Schort Schawing 2.
At the requeist of my ant callit Cait, In roustie ryme this quair I did translait 1567 Dunkeld Presb. II 88.
The catechisme … now translaited in the Booke of our Common Ordour

c. absol. To effect a translation in sense 2 above; ? to make sense of, transliterate (correctly). 1513 Doug. i Prol. 395.
Sanct Gregor … forbyddis ws to translait Word eftir word a1568 Bann. MS II p. 59/6.
The wryttar to the reidaris. Ȝe reverend redaris thir workis revolving richt Gif ȝe get crymis, correct thame … And curs na clark that cunnyngly thame wrait Bot blame me baldly brocht this buik till licht In tenderest tyme, quhen knawlege was nocht bricht Bot lait begun to lerne and till translait, My copies awld mankit and mvtillait

3. To change (something) (in another), freq. its opposite or something very different; to change the nature or composition of (something). c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 8.
How that eche estate, As fortune lykith, thame will oft translate a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 130.
All in cair translatit is my ioy a1500 Lanc. 508.
The king … askit at the clerkis, if thei fynde By there clergy, that stant in ony kynde Of possibilitee, fore to reforme His desteny … If in the hewyne is preordynat On such o wis his honor to translat 1490 Irland Mir. I 9/18.
In his tyme was translatit that nobile realme … fra tyme that wisdome falȝeit in the prince [etc.] 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 190.
Quhidder is becum sa sone this duillie hant? And ver translait in winter furious? 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 324.
Diane … him in forme hes of ane hart translatit 1531 Bell. Boece II 72.
He translatit the tempill of Apollo in ane abbay c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 185.
Is thair ony ȝe wald haif alterat Of the assyis and vtheris in thair steid? … the syis salbe translait, Sa ȝe can preif vpon thame falt or feid 1562-3 Winȝet II 65/28.
Than the prophane nouelties ar oppinit; than … thow may se the haige cuttit; than the boundrodis of oure elderis translatit and changeit c1600 Poem (verso T. Pont).
And all our sowres translate in sweet

b. To transmute (coins) into bullion. 1478 Acts II 118/2.
The auld money … has bene translatit & put to fyre and maid bulȝeoun to uther moneye that is strikin of new

c. To alter, transform, remake (clothes, etc.). 1503 Treas. Acc. II 232.
For ij½ elne wellus to bordour the kingis cote of wellus crammesy quhen it wes translatit 1507–8 Treas. Acc. IV 18.
For half ane mantill funȝeis to ane gown quhilk wes translatit 1566 Mill Mediæv. Plays 342.
To twa tailȝeouris … quha helpit the tailȝeoure that maid the play claythis to translate thame & augment quhair it was necessare a1578 Pitsc. I 339/20.
He translaitit the palice of Lythtgow 1590 Glasgow B. Rec. I 154.
That the hail treis … salbe of the quantitie of fyvtene gallounes and the houtipas treis nocht to be translatit and that ane gadge salbe appointit … for that effect 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 122.
John Campbell … not to big repair translate or theik his houss … bot according to his tak 1692 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 313.
The said Patrick shall bind himself … to translate the said clock into ane pendulum work

d. To alter (a person's appearance). a1540 Freiris Berw. 453 (B).
Him to translait or ellis dissagyis Fra his awin kynd in to ane vder stait

4. To remove (something of value, usu. a realm) (fra the control of one person to that of another). b. To remove (an imposition) fra one group to another. c1420 Wynt. vi 97.
The empyre This pape translatyd fra Grekis ay, To byde wyth Almayhnys … and that translatyowne [etc.] a1500 Lanc. 2202.
Knowis yow nocht I myne houshold suld encres … And now yow thinkith mak me dissolat Of knychtis, and my hous transulat 1490 Irland Mir. III 151/12.
Quhilis a realme … is translatt fra a pepil til ane vthir 1513 Doug. ii vi 59.
The … glory of Phrygianys now is gone Fers Jupiter to Grece all has translait [Ruddim. translate] a1538 Abell 78a.
Bot this Herald wes wincust & slane be Wilȝem the bastard of Normundee for the putting awa and mutulatioun of his sister … Edgair seand his heritage translatit to the Normannis … disparit of the recouering of it 1535 Stewart 31458.
We haif power … to translait be oure auctoritie … the rycht fra ane hous to ane vther 1535 Stewart 33030.
The bischopis sait be his auctoritie, Fra Abirnethie translatit hes he 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 29.
The Hamiltonis socht to haif depriuit hir of all rycht and translatit the croun to thame selffis a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 31/24.
God … quhen he plesis can princis magnifie And for thair syn translat realmes and kingisb. 1533 Bell. Livy I 95/21.
All thir chargis afore rehersit war surelie translatit fra … pure pepil to the estate of riche and maist potent men

c. To transfer (something) to another use. 1562-3 Winȝet I 115/2.
Gif thingis anis dedicat … to God suld nocht be translatit and appropriat in wtheris prophane vseis