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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.

Tuich(e, Tweche, n. Also: tuicht, tuitche, tuech(e, tutch, tutsh, twich(e, twych, twitch(e, twoch, touch(e, toutch(e, totch(e. [ME and e.m.E. touche (1297), toche (Cursor M.), towch(e (both 14th c.), touch (1340), toutch, tuche (both 1581), OF touche.]

1. The action or an act of touching with the hand, etc.; the contact arising out of this. Also fig. and in fig. context. 1513 Doug. iii iv 36.
The harpeis … with thar laithly twich [Sm. tuiche] al thing fyle thai 1533 Boece 513.
King Williame twichit his body making the signne of the haly croce thareon, be this onelie twich he was restorit to heillfig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 356.
I hope that ye will not put your hand to the ark to give it a wrong touch [v.r. totch], and to overturn it 1650 Carstairs Lett. 64.
Believe that He loves you with his heart, and means good to you, from all the totches that ye have … mett with, or shall hereafter meet with

b. The contact made by one part of the mouth on another during the articulation of sounds. Also pl. c1616 Hume Orthog. 7.
If I wer to wryte God, the tuich of the midle of the tongue on the roofe of the mouth befoer the voual, and the top of the tongue on the teeth behind the voual, myndes me to wryte it godpl. c1616 Hume Orthog. 7.
A voual is the symbol of a sound maed without the tuiches of the mouth c1616 Hume Orthog. 11.
A consonant is a letter symbolizing a sound articulat that is broaken with the tuiches of the mouth

c. fig. A trace or influence of a quality, the effect of something. 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 8/7.
The Deuilles rudimentes … [are] all kinde of practicques, [etc.] … which cannot abide the true toutche of naturall reason 1634 Fugitive Poetry II ix 15.
Whose Muse as one, the other liketh mutch In Vertue's toutch

d. The contact made by an instrument of torture. 1669 Dalyell Darker Superst. 649.
[Some of the prisoners were barbarously tortured by thumbkins. Of two … one was favoured by the executioner, but the other was cruelly tormented and] screight for pain in a terrible manner, [while the Lord High Chancellor Rothes,] called frequently for the other toutch

2. The sense of touch. 1531 Bell. Boece I xliv.
Thir mussillis ar sa doyn gleg of twiche and hering, that … thay douk haistelie at anis c1590 Fowler I 261/3.
Whilest organs of vaine sence transportes the minde, Embracing objectes both of sight and eare, Toutch, smell, and tast [etc.]

3. The act of touching upon a subject, etc.; a brief narration or outline; a reference, a mention.The Doug. quot. may be a misreading for a form of the verb. a1500 Colk. Sow i 475.
First this pig so pure wais And in so mony dengeris He eskapit with weris Ȝe may consaue be this twich That oft of littill cumis mich To contempt a small fo 1513 Doug. Comm. i iii 75.
This thre granyt ceptour in sum part haf I twychis abuf 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. v.
We may easily particularize our subtillest sinnes … First, by the rule of analogie, and next by the benefite of example. To the twitch of the which … we must either qualifie or controle our proceedings 1615 Highland P. III 246.
In there missiues there is some twitche geven that [etc.] a1650 Row 411.
I shall relate some little touch of the lives of some honest ministers 1660 Bk. Carlaverock II 150.
Tutch 1661 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 96.
I did wrett a little tuiche of this in my last 1671 Short Testimony Concerning Catherine Allardes.
I might name more nor now I shall, but a little touch I have freedome to give 1700 Dunlop P. III 90.
I give a little tutsh anent my consern I should have been so long your detir

4. A blemish, a stain, a detrimental effect or taint of something; reproach. [Cf. F. tâche.] c1508 Ch. & M. Prints iib 13.
To plese thame bath … Talk with that ane and with the tothir rowne Be trew to both with out tuich [Maitl. F. 195/13, tweche] of tresoun c1590 Fowler I 275/5.
The touch of my trespasses all hath pearcst me through and through 1596 Warrender P. (SHS) II 294.
For the setting of the prisoner at libertye without conditioune or band seing he was unlawfullye takken, and consequentlye to the tuitche of the king 1609 Crim. Trials II 573.
Nor did he desyre that his lyffe sould be spairit, att sa deir ane rait as the leist tuiche of his maiesteis honour 1609 Crim. Trials II 578.
We being ignorant thairof, and done without our knawledge, itt could be no touch nor greif to our conscience 1624 Hist. Carnegies 88.
If he doe not carry my busines to my content, he thinkis it a tuicht to himself 1638 Sel. Biog. II 27.
He is sure to find out the man to pursuade and convert, to lead him through toutches and temptations, through fears and falls, till he bring him to peace a1689 Cleland 32.
If presbyterians, on witches Deserves in law the sharpest touches

5. To hold twoch with, to adhere to the standards of. To keep touches, to keep a mutual agreement or promise, to keep faith. ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 32.
Neither was the king content with ther first vindicatione, nor wer themselves confident that ther answers wer bastable eneuche to hold twoch with the juditiouse — c1610 Melville Mem. 214.
He wald, in tymes commyng, kep tueches and be secret 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 245.
Be jealous over yourself and your own heart, and keep touches with God. Let him not have a faint and feeble soldier of you

6. = Tuiche stane n. 2. c1590 J. Stewart 164/1.
Treuth is the tuitche that euerie turne dois try