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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.

Une, Unit(e, v. Also: uny, une(i)t. P.t. unit, -yt. P.p. unit(e, -itt, unyt(e, wnit(e, -yt, uneit(t, -iit, -yit, unetit, -it(t)it, -ytit, united, -yted. [Late ME and e.m.E. vnynge pres. p. (1538), vnite (1547); p.t. unyte (1432-50), vned (1533); p.p. vnyd (c1400), vnyette (1422), vned (c1450), unyte (1460), vnite (1542), vnited (1565), OF unir, L. ūnīre, ppl. stem ūnīt-.] tr.Chiefly p.p.Freq., in various senses, const. togidder.

1. Of the non-physical union of lands, titles, etc.: To join or annex (lands, parishes, titles, etc.) to a jurisdiction (the crown, etc.) or in an entity (a barony, etc.). b. Of funds: To combine to a purpose.pres. 1483 Acts II 146/1.
Thai sal haue powere to vnet & annex perpetually to the croune sic lordschippis & landis as thai think expedient of the landis … cumin in the handis of our souueran lord be … forfatur 1596 Melvill 336.
To uneit severall paroches in an(b) 1606 Acts IV 342/2.
Oure said souerane lord … sall vnite and incorporat the foirsaidis landis [etc.] … in ane frie baronie a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 31.
If the fruits of any on kirk alone will not affoord that quantitie [of stipend, the commissioners] … may unite mor kirks to it(c) 1509 Acts II 267/1.
That it sall be lefull till his grace to diuide scherefdomez & create, vny & annex the samyne & caus soitis & personis to ansuer thartop.p. 1471 Acts II 99/2 (see Unio(u)n n. 3 a). 1510–11 Reg. Privy S. I 335/2.
That the kirk of Ellem … be unit, annexate, and incorporit … to the said archidenry 1526 Acts II 316/2.
The landis & toune of Pettinweme vnyt & creat in ane barony & burgh in barony 1529 Reg. Privy S. II 51/1.
And hes unit, annexit and incorporat to the said barony divers uthir landis and myllis 1549 Lamb Resonyng 65/5.
That Scotland is ane part of Ingland … being in deid as in the land continewalie without separatioun of the sey, also be homage and fealtie vnit 1566–7 Reg. Privy S. V ii 309/2.
Of the gift of nonentres … of all and sindrie the landis … of Ruthven … all unit be hir majestie in ane haill and fre baronie 1584 Rep. Maxwell-Stuart Mun. 42.
Haiffand the gift off the rude and halie blude altar vnitt and incorporatt in ane situatt within the paroche kirk of Peblis 16.. Herries Mem. 32.
The two kingdoms shall be unitt in one 1611-57 Mure Hist. Rowallane 250.
The barronie of Pokellie & Nimflare wnite, both of them with very ample priviledges(b) 1581 Acts III 235/1.
All … kirkis benefices … now vneit erectit and incorporat in the said lordschip 1581 Acts III 256/1.
Our said souerane lord … hes vneit annext creat and incorporat … all and sindrie the foirsaidis erledome of Orknay and lordschip of Ȝetland with all and sindrie ylis pertening therto … with … castellis, touris [etc.] … and … ordanis that ane sesing now to be takin be the said lord Robert Stewart … sall … be sufficient sesing for all and sindrie the foirsaidis landis 1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 371.
It is expedient … that the said chaple … be vneitt to the said … paroche kirk 1641 Acts V (1817) 399/1.
That pairtis … of paroches may be … vneit to the nixt and more ewest paroche church(c) 1565–6 Inverness Rec. I 133.
Schir Jamis Duff payt vj yeiris anwell [to Kinloss Abbey] for the Rude Manse vnder protestatioun that it suld nocht be prejudiciall to … Schir Jamis nor his successouris Rude Chaplanis insafar as the Rude Manse is unetit and annexit to the kirk yard [of Inverness](d) 1570 Leslie 70.
Be quhais mariage … the titillis acclamet to the crown of Ingland be the housis of York and Lancaster wes unytit 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI 549.
Unittit 1627 Rep. Parishes 1.
The kirk of Prestone is vnyted to the kirk off Bonckell a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 237 (see Unio(u)n n. 3).
Unitedb. 1570 Reg. Privy S. VI 180/1.
That … the same [sc. profits and yearly duty of Monedye Roger] may be unitit and annexit to the suppoirt of ane pure student

2. a. To unite (the soul, etc.) chiefly to, with God in a spiritual union. b. To bind together, unite (persons) by spiritual ties or ties of allegiance or affection, also of the incorporation of the members of a craft. c. To unite (a couple) in marriage.a. pres. 1490 Irland Mir. II 57/11.
Therfor the devin wertu sal rais the bodeis and vne thame to the saule and terrible sal be the woce and sovnd of the trumpet 1490 Irland Mir. III 20/10.
It is necessar that thar be a noble and haly sacrament that … vnis the Cristin pepil with God and Jhesu thar creatur and redemptour(b) 1611-57 Mure Spirituall Hymne 206.
Thy Sp'rit … Who all vnites of Thy empire To Thee 1685-8 Renwick Serm. 409.
That a knot may be cast to unite you to Him never to be loosedp.t. 1490 Irland Mir. I 139/28.
He vnyt and junyt that humanite in saule and body in vnioune ypostatice to the blist sone of God eternalep.p. 1490 Irland Mir. I 89/36.
All maner of naturis that He has maid, He has vnit to His hie diuinite 1490 Irland Mir. II 36/2.
Bot the deite remanit euir coniunct with the saule and body eftir the first instaunt that it was vnyt and coniunyt with thaim for sindry ressouns 1490 Irland Mir. II 40/12.
Gret blithnes was amang all creaturis in the resurreccioun of Jhesu fyrst in His glorius saule quhen it was wnyt to His body be the wertu of the diuinite 1559 Statut. Sc. Ch. 189.
Quha ressauis worthelie this blyssit sacrament, ar vnit and coniunit to the mistical bodie of our Saluiour Jesus Christe a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 120/12.
Christ vrocht the misterye of mannis redempcione in twa natures beand vnit to gidder in ane persone(b) 1513 Doug. x Prol. 26.
Set our natur God has to hym vnyte Hys Godhed incommixt remanys perfyte(c) 1562-3 Winȝet II 41 heading.
In Christe Jesus is na commixtioun nor changeing of diuinitie in humanitie, or contrare: bot bayth the twa naturis vniit in ane persoun(d) 1562-3 Winȝet II 46/10.
Blist, I say, is the Kirk, quhilk … confessis the manheid vnitit to the Godheidreflex. 1490 Irland Mir. II 36/5.
The Sone of God vnit Him & maid noble and hie mariage with the haly saule of Jhesu in the fyrst instantb. 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 22.
We [sc. the bonnetmakers] traist your lordschippis knawis … how that we ar vnyt and incorporat togiddir with the … walkaris, and scheraris 1533 Boece 522b.
Oure nacioun … think all pepill redemit be the blude of Criste … ar na les to thame vnyt and luffit than thare carnale brethir 1533 Boece 43b.
To athir pepill sall the iniuris of the tothir be commoun, sen nocht alanerlie be proximite of corporale blude, bot … be beneuolence of our myndis euir to this tyme we haue bene vnyt 1568 Anderson Collect. Mary IV 158.
Notwithstanding their disloyall and unnaturall desartis … that thai mycht for ȝour Hienes saik haiff bene againe unyted to that bodie and commone welth quheirof our soverane ladie is the heid 1581 Burne Disput. 123.
The kirk consists of the peopil vnit vnto the preist 1591 Sc. Ant. VII 11.
It is callit the comwnion of saincts becaus the haill members ar uneit & knit togidder in ane body to qwhome comonly belongit Chryst and His benefeittsc. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 468.
Thay be law deuine At kirk dur war coniunit and vnite

3. a. Of bodily heat or a vapour: To come together, concentrate. Also reflex. b. Of the music of the spheres: To be combined or conjoined in harmony.a. 1456 Hay II 133/3.
For than [sc. in winter] is the naturale hete unyt in the body … and than may a man ete fer mare na ony othir tyme … for in all othir tymes the hete is mare and scailis the naturale hete our all the body 1683 Sinclair Nat. Phil. (1683) 293.
And this air being violented by motion, moves that oily vapour, whereof the [firedamp] is formed so that it gets not liberty to unit itself, being dissipated by the motion of the air. But so soon as the air is still and quiet … it units itselfb. a1500 Henr. Orph. 224.
Quhilk armony [sc. the music of the spheres] throu all this mappamound Quhill moving cesse, vnyt [Asl. vnite] perpetuall

4. To bring together in understanding and agreement; to reconcile, one to the other. Also reflex. a1538 Abell 89a.
He wes slane be the Grekis and Baldwyn of France rang and be him the Grekis and the kirk of Rome wes wnit 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 90.
Hir grece hes all the helle nobille men off the rawme unit togeder qwhilke vas never afor sen the dyde off the kingis grace 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 101.
The heale and universale congregatioun unit togidder in ane faith be baptime 1596–7 Warrender P. (SHS) II 305.
That the haill bodie of oure realme maye be of new unit in religione and policie 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 1330.
Bothe the Princes' harts Disjoyned be disdain … he alon Knits and uneits againereflex. 1490 Irland Mir. III 117/8.
The princis and lordis suld gretlie vne thame to giddir for the gud of the haill pepil and of thame self

5. Of a geographical area or place: To be physically one. 1549 Lamb Resonyng 59/1.
Twa or ma of ane estait mycht be reullaris in ane cuntrey vnit as this ile is