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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Bald, Bauld, a. and adv. Also: balde, baulde, bawld, baild. [Northern (and early) ME. bald, OE. bald (WS. beald).]

b. Of persons: Bold, brave, courageous.(a) 1375 Barb. x. 112 (the king that stout wes, stark and bald). c1420 Wynt. vii. 2028 (a stowt knycht and a bald). ?1438 Alex. ii. 334 (Alexander and his barnage bald). c1450-2 Howlat 788 (a lang sper for a berne bald). c1475 Wall. vi. 652 (that cruell berne and bald). a1500 Henr. Bl. Serk 3 (dukis, erlis, and barronis bald). c1515 Asl. MS. I. 155/27 (gretar, hardiar, and baldar of hert). 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 31 (a bald cuntre in weir); xiii. ii. 67 (my frendis bald). 1570 Sat. P. xxiii. 130 (in hart curagious and bald). a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 108 (the baldest beirnis and best). 1596 Dalr. I. 77/7 (descendet of sa balde gyantes).(b) 1375 Barb. ii. 196 (the Brwys that wes sa bauld). a1400 Leg. S. iv. 306 (thocht he was bath fel and bawld). c1420 Wynt. iv. 206 (a knycht, yhong and ioly, bawld and wycht). c1475 Wall. ii. 355 (he was bauldar in battaill). a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1278 (the renk salust the bauld berne). c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 65 (fers Neptunus and Eolus the bauld). c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 101 (this ȝoung squyer, bauld and wicht). 15.. Clar. i. 758 (ane Count, bauld and chevalrus). 1567 Sat. P. V. 53 (be bauld and na way turne abak). —transf. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 215 (thay landit in bauld Brytane).(c) a1585 Maitl. Q. lxvi. 67 (quhen Rome wes vanqueist with ane Attyla baild).

b. Used absol. as noun: A bold person.a1500 Rauf C. 407 (with ane blyith cheir buskit that bald).

c. Of courage, etc., or actions displaying courage.c1475 Wall. iv. 547 (a bykkyr bauld and keyn). c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 91 (with visage bawld). 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 95 (with sa bald curage be). 1560 Rolland Seven S. 55/11 (meruell was sa bauld bargane to be). a1578 Pitsc. I. 116/31 (with ane bauld curage). 1580 Aberd. Chart. 237 (considering thair bauld manheid).

d. Of animals: Bold, fierce.c1515 Asl. MS. I. 309/21 (Arcald the bald bore). 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 425 (a bardit curser, stout and bald). a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 141 (with beistis bryme and bauld). 1587-99 Hume ii. 170 (euerie bald and brutall beast).

e. Of fire: Burning strongly, fierce. Also fig.a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1047 (thy bale so bald now in my brest haboundis). 1513 Doug. xiii. iv. 65 (the bald flammys and brym blesys). 1531 Bell. Boece I. 153 (ane huge fire, birnand with bald and vehement flammes); II. 52 (the fire grew sa bald that … ). 1549 Compl. 42/20 (birnand in ane bald fyir); 111/8.

2. Forward, presumptuous, confident. Freq. with inf.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 271 (thu art to bald that tholis Godis servants spyll). 1456 Hay II. 8/35 (how art thou sa bald to sett thé to tak that order). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 22 (ȝit mycht thay be sa bald to gar me ryme). 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 412 (all thoch I be to bald hym to repreif, he was fer baldar). 1535 Stewart 57159 (rycht bald he wes, and mekle bost than blew). 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. (I was to bald to cast peirlis to the swyne). 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 363 (I dare be bald to say … ). a1570-86 Maitl. F. xcv. 15 (than wax thai bald to burne and sla). a1605 Montg. Devot. P. iv. 9 (how I dar be sa bald befor thy presence to appeir).(b) c1475 Wall. xi. 1313 (I charge nane be sa bauld ȝon tyrand for to schryve). 1540 Lynd. Sat. 30 B. (se no misdoaris be so bawld as to remane into this hawld). 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 97 (thow wyl wounder that I durst be sua baulde … ). 1569 Reg. Morton I. 49 (to be the baulder to craife that … ). 1591 Ib. 178 (bauld to intromit with ony manis geir). 1622-6 Bisset II. 230/18 (na iudges suld be sa bauld as to arreist schipis). 1615 Highland P. III. 222 (I am this bauld to deleaitt the caus).

b. Certain, sure.a1500 Henr. III. 117/58 (this breif thow sall obey, sone, be thow bald).

3. Strong and stately; outstanding, prominent.c1475 Wall. viii. 402 (Wallace gert brek thai burly byggyngis bauld). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxi. 40 (my beikis ar sprungin he and bauld).

4. adv. Boldly; strongly, fiercely. Chiefly of fire.a1400 Leg. S. x. 469 (the fyre that bald can bryne). a1500 Rauf C. 222 (ane bricht fire was byrnand full bald). c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlvii. 8 ( … trew luvis fyre nevir birnis bauld). 15.. Wyf of Aucht. 13 (sittand at ane fyre beikand bawld). 1567 G. Ball. 189 (the wind blawis cauld, furious and bauld). 1596 Dalr. II. 20/34 (in bale sa balde thay burnt).