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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.

Brade, Braid, a. Also: brad, braide, brayd, bread, breid, bred. [Northern ME. brade, brad (midl. and southern brode, brod), early ME. brad, OE. brád.] Broad or wide, in various applications.

1. Of stretches of land or water, buildings, etc.Early examples occur in place-names, as Bradestrother, Brademedwe (c 1200), Bradeforde (c 1230), Bradewude (a 1240), etc.(a) 1375 Barb. vii. 467.
Quhen thai war passit the watir brad Ib. xiii. 136.
Thay … That occupied our landis brade a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 43.
A locht … lyk a se … It is sa mykil, lang & brade c1400 Troy-bk. i. 226.
The stretis ware … bath lange and brade c1420 Wynt. iv. 261.
Than gert he drawe that revere … throuch feldis brade c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. vii. 13.
The ȝet … is large and the way is brade 1533 Boece vii. ii. 223.
Ane brade and profound foussy 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 213.
[He] suld big the said rowme … as it is now and nocht to mak the samyn brader 1596 Dalr. II. 23/5.
With brade landis he was rewardet(b) 1456 Hay I. 12/22.
As the see is bathe depe and braid 1461 Liber Plusc. 384.
All this warld, that is baith lang and braid Brus x. 608.
Ane place thai fand so braid That thai mycht syt on anerly 1513 Doug. i. iv. 15.
In a braid sound … Flowis the schore deip Ib. ii. xii. 36.
Our the braid sey Ib. iv. Prol. 63.
Nowther bra, … nor brayd fludis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 308/21.
The braid yland of Brettane 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. x.
My landis braid 1535 Stewart 10604.
Fousseis deip and braid c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2096.
Ane tempyll … boith heych and braid 1562-3 Winȝet II. 4/17.
Al the braid wallis of Jerusalem 1565 Banff Chart. 100.
Dissending … to the braid mercatt gait 1582 Misc. Spald. C. II. 55.
I resingnit my braid croift to … my sone a1595 Descr. Isles in Skene Celtic Sc. III. 434.
Ane heich craig … weill braid on the heicht thairof a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI. 145.
A bulwark, plat and brayd abone 1633 Misc. Spald. C. II. 232.
The braid staires of the parliament hous(c) 1650 Falkirk Par. Rec. I. 170.
Thos quho ar … in the bread way 1665-76 Lauder Journal 213.
Our Jock of bread Scotland would take none of their advices

2. In general use, of things.(a) 1375 Barb. iv. 128.
Fyre … as a stern, syne as a moyne, And wele bradar tharefter soyn a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 220.
In a fat … brad & depe Ib. xxxiv. 20.
Hare … as gold scho hade … & forred brade c1420 Wynt. i. 742.
That best … is brade Off brest before Ib. viii. 3738.
The pese that … wes … confermyd wyth selys brade 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 33.
iiij elne of bradare blac 1495 Ib. 264.
x ellis of brade rubanis 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 261 b.
Ane pund … of cordounes narrowar … ; thrie pund … of wther cordounes brader(b) Brus i. 386.
With banys gret & schuldrys braid Ib. xvii. 616.
Gret flaggatis tharof thai maid, gyrdit with irne-bandis braid c1475 Wall. ii. 34.
On his braid bak 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 81.
A braid chenȝe Ib. 86.
Twa braid pecis of brynt siluer bullion 1496 Ib. 286.
For v stane … of braid irne a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1123.
Thair brandis sa braid, burly and bair 1513 Doug. i. vi. 20.
The braid steil heid schuke on the huntyng speir Ib. v. iv. 78.
Vndir hyr brayd bilge of aik 1533 Bell. Livy II. 214/17.
Eftir that thai had made thare sowis & braid targis to assailȝe the wallis 1535 Stewart 212.
With schulderis braid 1538 Treas. Acc. VI. 435.
For ij elnis … braid blak gray 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 297.
Gevin for ane braid daill 1565 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 69.
To … twa ellis of braid reid 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 329.
The saids pynoris havand affixit ane braid saill betuix thame and the castell 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 363.
To mak merket of braid quhyte wobbis 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 32.
Ane blak goun with ane … braid pasment about it Ib. 44 b.
xxxiiij braid dischis 1663 Irvine Mun. II. 265.
Tua braid wheit breid Ib. 266.
Ane braid breid(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 429.
To se quhat berne is … bredest in schulderis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3738.
Ane ymage … boith heych and breid a1550 Tayis B. 2.
With blosomes blyth and bred [: maid, said] 1570 Leslie ii.
Ane bread reid spott … upon ane of his cheikis 1586 St. A. Test. II. 62.
Fyve elnis of bred blew claith 1611 Reg. Panmure I. p. xcv.
Ane greawe [= grave] … withe ane bread stone 1628 Dundee B. Laws 527.
To occupie the bred lumbe [= loom] Ib.
Ane bred loumb and wark thairof 1647 Elgin Rec. I. 182.
Bread lining cloathe

b. In special uses, of weapons, bonnets, etc.(1) c1420 Wynt. ii. 40.
Thare in he set a brade arowe 1486 Stirlings of Keir 256.
The saidis landis to be haldin … for ane braide arowe at Mydsymyr 1513 Doug. xii. v. 214.
Vphesit he hys braid ax rude and squair 1533 Boece x. xiv. 384 b.
Danis … schot thare awfull dartis and brade arrowis 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 39.
vj dousoun of braid bowtis c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1115.
The archeris … of braid arrowis let fle ane flicht(2) a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 89.
Thay gloir in … Thair litill bonet or bred [Q. braid] hat 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 214 b.
Ane peice of gold callit the braid bonet quhilk is the thrie merk peice of King James the fyftis cunȝe, price thairof iiij li(3) 1545 Reg. Privy C. I. 10.
The new Inglis grote of Ingland callit the grote with the braid face, is tane … for xviij d.

3. Of a specified breadth. c1420 Wynt. iv. 289.
The wallys ware Fyve and twenty elne brade a1500 Rauf C. 34.
Quhair na body was him about be fiue mylis braid 1495 Halyb. 87.
28 ellis of Dornyik 3 ellis brad 1499 Ib. 162.
A mat … xx fut lang and alls brad c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1385.
This ark … Quhose rigyng wes ane cubeit braid a 1595 Skene Celtic Sc. III. 437.
Ane Ile … in sum pairtis but thrie mile braid, and at the braidest is six mile braid

4. a. With the limbs extended. (Cf. Bradelings.) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 442.
Scho … to the erde syne fel al brad

b. fig. Plain, patent; marked. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 78.
It wald … gar me mony falt ourse That now is brayd befoir myn E 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 109.
I set my bissy pane … To mak it braid and plane 1531 Bell. Boece I. 195.
Thair has bene ay ane braid difference betwix us and thaim 1568 Pref. Lyndsay ii.
The braid difference … Betwene verteous and vicious leuing

c. Brade benisoun, malisoun: see these nouns.

5. In predicative or adv. use: Broadly. 1375 Barb. viii. 57.
Sum vith arrowes barblyt braid c1420 Wynt. viii. 4005.
Throwch all Scotland brade and wyde c1450-2 Howlat 626.
The branchis that blomyt so brayd 1513 Doug. v. xi. 121.
The flambe … blesys braid at large Ib. xii. xiv. 63.
Set we pres ws fast To spek owt braid 1535 Stewart 12732.
Of his blude thai gart him bleid full braid Ib. 18439.
Thus wer thai bund with letteris seillit braid c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 119.
His hois … With buird of gold bordonit, and barrit braid 1562-3 Winȝet I. 20/21.
Sen ȝe … hes spokin sa braid thairof in the pulpet 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 334.
He … luikit brayd vp with his eyen 1596 Dalr. I. 217/21; Ib. II. 389/12.
Quhen … Occa had wasted the landes of Britannie vp and doune, braid and wyd