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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.

Buke, Buik, n. Also: boke, buk, bwk, bwck; bvik, buick, buyk, bwik(e; beuk, bevk, bewk; bouk, bouck, bowyk. [Northern ME. buk(e, midl. and southern book(e, bok(e, OE. bóc, ON. bók.]

1. A book; a written or printed work.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 33.
Off thaim I thynk this buk to ma Ib. 525.
As Dares in his buk he wrate a1400 Leg. S. iv. 28.
He went agane, sa sais the buke Ib. xxvii. 1401.
The buk of the wangele c1400 Troy-bk. i. 404.
The buk is callit Mathamatyk c1420 Wynt. i. 279.
Bukys he wrate That drownyde ware in Noeys spate Ib. ii. 157.
The bokis that Enok wrate Ib. viii. 2304.
Quha all hys dedis off prys wald dyte, Hym worthyd a gret buk to wryte 1456 Hay I. 1/5.
Here begynnys the buke callit the buke of the law of armys Ib. 119/30.
In a buke that he maid callit Retorik c1475 Wall. v. 532.
He was the man … , That fyrst compild in dyt the Latyne buk 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 224.
Fra George of Towris, to couir the Kingis buk, iij quarteris of vellous 1513 Ib. IV. 409.
Gevin to ane monk of Culros for bynding and alummyng of tua bukis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 678.
Lat ws haif the bukis necessare To commoun weill and our saluatioun Justlye translatit in our toung vulgare 1562-3 Winȝet II. 35/6.
His bukes … quhilkis he partlie maid in Greik and partlie in Latin 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 2.
The subiect and mateir begun in this buke(b) 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 176.
Ane pres of aik for bvikkis 1533 Gau 25/15.
Al the buikis of the wardel 1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 363.
For hadder to burne Inglische buiks on the mercat croce 1566 Lett. & Pap. Hen. VIII (1920) I. Pref. 8.
This bwike pertenis to Jhone Blakater of Tilliallen 1558-66 Knox II. 97.
That everie minister haue … claithis, … buykis, and other thingis necessarie a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii. 41.
Reid bot hou scho hes bleckit Bocas buiks 1597 Skene Acts Table s.v. Prenters.
Prenters suld not prent ony buikes, … bot that quhilk is visied and tryed, havand the Kingis licence 1603 Aberd. Kirk S. 26.
Being ane puir scholer, wanting moyen to by him buiks 1635 Sutherland Corr. 160.
My nephewe, … haid a greatt mynd to hawe quatt his buick and to hawe followit warres(c) 1549 Compl. 67/32.
I maid me reddie … to proceid in the compiling of my beuk 1581 Cath. Tr. 102/10.
To vrit ane ansuer to maister James Tyreis beuk(d) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 19.
Thai had brunt the boukes of ministeris 1586 Gray Lett. .
Tutching his boukis and hunting horses 1603 Montgomery Mem. 250.
For ane French Nou Testement, vith ane uder French bouk, vi s. 1644 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi. 57.
I leiue hir hir fathirs pictour … and all my boucks

b. A copy of the gospels or other sacred writing. Goddis buke, the Bible.For buke and bell see Bell n.¹1 b. 14.. Acts I. 372/2.
Gif he puttis nocht fullely his hand … apone the buk or on the halydome ?1438 Alex. ii. 126.
Gudeman, for Goddes buke, Comfort the weill a1500 Seven S. 202.
Be this buke And all the athis that may be sworne c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 39.
Ȝe be to townage, be this buke, To be my ladeis presoneir 1531 Prot. Bk. M. Fleming 20.
The sayd Janet … swoyr on ane bwk be hyr gret aetht that [etc.] 1558-66 Knox II. 193.
The commandiments … from Goddis mouth and buyk a1585 Maitl. Q. xxiv. 5.
Gud is to luik in Goddis buik

c. Mes-buke, sang-buke: see these words.

2. A division or section of a work. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1794.
Of all thir parrellis … In-to this nixt buke sall be tald c1420 Wynt. ii (heading).
The proloug of the secund buke Ib. viii. 2936.
In this sewyn bukis tretyd he … Quhat space [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 34/5.
Here efter folowis … the rubryis of the secund buke 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 9.
Twiching the thryd buke of Eneadon 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. iii.
The table of the historie; contenand every buke and cheptour … be thaimself 1549 Compl. 9/22.
As Cicero rehersis in the prologe of the thrid beuk of his officis 1562-3 Winȝet II. 36/2.
That noble and large werk, of na les than of thretty buikis

3. A book of record.Freq. with specific adjs. or nouns, as commissar, commoun, court, diet, law, lokkit, official, rental buke; buke of adjournal, counsale, respond, visitation, etc.: see these words. 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 14.
Thingis … deliuerit ay to Andro Balfour as he askit, as his buke of ressat beris 1494 Acta Conc. 375/2.
Certane flesche takin to our souerane lordis fader vse, and entrit in his bukkis 1535 Grant Chart. 79.
The officialis bukis of Edinburght 1536 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 28.
To … put away the said act furcht of his bukkis 1540 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 103.
The Kingis custumaris bukis of the burgh 1548 Ib. 143.
[Thai] sall find souerty actit in the buikis for keping of the statutis 1566 St. A. Baxter Bks. .
Laufully … admittit into our buks off the sad buk of baxters 1569 Peebles B. Rec. 310.
With all vtheris scrowis nocht being registrat in the buikis a1578 Pitsc. II. 184/1.
His airmes [were] put in agane in the buik of airmes a1597-1617 Hist. James VI 123.
The clerks … to the Lords of Sessioun [were] compellit to rander the buicks of parliament unto thame 1612 Acts IV. 516/2.
That buik callit the blak buik … quhilk is onlye ane memore and record of the infeftmentis … maid 1613 Rec. Elgin II.136.
The Bischop said to hir again, ‘Elspet gang your way hame again, ye are in our buiks els’ 1646 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 97.
That the act … tuching the said election, … be insert … in the toune counsell buicks

4. Something resembling or made like a book; spec. a packet of gold leaf. 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 61.
ij bukis of gold for iiij cotis of armez for the heraldis 1488 Ib. 80.
In the said box a buke of gold like ane tabill and on the glasp of it foure perlis and a fare ruby 1497 Ib. 367.
Giffin to Patric Redhewch for the Kingis buke of gold that lay in wed to him 1665 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 63.
For the new cock put upon the heigh steiple … , and for gold buikis and guilding therof

5. Buke almorie, a bookcase. 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 346.
Twa quhit plait lokks … to the buke almoreis of the queir