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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.

Craft, n. Also: crafte, crafft, craf; crauft, crawft, croft; craift, craifft, kreft. [ME. craft(e, OE. cræft.]

1. Science or art, skill, knowledge. 1375 Barb. iv. 723.
Throu craft [E. science] of clergy a1400 Leg. S. iv. 33.
Be sic craft full oft his will The fals fend he gert fulfyl Ib. xxxii. 237.
For my crafte mycht nocht awale c1420 Wynt. ii. 428.
Figuris off men he made alsua, The quhylkis he gert be craftis ga Ib. v. 2700.
Till medicynarys … he soucht, Bot all thare craft awaylyhit noucht c1420 Ratis R. 867.
To set thé for to wyne honore With craft, sciens, ore manhed a1500 Seven S. 622.
He had with him his sister son That able was all craft to con c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxv. 1.
To speik of science, craft, or sapience 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 56.
Nane is, nor was, ne ȝit sal be … , sal haue sic craft in poetry 1560 Rolland Seven S. 286.
He sall haue … Mair cunning craft in all the seuin science Nor I 1562-3 Winȝet II. 13/9.
That with … craft and diligence of a guid medicinar thai may be cuirit

b. A particular science or art. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 488.
He gert sek … A man that delt with sorcery & fand ane that crafty wes In that craft c1450 Cr. Deyng 5.
This lytill trety, the quhilk is callyt the craft of deyng c1450-2 Howlat 704.
[A] cuke that him weile kend In craftis of the ketchyne 1490 Irland Mir. I. 74/4.
It pertenis mare to my crafft than to Chauceir c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 36.
Quhilk … vsit me to slay the deir, … That craft I leirnit sone perqueir 1535 Stewart 35809. Ib. 56061.
This ald carling ane prenteis had … Knew weill the craft 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5104.
We can it find … Be our awin dreames, our craftis and ingine a1585 Maitl. Q. xxxix. 56.
I knaw otheris hes mair experience In craft of loue

c. A profession or occupation. 1456 Hay I. 114/5.
He suld … be na stewart, … na advocate, or ony othir villayn craft a1487 Good Wife & D. 299.
Thai haue no craft; how suld thai liff? c1475 Wall. i. 436.
Wallas … Gaif our that crafft, he ȝeid to fysche no mar Ib. vi. 441. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 17.
Pryntouris, payntouris, and potingaris, And all of thair craft cunning 1535 Stewart 44496.
Wes no chirurgeane of his craft so slie c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 306.
Best is to say, I am ane chirurgiane, … Quhat than, gif thay of my craft with me pleid? 1558-66 Knox II. 200.
Idill beggaris, quho … mak a craft of their beggyng 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 34.
To exercise thift and reif as ane craft

2. Manual skill or art. c1420 Wynt. i. 250.
Twbalkayin delytyt hale, Be oysyde craft to wyrk mettalle Ib. v. 2116.
It is bot a lumpe … Off metall made wyth mannys crafft 1456 Hay I. 160/15.
Throu the quhilkis labouraris, merchandis, and men of craft, all the warld is sustenyt 1497 Reg. Cupar A. I. 310.
The said Thomas sal … informe the prentys … al craft in masonry or ony wther he can c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxviii. 11.
That God mismakkis ȝe do amend Be craft [M. craift] and grit agilitie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2201.
Those men of craft full curiouslie Maid imagis so plesandlie

3. A manual or mechanical art or occupation; a handicraft. 1375 Barb. xix. 176.
With plewch and harrow for to get, And othir ser craftis, thair met 1394 Liber Aberbr. 43.
He sal dycht it abowt wytht lede … as his craft askys c1420 Wynt. ii. 426.
Thai fenyhe that tyme he mad men, For caus he gert thame craftis ken Ib. iii. 916.
Wythin his land This smyth ay duelt, hys craft oysande 14.. Acts I. 338/2.
Gif litstares or soutaris that ar of the gilde oysis thar craft witht thar awn hande 1456 Hay I. 281/28.
A maister armourer … that had renoune to be the best of that craft Ib. II. 18/23.
Outhir smythe, wrycht, or masoun, that dois thair craft as thai ar techit a1500 Bernardus 392.
Lat tham … tei and saw, and dyk and delff the erde, Or vse sum craft 1507 Reg. Dunfermline 361.
That he sall remane and wirk in the samyn abba in the craft of the wrycht craft 1531 Bell. Boece II. 411.
He commandit na … ydill pepill to be ressauit in ony town, without thay had sum craft to debait thair leuyng 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 309.
James Broig [etc.] … for using of thair craf upon the Sabbat day, ar monesit to abstein a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xcvii. 112.
Ilkane may leif vpone thair rent Or on thair craft withouttin feir 1654 Edinb. Test. LXVIII. 2.
My whole woork loomes … of my … walker craftattrib. 1692 Conv. Burghs IV. 611.
The Calsay and Craft marcat being some better than the ordinarie weekly marcats

b. The body of those following a particular trade or occupation; a regular or organized trade.Frequent in 16th cent., also with defining terms as baxter craft, etc. 1442 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 9.
The craftes undirwritten sal fynd yerly … thir personnes 1456 Hay II. 15/25.
Merchandis in thair marchandice, and othir craftis wirkand at lordis devis 1475 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 32.
It sall be lefull to the saidis twa craftis … vtheris actis, statutis, or ordinancis … to statut and ordane 1483 Ib. 48.
Thair sall be na oppin mercat vsit of ony of the saidis craftis, or werk pertening to thame of thair craft 1504 Reg. Great S. 9.
Gif he beis fundin sufficient, he sall pay at his buith upsetting to the dekyne and craft xl s. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 36.
Tailyouris, soutteris, and craftis vyll … The fairest of ȝour streitis dois fyll 1523 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 215.
The haill bodye of the craft of baxterie 1543 Ib. II. 113.
Gif ony of thame dois in the contrair, that craft sall pay ten pund … by thair ouklie dewiteis 1554 Holyrood Chart. 290.
Andrew Purwes, dekin and kirkmaster of the cordinar crawft Ib. 291.
Certane masters of the samyn crauft 1569–70 Bk. Old Edinb. C. VI. 86.
Delyuerit … to Iames Inglis … at the commend of the kreft, the some of £3 1633 Acts V. 134/1.
To the … remanent brithereine, burgesis, and friemen of the said skinner croft 1641 Ib. 593/2.
That no deacone nor quarter master can be gevin to the saidis hatmakeris, not being ane craft 1660 Lanark B. Rec. 180.
That ilk prenteis … sall be buiket in the crafts buik 1669 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 114.
The merchand and craftis hospitallis hes the benefeit now of the haill buckit monyeattrib. 1576 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 49.
The said Murdo allegeand the said Fischerris name to be in thair craft buke, and thairfor aucht nocht to be refusit

c. Brother, man, etc. of craft, a member of a trade (or the trades). 1557 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 263.
To caus your officiaris pvnde and destrenye all thair brethir of craft for non payment of ony extentis grantit to ws 1591 St. A. Baxter Bks. 47.
It is statute, votit, and concludit, be the haill breither of craft [etc.] 1598 St. A. Kirk S. 879.
The deacones of craft in this citie being convenit Ib.
The … decayed puir of craft in the hospitall 1632 St. A. Baxter Bks. 93.
Giue he sall molest … ony brother of craft … in tymes cuming

4. Cunning; sly or subtle contrivance; an underhand art or trick. c1420 Ratis R. 388.
Subtill craftis as at dewice Ȝhit can scho c1475 Wall. vii. 666.
All his crafft awailȝeit him rycht nocht 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 87.
Mysknawyng the … sle craftis of Grekis in euery deid 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 166.
Ane mervelous dissaitful craft, quhilk is na lytle secreit amangis heretikis 1572 Sat. P. xxx. 19.
Sic is thair craft in clymming to the crowne Ib. xxxvii. 60.
Slychtis … To cloik the crafte quhairto ȝe ar inclynd a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 341.
I saw na way quhairby to cum, Be ony craft, to get it clum 1606 Acts IV. 292/2.
His death wes ane of the cheif buttis of thair craift and malice 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 57.
Ther treasur is ther only trust, Ther clokit craift ther stor of skill