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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Dichting, Dychting, vbl. n. Also: dichtin, -tein, dighting; dychtyng, -tting, -tyn(e, -tin(e, -ten; dechting, deychting, deichting, -ine; diching, dychyng, dech-, deich-, deyching. [ME. dyghtynge, diȝtinge (1340), f. diȝte Dicht v.]

1. Preparing, adjusting, dressing, or putting in order. c1460 Consail Wys Man 176.
Be nocht dangerous of met dichting 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 245.
Expensis maid apone sertane wrychtis … for the dychten of the grete tymmyr to the barge Ib. 246.
For the fellyng, squaryng and dychtyne of the tymmyr in diuers woddis 1501 Ib. II. 25.
Payit to William Fery furrour for dighting of xv dosane of metrik skynnys to the Kingis gret goune 1512 Ib. IV. 452.
xvj cheisellis for the dichting of the greit cheifis for the greit mast 1540 Ib. VII. 304.
Gevin to the tapesar, for dichting and grathing of the tapeschery 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 470.
For … deyching of sax trein lyntellis to durris, wyndois and chymleisfig. (= in preparation). 1600-1610 Melvill 82.
He warned him … that his judgment was neir, and his dome was dichten

2. Putting in good condition and furbishing of weapons or other metal articles. 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 65.
Gev into Cuthbert Knychtsone, … for mylne quhelis for diching of the Kingis harnes, xl s. 1503 Ib. II. 386.
To James Hog for dighting of the suordis that left at the tournaying of Fasteringis Evin, and for dighting of harnes 1505 Ib. III. 147.
To the armorar that hed the Kingis armyng in France for naling and dichting of it 1507 Lanark B. Rec. 17.
For the dychtyn of sellat and splentis, viij d. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 512.
To xx werkmen … at the dichting and clengeing of the gunnys 1537 Ib. VI. 337.
For grathing and dichting of twa pissanis of mailȝe to the Kingis grace 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 345.
Peyit to ane swerd slipper for deiching of the common swerd 1574 Elgin Rec. I. 144.
For dichting of ane tuahandit sword 1595 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 395.
For the dichtin of the kirk knok

3. Cleaning (of streets, etc.) by sweeping or removal of rubbish.(a) 1453 Misc. Spald. C. V. 49.
For dychtyng of the nedyr kyrk gate 1509 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 124.
Thair supplicatioun desyring the clengeing and dichting of the hie gaitt 1532 M. Works Acc. II. 61 b.
For dychting of the allering on the baksyd of the kingis chalmer eftir the sklateris 1542 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 180.
[The] cleynging and dychting of the samyn [kirk] 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 351.
For dichting of the gutteris and spowtis above the kirk 1560 Treas. Acc. XI. 34.
To thre pyonaris for grathing and dichting of twa voltis to put the said provisioun in 1570 Inverness B. Rec. I. 193.
For dychtting, stanking, and chengeing of the myln leid … of the saidis mylnis 1581 Lanark B. Rec. 82.
To remember on the burne reding and dychting 1597 (1650) Dundee B. Laws 146.
For dichting of the Kirk before the Kinges coming 1606 Conv. Burghs II. 591.
For dichting the tolbuith quhen the convention of burrowis wes heir 1626 M. Works Acc. XIX. 22.
To Mungo the porter for dichting of the bartesseines 1658 Melrose R. Rec. I. 190.
[The judge] ordaines aither partie to soupe efter thair mucking and dichting in the entrie(b) 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 133.
For deichting and beiring away of ane meidding and reid under the coukestule Ib. 135.
For … deychting of all the steppis of the turngrys of the tolbuith 1561–2 Ib. 366.
Deching of the theifis holl … and taking away of the muk thairof Ib. 368.
To Iohne Ross, cultlair, for deichting of Leyth wynd

b. Cleaning by wiping or rubbing. c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 328.
The weray dythting [Tynd. wipinge] of schonne and siclik 1588 Treas. Acc. MS. 109.
For his seruice in keiping, dichting, spoungeing of the grene claythis in the chekker hous

4. Cleaning by sifting or winnowing. 1558 Treas. Acc. X. 428.
For paking … of the said flour in the barrellis and dichting thairof 1605 Glasgow Chart. I. 617.
Quha prophanis the Saboth day … in dichting, resaving, and delyvering of meill, beir, corne and malt 1643 Melrose R. Rec. I. 104.
The said principall soume to be wairet out and bestowit upon the threshing and dighting therofattrib. 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 367.
In the dighting house loft. A large timber codwair