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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Laucht, Lacht, v.¹ p.t. and p.p. Also: laught. [ME. laht(e, laȝt, laght, laught etc., OE. (ᵹe)læhte (ONorthumb. -lahte) p.t., (ᵹe)læht p.p., of læcc(e)an Lach v.¹ Cf. also Lauchtv.²]Only in early verse. Common, esp. in the spelling lacht, in Leg. S.

1. Seized, grasped, caught hold of.p.t. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 418.
The tothir [he] on his bak lacht [: stracht] & bar hyme on Ib. 861.
I saw quare wild bestis thaim lacht [: macht] Ib. xxxiii. 514.
The cope to George he betacht; & but blissing he it lacht, & saynit it & drank of Ib. xlv. 190.
[Christ] To sancte Mychel hire betacht That blythly hire in handis lacht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1262.
Lordis laught thair lancisp.p. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 202.
To thre knychtis thane wes he tawcht, That hym to sla son has lacht Ib. xxix. 375.
The mastir … bad the laydy suld be lacht, & haldine with hyme for the fracht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 615.
Athir laught has thair lance Ib. 713.
Schir Lyonell schir Lowes laught has in hand

b. Snatched or drew swiftly out. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 623.
Thai lufly ledis belife lightit on the land, And laught out suerdis Ib. 922.

2. Caught, captured. Also fig. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1182.
Say me ane chois, … Quhethir ye like me lord, laught in the feild, Or ellis my life … lelely forgafig. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3937.
He … in amouris heir-in is laucht With ane wenche that is weill taucht Ib. 7965.

3. Accepted, received.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 71.
Fra he had this madyn lacht In ȝemsel, he gert hyre be tacht In Cristis lacht Ib. xl. 11.
The cud-clath, that he thare laucht, He kepit clene at his macht Ib. xix. 173.(2) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 214.
He has thai knychttis taucht, And thai all thre oure treutht laucht Ib. xxi. 750.
Thane in the treutht sa he hym taucht, At baptysme rycht sone he lacht Ib. xv. 140.(3) a1400 Leg. S. xx. 369.
Fra Jhesu Criste our flesch had laucht

4. Put for took, taken' in idiomatic uses of the verb ‘to take’, esp. the allit. phrase laucht his or thair leve or levis.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 596.
Thu … this far way for hir has lacht Ib. xxxii. 103.
A man that was of il renowne, & Cypriane to name he lacht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 764.
Thoght it [a battle] lestit neuer so lang, Yit laught it ane end(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 110.
Fra he hard hyr sa say He lacht his lef & passit away Ib. xl. 188.
Thai lacht thare lewe c1400 Troy-bk. i. 187.
The messynger … At the Gregeois hys leve has lautht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 454.
Laught c1475 Wall. ix. 1967.
Thar leyfff thai laucht and past but delay [etc.]