Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nede, Neid, adv. Also: ned, neyd. (ME. nede, e.m.E. need(e, OE. niede, néode, etc., orig. instrumental case of nied, néod, Nede n. ]

1. Of necessity, inescapably.Only with modal verbs: = Nedis adv. 1. 1375 Barb. x. 39 (E).
And that he neid that gait suld ga Ib. xi. 285.
For thar behowys thaim nede away Bot giff that thai will be newth us ga Ib. 361.
A plane feld … Quhar he thoucht ned [v.r. neid] behowyd away Ib. xiv. 108.
Ned [v.r. neyd] Ib. xix. 174 (C).
And sum of thame neid mon thame call With plewch … for to get … thair met a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 265.
Quhat seid man sawis sic corne thai mon neid scheire c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxx. 12.
Cleith thé thairin [sc. the habit] for weir it thow most neid 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 57.
Now I most neid thank you

2. ? By compulsion, compelled, forced: cf. Nede n. 1. 1530 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 106, 7.
That the saidis Jenot suld of hir gud fre wyll nocht nede be na strentht nor yit be na clame nor rycht … wyll geif frely Villiem hir sone halff ane daiker of barkyt ledder … Item the saidis Jenot nocht nede bot hir fre spontaneus wyll oblis hir fathfully that [etc.]