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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pak, v. Also: pake, pack(e, pact, palk. P.p. pakkit, packet, etc., paccit; also packald and pak. [ME. pakke(n (14th c.), e.m.E. pack(e, Anglo-L. pakkare (1341), (impaccare (1280)), Anglo-F. pakker (1423), (enpaker (1294)), MDu., MLG. pakken, packen (Du. pakken).]

1. tr. To pack (goods, merchandise) in a package, bale or container, for transportation or for storage. Also, to pak up, id.Also const. in (into) the packing or the container, or togidder, and absol.(1) 1494 Halyb. 19.
Pakit in Medylburgh … 7006 stekis les of lynt 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 35.
For iij pipes to pak viij beddis [etc.] … to pas to Strivelin 1506 Ib. III. 348. 1522–3 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 211.
Pakkit 1534 Ib. II. 68.
The said woll wes pakit vtouth this burgh 1542 Elgin Rec. I. 72.
Pakit 1553 Reg. Privy S. IV. 364/1.
That … oure liegis pakkis and barrellis flesche, talloun, floure, quhete and utheris merchandice 1560 Treas. Acc. XI. 29.
Barrellis to pak the saidis … butter 1578 Acts III. 104/1.
Paccit 1588–9 Burntisland B. Ct. 18 Jan.
Henry Allane to … pay … the said halff barrell off heringe sufficient stuff fell weill paccit, Flemis bind 1595 St. A. Kirk S. 808.
That nane … pak nor dry skynnis in the kirk yaird 1598 Conv. Burghs II. 31.
Packit 1611 Ib. 326.
That thair sall be na dowit hering bocht to be saltit and pakkett 1655 Hibbert P. No. 17.
To pak ȝour butter it will be nothing worthe but spoill(2) 1478 Acta Aud. 83/1.
Foure syd wemenis govnis … pakkit in tua pakkis 1494 Halyb. 19 et passim.
Pakyt in a lytyll pak … 3 stekis off … clath 1501–2 Treas. Acc. II. 142.
For iij elne cammas to pak x bowis of the Kingis in to pas to Strivelin 1504 Halyb. 272.
Bocht in Handwarp and pak in a pyp and laid in Vyllȝem Void schip, a blew mantyll 1540 Treas. Acc. VII. 393.
For ane dryware pype to pak the sadillis into 1581 Edinb. Test. IX. 331 b.
Fyve scoir gait skynnis all paccit togidder in ane pak 1608 Conv. Burghs II. 257.
That all salmond [etc.] … salbe packald in barrellis and nocht in hogheidis Ib.
Packit … packett 1634 Galloway P. 15 Dec.
Bukrome to pak the goun in(3) absol. 1496 Halyb. 114.
For a roll off canvas to pak in Ib.
For 2 kystis to pak in(4) 1601 Crim. Trials II. 360.
And thairefter thay pakkit vp his haill insycht guidis … in scheittis and causit the saidis thre wemen convay the samyn … vpoune thair bakis 1616 Dunbar Social Life II. 77.
Ane ell of bukrime to palk upe your ladieship's doublet and skirt

Also b., once, with reference to the bran with which the goods were surrounded in the container: see also Pakking vbl. n. 1 b. — 1558 Treas. Acc. X. 428.
Ane boll of brane to pak the said candill in

2. To pak (and, or) pele, to pack and unpack (bulk merchandise).The regular formula for this essential part of the business of a wholesale merchant; by law this was permitted to be carried out only in free burghs, and by burghal regulations (see also d below) only by freemen of burgh.Also standing for: b. to traffic in (the specified merchandise), c. to carry on the business of a wholesale merchant.transf. 1506 Edinb. Chart. 189.
That nane … tak vpon hand to pak or peill in Leith or in the Cannogait ony … guidis to be had of our realme or to schip the samyn packet thair or in ony vther placis vnto the tyme that [etc.] 1518 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 128. 1541 Peebles B. Rec. I. 60.
That nane of thaim tak vpoun hand to mak ony privat mercate, foirstall, pak or peill ony gudis vtouth oure said burgh 1546 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 646.
Inhabitatoribus … potestatem … in eodem burgo … pisces lie pak et peill et omnes alias merces emendi et vendendi 1549 Banff Ann. I. 26. 1552 Reg. Privy C. I. 127.
That the flesche is barhellit, pakkit and pelit and commonlie sauld and had furth of the realme in greit to utheris cuntreis 1566 Reg. Privy S. V. ii. 203/2.
Sercheouris of all … forbidden and prohibit guidis … quhairevir the samyn may be apprehendit, pakkit, peilit, barrellit and schippit [etc.] 1580 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) July.
That na maner of persoun … of this burgh that sall happin to pak or peill hering at the hevin and toune of Dunbar tak upon thaim to craiff … licence of the said toune … bott use the samyn according to our awin privelege, without ther leve 1611 Conv. Burghs II. 316.
[Licence granted to the inhabitants of Musselburgh] to resort to the tak of … fische in all the pairtis of the realme and thair to pak and peill the samyn pacceblie, untrublit … be the saids burrowes 1612 Reg. Privy C. IX. 427.
Ane act … that na hering salbe maid saltit packit or peillit … before the first day of October 1641 Acts V. (1817) 627/1.
To lose, loaden, disburdein, pak and peill all guides callit stapill guidesabsol. 1496 Forres Chart. MS.
Cum le pak et pele 1503 Acts II. 245/2.
That na persone … tap nor sell … stapill gudis and that na man pak nor pele in Leitht nor uther placis vtouth the Kingis burrowis under the pane of eschaeting of the gudis … that be tappit sald pakkit or pelit agane this statute 1510 Crim. Trials I. i. 67. 1511 Reg. Great S. 768/2.
Cum trono et libertate carcandi viz. le pak and peill infra dictum burgum 1536 Kirkwall Chart. 3.
Adeo libere li toppis pakis peilis blackes emunt 1582 Conv. Burghs I. 131. 1594 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 240.
Burgensibus … admissis ad lie pak peill et infra dictum burgum emendi et vendendi … mercantias et stapule bona vulgo lie stapill guddis 1594–5 Elgin Rec. I. 249.
Cum potestate suffarcinandi et decortandi lie to pak et peill, emendi et vendendi etc. 1595 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 317. 1598 Acts IV. 162/1. 1607 Conv. Burghs II. 244.
Anent the complaint … aganis … Dumbar for suffering of vnfremen to pak and peall within thair boundis 1623 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 195. 1632 Reg. Great S. 657/1. 1676 Glasgow Chart. II. 190.
And that non should pake nor peill in Leith [etc.] 1680 Fountainhall Decis. I. 81.
Alledged, by the 84th act, Parl. 1503, and 24th act, Parl. 1633, the merchants must only pack and peil at free burghs; now, loading and unloading is the same thing with packing peiling (this was denied by the Duke's advocates, who called ‘packing’ the stowing of goods in packs, and ‘peiling’ they did not agree what it meant; some thought it was the furring of goods like a pile of wood)

d. Const. with (unfreeman), = to associate with or admit to partnership, in the business of bulk buying and selling. c 1569 Edinb. Hammermen I. 2.
I … sall fortifie na vnfreman pak nor peill with thame 1575 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 41.
That na merchantis nor fleschouris … by tallowne hydis or skynnis witht strangeris money … vnder colour and nowther pak nor peill with thame or vnfremen 1671 Aberd. Trades 311. 1693 Glasgow B. Rec. IV. 85.
The magistrats … have inhibited … all burgesses of royal burghes to pack or peill or be partiners with unfreeman

3. To pack (a container) (with its contents). 1505 Treas. Acc. III. 142.
To the coupar that pakkit and hedit the powdir barrellis iiij d. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5070.
Pakkit richt weill four punsiounis to the heid Ȝe mon furneis of cuinȝeit gold 1593 Bk. Arran II. 98.
And thair sall pact the said twentie four treis with herring 1609 Conv. Burghs II. 284.

b. To ram or stuff in (caulking). 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 63 b.
For matis to pak our cofing

4. transf. To stuff (oneself, or one's stomach) with food. 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. Prol. 124.
Swa live thir lyars … Packand thair penche lyk Epicurians Ib. 763.
He weyit the mater litle … Sa he were packed weill at none Ib. 141. a1700 Mare of Colinton 40.
Oft haue I … born your self … hame With many a toom and hungry wame Whan thou hast been well packit

5. refl. To take oneself off, clear off, be off; to hurry away or along. Also intr.Cf. e.m.Du. sich (weg) packen (Du. zich wegpakken), MLG. sich packen, id.Freq. as a form of summary dismissal, in passages of direct speech. ? Orig. = ‘to pack up one's belongings and go’.refl. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 442 (M).
For falt of pissence pelour thow man pack [thé] 1522–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 67.
Jhone Smyth pak ȝow in ȝour hous 1540 Lynd. Sat. 963 (Ch.).
Swyith! pak thé sone, vnhappie vnsell Ib. 975 (B).
Swyth, hursone karle, ga pak thé hence 1558-66 Knox I. 82.
Pack you, jefwellis: gett yow to your chargeis [etc.] 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX. 165.
[And] bad him pak him, fals knave c1630 Scott Narr. 302.
Sweeth away! pack thé, swinger 1691 Master Clark Defended 2.
Our Scots lies-monger pack them to England to vend their sophisticat waresintr. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 971.
The seuin seages … Quhilk … bad me pack with all expedience Ib. iv. 678.
Swyith pak quod scho … Out of this hall 1595 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 137.
And to pak to the mercat croce and dilyuer to the said David Galbraith the bastoun quhairwith he strak him

6. Appar. fig. uses of sense 1 (4): To pak up.

a. tr. To bring (a dispute) to an amicable agreement; to reach an amicable settlement about (a matter of dispute). b. To bring about, arrange (an amicable agreement) between certain persons. c. intr. Of a matter of dispute: To be brought to an amicable settlement, to be settled.a. 1592 Reg. Privy C. V. 5.
Or that materis wer pakkit up betuix thame sen the raid of Falkland 1598–9 Ib. 536. 1602 Ib. VI. 467.
[All other actions and quarrels between the said parties, to be amicably settled and] packit up [by his Highness as he shall think expedient] 1602 Stirlings of Keir 480.
Pakit vpb. c1610 Melville Mem. 91.
Sa thir four packit vp a strait and sisterly frendschip betwen the twa quenisc. 1615 Highland P. III. 176.
But McKintoshe not being willing the mater suld pack wp freindlie, fand means to break … the meittings … befoir thay suld haife mett 1621 Crim. Trials III. 501.
And becaus, be the mediatioun of freindis, the saidis actiones ar liklie to pak up and agrie

d. To ‘put away’, ‘set aside’, disregard (an offence or fault). a1658 Durham Clavis Cantici 268.
Who in his gracious way of dealing with his people comes over many obstinctions and packs up (to say so) many affronts and injuries c 1690 Dunlop P. III. 65.
And then hee was not pleased yet hee sead hee had receaved soe many favers that hee wold pake it upe