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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quhite, Quhyt(e, n.¹ Also: quhyit, quhit; white, whyt(e, vhyt; quhait, quhayt, qwhayt, whait; Fayte. [ME whyt(e (1297), whaytt (1543). Cf. Quhet(e n., Quhit(t n., also Fayte.Appar. chiefly central and north-eastern.] Wheat. = Quhet(e n. Also fig.

a. The grain.Also attrib.In quhyt dewche, whait floure perh. properly belonging to Quhite adj. (= white). Cf. Quhite-breid n.(1) 1542 Acts & Decr. I 141.
In his barne ane mow of quhite [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 1691 (Bann.).
Hir horne That nevir wes full of quhite nor vthir corne 1587–8 Perth Guildry MS 441 (6 Feb.). 1591 Reg. Privy C. IV 702.
Fourty cumis or bollis quhyte 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Siligo, fine white 1602 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 424. 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 212.
A restraint of exportatioun of victuell with reservatioun allwayes of the exportatioun of quhite 1703 Old Ross-shire I 129.
Whyte(b) 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. MS XVII (Jam.).
That the barrell of quhyt … is war iiij sh. 1556 Ib. (ed.) I 300.
The quhyt that com hame laytly furth of Danskyn 1562 Dysart Gleanings 17.
Price of quhyt thre pund the boll a1578 Pitsc. II 226/34, 35. c1590 J. Stewart 65/7.
I do bot mix the poppill vith guid quhyt [: dyt, delyt, perfyt] 1605 Perth Presb. in Laing MSS I 103.
Meal, bear and whyt 1622 Urie Baron Ct. 45. 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII 121. 1692 Conv. Burghs IV 615. — 1549 Aberd. B. Rec. I 267.
Fyne and plewan breid of quhit 1572 Elgin Rec. I 132.
Baikstaris of breid of quhyt and maill(c) 1609 St. A. Baxter Bks. 75 marg.
Act aganis thame quha byis quhyit and gryndis it to sell in flowre agane 1611 Dunblane Test. III 153. 1621 Melville Chart. 155.(d) 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 74.
Half ane chalder of quhait 1534 Ib. 116. 1600 Dundee Shipping P. 68.
We hawe com to ane werray bad market quhar one we tayn owr quhayt and collis the thirid 1627 Rep. Parishes 92.
It pays rentall bolls to his majestie to witt 12 bolls whait beire and aitts 1653–4 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 370.
20 bolls qwhayt(2) 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 431.
Ferme quhyt 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 434.
The tynd quhyte of Mussilburghe … summa of teynd quhytattrib. 1497 Reg. Cupar A. I 310.
And fyfe schort quhyt cakis 1595 St. A. Baxter Bks. 55.
That na brother of the craft baik … ony eat meill, peis or beir meill bot onlie quhyt and rye meill 1598 Ib. 63.
Quhyt merkat 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 101.
All quhytbread … to be of the paise and weicht underwrittin 1653 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 136.
The tuo shilling whyt loaf … and the twelff d. ait loaff 1695 S. Ronaldshay 65.
3 thripennay whyt loavis — 1584 St. A. Baxter Bks. 37.
And quhat brother giffis to ony service man ony quhyt dewche, mystew dewche, or ony dewche that is veyit or meill for thair service bot silver onlie to pay xl s. 1600-1610 Melvill 186.
I sould haiff fead tham also with the fynnest whait floure

b. A crop, or crops, of wheat. 1597 Elgin Rec. II 59.
It is tryit that John Layngis sone [etc.] … kest stans at James Grantis quhyit 1598 Chron. Perth 7.
The quhyte blastit in anno 1598

c. fig. 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 227/11.
For what is the guid of him, … except the frument or vhyt, of the elect [L. frumentum electorum]