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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Say, Sey(e, n.² Also: saye, seay, seie, se, sye. [ME and e.m.E. say (Gower), saie (Manning), sey (1600); aphetic f. Assay n.]

1. The action of testing the quality or fitness of a person or thing; a test or trial of quality or fitness by use, a try, a try-out. Cf. Assay n. 3, Essay n. 1 a.(a) 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlviii 93.
The best and the gay of it, myself tuk a say of it, A wylie-coit, I will nocht lee a1578 Pitsc. II 108/20.
They … come wastwart fornent Sanctminians and thair persaueit it ane small village, gaif it ane say and landit thair a1585 Maitl. Q. 42/4.
The Lord … sufferit mekill woe and paine With Jewis that wer hard of say(b) 1530 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 39.
All the personis that ar clengit [sc. of infection] … till tak the sey of thar geir … that the ballie … tak thai persons and thar geir furth … and clenge all thar geir agane 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 406.
Goe, tak the first seye of hir yoursell 1600-1610 Melvill 255.
He … contented to teatche ther and tak a sey what God wald work with him a1650 Row 299.
I cannot grant this your humble and earnest supplication in Mr. Andro Melvill's favours, for I have alreadie given him to the Duke of Bulloigne … ; but if that had not been, it might have been that yee should had a sey of him 1654 Laing MSS 295.
We must take a sey of the things alone that we have ouned with companie

b. specif. The trial or test of combat; the combat itself. Only in Hay Alex. Cf. Assay n. 1, 2. 1460 Hay Alex. 1274.
Ȝoung … men wenis it is bot play Quhill thai haue prefit and anis bene at the say Ib. 1499.
Antigone … Gart his futmen ga mak the first assailȝe … Than Nicolas quhilk saw thame at the sey To confort thame brak of his array Ib. 3607.
Wely men that oft was at the say Forsaw that cast and mett thame in the front And wele tua hundreth speris … Straik of the formest doun

c. specif. The testing of the fitness of a tradesman prior to his being accepted into the craft. Cf. 7 below. 1633 Aberd. Trades 204.
That all skynneris … sall come in orderlie be form of say and trying of their gratification as becometh and to pay thair composition … and to mak ane essay as follows

d. A testing or trying situation. 1571 Bann. Trans. 142.
Alwayis they would not wis it to cum to that seay, gif eather your gud circumspectione or thair aduertisement myght preserve it 1637 Johnston Diary I 253.
The Lord God opin my eies by a second sight to seie His favor, aime, and end, with my use of this od seie of transporting motions quherby … He comunicateth Himselth

e. attrib. in fig. context. A testing shot, something intended to test opinion. 1685 Lauder Notices Affairs II 677.
This letter alarumed some peeple, as an say-shot that the king intended … to put papists in the government

2. Trial; trouble; tribulation. 1572 Sat. P. xxxi 78.
For than ȝe knew thay wer ȝour fais, Bot now thay cum in freindis clais, Quhilk is ane sairer sey

3. The testing of metals, in order to ascertain their standard of purity. 1567 Acts III 43/1.
That it [sc. pewter] sall keip this sey … howsone it beis twechit with ane het yrne it salbe cleir and gif it beis cleir tobe haldin sufficient a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxii 23.
Men mettall tryis by sey, and not by slight 1608 Mining Rec. 121.
And ane perfyte saye takin be thame of the samin [sc. ore] and reportit be thame to the saidis Lordis of Secreit Counsell

4. The act of tasting food or drink (for poison) before presenting it to a person of rank. c1475 Wall. viii 1274.
A say scho tuk off all thyng at thai brocht

5. fig. A taste, a foretaste; a sample. c1600 M. Napier Mem. J. Napier 297.
Bot I, having intended to sett downe ane essay, have scarce given you the say of a perfyt letter 1680 Aberd. Council Lett. VI 219.
I wishe any man who thinks more might have bein got done … had got a sey of the worke wee had

6. a. A sample of a precious metal, kept as a record of its fineness. Cf. Assay n. 3 b, Essay n. 1 b. Also, attrib. with balance, box (= the box in which the samples in a above were kept), hous (= the assay house), piece. b. Other material for testing, prob. in the making of gunpowder. c. attrib. Pece (Pece n. 14) of sey copper, prob. = a piece of artillery (made of copper) intended for testing. d. Ane sey pece (Pece n. 18) or tas, ? a cup or goblet of some sort made of precious metal of a particular fineness.a. 1525–6 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 240.
The sayis to be tane of the said gold and silver at every melting and putt in the said box sa that the fynes tharof may be perfitelie knawin 1560–1 Reg. Privy S. V i 190/2.
The said Harbert generale of hir hienes cunye and cunyehous … sall … hald gude and faithfull register … of all gold and silver that sal be cunyeit alswele of the quantitie and wecht as of the fynes and to assist to set the seyis and deneris callit the seyis of the box to be put in the said boxattrib. (1) 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 163.
I went to the assay maisters of the banke of Amsterdame to buy a fornace and ane say ballance with its piller and weights(2) 1532 Treas. Acc. VI 103.
To ane smytht for the of taking of the lok of the say box 1585 Reg. Privy C. IV 26.
The generall and maister of his hienes cunyiehous to transport thameselffis, the prenting irnes, say box, and all officiaris furniture, warklumis and necessaris belanging to the said house … to … Perth 1641 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I xxx.
That the say box belong to him when it is broken vp quhich will not be much, because that it conteins bot ane quartre of everie say piece Ib. xxxi.
That it is 27 or 28 yeirs since the say box was closed(3) 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 59b.
Glas … for the new windok in the chalmer abone the say hous(4) 1641 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I xxx (see (2) above).
Say pieceb. 1584 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 299.
[Inventory of the goods, etc. of … Michaell Gardener master cannoner (gunner and powder-maker) to the king.] Ane kist for keping of poulder with ballands and wechtis seis and rangisc. 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 119.
Munitionis … Thre pece of sey copper … wes brocht hame … for ane seyd. 1535 Treas. Acc. VI 248.
Gevin to eyk ane sey pece of the kingis grace, iij unce Inglis grotis 1541–2 Ib. VIII 51.
For ane kais to ane sey pece, ane kais to ane toysting pan, and for ane kais to four ladillis 1547–8 Ib. IX 166.
To Jhonne Mosman to gylt ane cowp and ane say pece 1550 Ib. 407.
To Jhonne Mosman xiiij unce wecht grottis and testanis to be ane sey pece to my lord governoures grace and to mend certane coupis of his graces 1575 Ib. XIII 63.
For the making and furnissing of ane laver of silver dowbill ouregilt with gold with ane say tas to the kingis majestie 1609 Edinb. Test. XLV 240b.
Ane sey tas of siluer weyand four vnces Ib. XLVI 36b.
The littill siluer peice the silwer goblet and littill sey tas

7. A demonstration of a craftsman's skill; the test piece made by a craftsman and submitted to the craft as proof of his capacity. = Assay n. 3 c, Essay n. 1 b. b. attrib. With schounes, etc.; peice (cf. Pece n. 11); mony.(a) 1623 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 207.
His say to be ane utred pistolat 1631 Kelso Glovers 9.
That no prenteis tak upon hand to set up and work at his awin hand … without he give his say to the saides two men and craft 1669 Aberd. Trades 230.
All those who sall enter frieman of the said [sc. baxters'] traid hereafter sall have for his say, first to peit the oven, and his say to be an ait bakin, and a wheat baikin, with ane pye with six corners [etc.](b) 1560 Perth Hammermen 90.
Quhat tyme the said Waltir desyris to gif in his sey Ib. 91.
[To] produce ane sufficient sey of ane maister stik of wark to be ane sufficient craftisman to serve the queenis grace legis 1620 Glasgow Hammermen 9. 1623 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 190. 1639 Lanark B. Rec. 133.
Except he have servit out his prenteisschip and theireftir give in his sey or tryell of the said craft 1646 Dunferm. Hammermen MS p. 53.
Johne Ker hes giwen in his sey of craft and is accepit be the craft 1654 Rec. Old Aberd. I 328.
No printis nor frimane sall … be … admittit … vntill such tyme that he give in ane sufficent seye of quhat traid so ever they be … and quhen they goe to mak ther sey it is statut and ordainit that ther be tua of the traid he is of and to put him in ane close hous and seightit twa tymes evrie day 1656 Dumbarton B. Rec. 73.(c) 1670 Dundee B. Laws 588.
But [he] also sall asstrick himselfe to any ane pairt of the said wright craft … of which he can give the best sye, and is most propitient inb. (1) 1590 Dundee B. Laws 390.
Vellie Sadller is admitted master to the cordenar craft, and hes gifyn hes sey schounes, buttis, [and] mullis(2) 1650 Glasgow Wrights Acts 10.
[Sey masters] sall not apoynt him [an apprentice] any sey peice quhill they sie timber in readines for such work as they mynd to be his sey(3) 1698 Aberd. Trades 279.
And also it is ordained that the bill money and sey mony be allowed in pairt of payment