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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.

Set, Sett, ppl. adj. Also: sette, sait. [ME and e.m.E. (i)set (c1200), (i)sette, sett (all Cursor M.); Set v.] In senses of the verb.

1. Convened, in session (Set v. 2.). ?1581 (c1670) Gould Hist. Freemasonry I 89.
[A mason to obtain consent of] the set lodge [of] all his masters and fellows [in taking apprentices]

2. Set battell (fedill, feild). a. Pitched battle. (Cf. Set v. 28.) b. Formally arranged single combat. (Set v. 3.)a. 1375 Barb. viii 367.
The king in-to set battaill … Wencusyt him ?1438 Alex. ii 5283.
Gif the king and Clarus fechtis At set battell and certane day … I sall licht in middes the feild c1475 Wall. xi 9.
Off set battaillis fyve he dyscumfyt haill a1500 Sir Eger 2843. 1522 Aberd. B. Rec. I 104.
Gif this oist now sturit ȝeid nocht furhtt to na set fedill c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 325.
He vincust in sett battaill Egfred c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 252.
Howbeit, thair was na set battaill. Bot thair wes daylie skirmishing 1596 Dalr. I 164/9.
Betuene thame and the Scottis was neuir a set battell bot lycht carmushing evir 1596 Dalr. I 193/3.
Nocht lang eftir betuene thame was a sett feild 1602 Colville Paraenese Ep. 50.b. 1494 Loutfut MS 114b.
Sum honorable men … will quhilis desire deid of armes on his fallow on the tothir part to fecht … all set batellis as this batell of plesaunce or this for quha suld be othiris presonar lang nane aithis forthir than thai sal suere before the juge [etc.]

3. a. Of (the time or place of) a meeting, later b. specif. Of liturgy, prayers: Appointed, prescribed. (Set v. 4.)a. 1375 Barb. viii 213.
Quhen the set day cummyn was He sped him fast towart the place c1420 Wynt. v 3361.
That certane set day, That for that caus assygnyd thai c1420 Wynt. viii 5169.
He bad … To cum to Berwyk a set day a1500 Seven S. 421.
To the set day come mony knycht 1492 Misc. Bann. C. II 145.
Thir pertijs met in the feild at a set daye 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 138.
At twa efternoun one the set and peremtor day 1535 Stewart 31536.
Convenit all at … set place and da 1566 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 90.
Prayers to be chanted … at sett times 1649 Dingwall Presb. 144.
That tuo elderes … goe alonges and try quho … resorts to supplicatione wells, especiallie on the sett day 1692 Peebles B. Rec. II 139.
The saids herds … shall keep ane sett day for shedding, spaning, and clipping 1696 Peebles B. Rec. II 154.
The faires belonging to this burgh being upon sett dayes of ilk monethb. 1628 Pastor and Prelate 14.
The prelate would tye the pastor to … certaine words, and a set forme of leitourgie 1650 Dalkeith Presb. in Butler Leighton 234.
He was scarcely satisfied that sett prayers were lawfull 1710 Dunkeld Presb. II 335.
A sett form of worship

4. Let, leased; also ? pawned. (Set v. 7.) 1511 Argyle Inventory in Orig. Par. II i 165.
[The lands of Ewin Allansoun … declared to be worth 250 marks] according to the custom of sett lands 1587 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 17 July.
Reserwand to the said Johne … the said haill take & rowme to the nixt terme … except the sett hous quhilk the said Johne inhabeittis … quhilk he denudis hym of at the day & dait heirof to be intromettit 1632 Cullen B. Ct. MS 13 April.
The gryt hurt the commone weill hes resauit be non payment for the girs of the set bankis, and commintie 1632 Cullen B. Ct. MS 13 April.
Fra the mekle vynd end to the deip slak as set girss 1632 Cullen B. Ct. MS 13 April.
The set bankis and brais set or to be set in tyme cuming 1679 Cullen B. Rec. 3 Nov.
For casting up of the townes comontie & cutting of there sett grass — 1715 Bk. Carlaverock I 438.
We'll sell a' our corn … We'll sell a' our bear And we'll send to our ain lord A' our sett gear

5. Planted. (Set v. 11.) 1546 Lochwinnoch Par. 15.
Young growand set treis, and hagis

6. Put, placed (in a position); also, of a meal. (Set v. 12.)(1) 1556–7 Dundee B. Ct. III fol. 97b (21 Jan.).
Ane acion … anent ane sette stane bink and ane stand befoir his bink [? error for buth] 1600-1610 Melvill 617.
Gwy Faux reddilie attending with a sett traine and prepairit lount and match(2) 1664 Pitcairn Spiritual Sacrifice 415.
Prayer is the best harbenger for prayer; and a little gust of the heavenly manna will dispose for a set meal

7. Of law: Enacted, laid down. = Positive adj. 1. c1500 Barounis Lawis fol. 14.
Sum mouable eschaetis is of sett law and richt

8. Fixed. (Set v. 33.) 1423 (1429–30) Reg. Great S. 31/1.
To fysche … bath with sett nettis and with draucht nettis 1624 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 123.
Aucht bucht of set lynes

9. Fixed, set up as a (trestle-)table. (Set v. 32.) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 456.
For xv^c seym and ruf for the set burdis of the greit schip 1529 Reg. Great S. 178.
A set burd with formis and trestis 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XIII 119.
The paraling of ane hall … ane wassell benk set burd and trestis

10. Of an instrument: Prepared, ready for use. (Set v. 35.) 1562-3 Winȝet I 4/2.
Thair course fet by the first sett compasse 1575 Edinb. Test. IV 2.
Tua dosane of set bairnis bowis 1635 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 47.
Ane paire sett bellowes for the goldhous

11. Of decorative, patterned work or tartan: ? Patterned in a regular fashion, on the basis of squares. (Set v. 38.) 1503 Treas. Acc. II 214.
Ane gret liar of set werk of worsait 1562 Will A. Betoun 224.
xi cowsings of sett work 1704 Grant Regality Court Book in Sc. Ant. XV 31.
Tartan … short hose of red and grein set dyce

12. a. Of rent: Laid down, fixed. Also fig. (Set v. 40.) b. Of a period of time: Fixed as to duration; allotted.a. a1595 Descr. Isles 435 (see Set v. 40).fig. 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 151.
I think the very annuity and casualties of the cross … better than the world's set-rentb. a1658 Durham Commandments (1676) 128.
1. … God should have a solemn and chief set-time. 2. That he himself … should determine that time … dividing time, into six parts of it to us, and a seventh part to God 1674 Cramond Kirk S. II 15 March.
This day James Aikin … was received from the pillar haveing stood his sett tyme 1687 Cramond Kirk S. II 17 July.
To … give bond … that within a sett time he shall procure a declaration [etc.]

13. Of a sum of money: Agreed, determined. (Set v. 41 a.) 1494 Loutfut MS 114b.
A set sowme of money 1504 Treas. Acc. II 259.

14. Considered, deliberate, intentional. Chiefly be, of, on (upon) set purpos (Purpos n. 6 (2), q.v. for further examples). (Set v. 45-47.)(1) 1456 Hay I 84/13.
To byde in felde fermly of sett purpos is mare … vertuous thing 1533 Bell. Livy I 299/14.
To inquire gif thai desist … be sett purpois 1562 Peebles B. Rec. I 281.
[They] apone set purpose hamesukking and foirthocht fellony 1563 Inverness Rec. I 110.
Cruwellie sett vpon the said James … to haif slayne him vpon sett purpos 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 191.
Under seilence of nycht, upon sett purposes, provisioun, and forthought felonye a1578 Pitsc. I 25/7.
He maintenit a gret companye of thewis and murthiraris and wald bring thame … of sett purpois in the kingis sicht to lat him vnderstand his michtie power a1578 Pitsc. I 41/2.
The chancelar on sett purpois raid fourtht to meit him and to remowe all suspitioun [etc.] 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Melletom.
Ane faulte … committed be ane hoate suddaintie, and nocht of set purpose 1600 Logie Par. Hist. II 22 n.
Sait 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 79 (20 June).
On sett purpos to cast the said ground waist 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i ix § 9 (1678) 77.
He who burns a house … by misgovernance and not of set purpose(2) c1400 Troy-bk. i 358.
Jasone … Tald to the kyng rytht opinly With sett wordes … The cause quharfor that he come thar

15. Of a person: Having a specified disposition, character or inclination. (Set v. 45-47.) See also *Ill-set ppl. adj., Wele-set ppl. adj.predic. 1456 Hay II 24/27.
He is evill sett and will redily trow evill talis 1460 Hay Alex. 7307.
Thai war richt crewell men and richt hie sett a1500 Prestis of Peblis 581.
Than quod the king … Sir fuill, ȝe ar lordly set aneuch c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 38/18.
Be nocht abasit for no wicket tung, Be nocht sa set as I haif said ȝow heir 1513 Doug. ii ix 58.
Achil was not to Priam sa hard set For he … The ded body of Hector rendrit me a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 62.
He himself was neither violently set, nor much solicitous … how matters went in the Church c1650 Spalding I 148.
The commissioneris told how the marques and brughe of Abirdene wes peciablie set, obedient to the king [etc.]attrib. 1456 Hay I 84/16.
A calde sett mynde confermyt in hardynes with deliberacioun c1650 Spalding I 194.
Sum peciable set men on both sydis satlit the materb. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 286 (Asl.).
Thus of childhed the tyme is sa mispent That set men wald thair losit lyf refound Ewill vsage makis sa gret impediment It will nocht be bot gif grace mar habound

16. Set in (Set v. 71 a), set on (Set v. 73 a), attached or constructed in a particular fashion.(1) 1533–4 Treas. Acc. VI 185.
To be ane set in nek to ane veluet slop … half ane quarter velvet(2) 1460 Hay Alex. 507.
His body was … Clovin in the gu[m]p with ane weill sett on taill c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1384.
This Ark … was … Couerit with brudis weill abufe Moste lyke ane housse, with sett on rufe 1568 Edinb. Test. I 119.
Ane blak cloik with ane set on neck 1680 Echt-Forbes Chart. 147.
The said house … above the loft shall have a set-on rooffe