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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Suth(e, Suith(e, South, n. Also: sutht, swth, suyth(e, swithe, swyth, sowth, seuth, soith, soyth, sooth, soth. [ME and e.m.E. soþ (Orm), soth (Cursor M.), sothe (Chaucer), soothe (c1400), south (1542), OE sóð.]

I. Without article.

1. That which is true or indisputable; truth, veracity. c1400 Troy-bk. i 589.
And thus of Medea fynd I Recordit in all poetrye. Bot quhethir it be suth or lese [etc.] c1420 Ratis R. 1500.
Thow sal fynd suth in Sanct Dawy Said in his buk in prophesy [etc.] 14.. Acts I 357/2.
Thai sall swer the gret athe that thai sall thar of suth say and na suth layne at thar connyng a1500 Seven S. 1310.
‘Schir’ said the clerk ‘suth will be sene As it will sone be efter this’ 1519 Rec. Earld. Orkney 93.
Thairfor we the said lawman with the advyise of the judge and xxiiij persoune, and be the suyth of the law buik, findis [etc.] 1528 Lynd. Dreme 801.
I sall declare the suith and verrayment As I best can 1535 Stewart 20943.
Gif that he traistit nocht To that tha said wes suith and verriement c1575 Balfour Pract. 373.
He quha is producit and ressavit as witnes sould sweir that he sall not false say, nor suith conceil wittinglie in that cause 1587-99 Hume 75/248.
Courts, … I may descriue, As learned men hes them depaint before, Or neare the suith 1657 Balfour Ann. IV 402.
I … shall be faithfull and trew, and seuth and treuth beare unto you, our souerane Lord

b. To say (once, speak) suth. Also with indirect object and, freq., in parenthetic phrases.(1) 1375 Barb. xii 485.
Ȝe say suth now, Thai ask mercy bot nane at ȝow a1400 Leg. S. i 360.
I sal ryse the thrid day To ger thé wit I suth say a1400 Leg. S. xxv 562.
Scho had nothir twng na tutht To say hyme that he sad nocht sutht 14.. Acts I 70/2.
Gif the man that plenȝheis sayis suth … the disseysour sal be in the kyngis amercyment 1456 Hay I 214/8.
I ansuere him that I traist wele now he sais suthe sen [etc.] a1500 Rauf C. 89.
In gude fay, Schir, it is suith that ȝe say a1500 Henr. Fab. 1077 (Bann.).
Lat ws se Giff this be suyth the sely ȝow has said 1535 Stewart 15562.
He said full suith and neuir ane word did rave 1564 St. A. Kirk S. 217.
Quhidder thai sayd suth or les sche knawis nocht a1570-86 Balnaves in Maitl. F. 356/29.
For in that play gif I suythe say Gud will is not allowit 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Bona Patria.
[marg. The aith of the assisors] We sall leill suith say, and na suith conceale, for na-thing be may 1600 Calderwood VI 48.
Incace yee will not hold your peace from speeking lees of me, I will make you hold your peace by speeking sooth of you c1610 Melville Mem. 269.
They say na suith, I maruell what they mean(2) c1475 Wall. vi 451.
Do, tary nocht, it is suth I thé say a1570-86 Maitl. F. 194/16.
And ȝe byd langer I say ȝow suyth I will nocht byd ȝow(3) 1375 Barb. xiii 332.
Thai war, to say suth, all agast c1400 Troy-bk. ii 217.
And now allone but ony feres It is not kepte, sooth [D. soth] to seye c1420 Wynt. viii 2333.
Thai trewys grawntyd, swth to say, Fra Alhalowmes till Wytsonday c1420 Ratis R. 1278.
& bewte, gyf I suth sal say, Is fyrst in place and fyrst away c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 198.
The salt was all the sarar suth to sayn 1549 Lamb Resonyng 73/20.
And suyth ȝe say, it is a princelie thing, a man to conques a realme and mak his inime a kyng thairof 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 22. a1568 Scott xxiii 34.
Sen scho hes nowthir rewth, Nor mercy suth to sane — a1603 Anc. Prophecies 34.
The suth thé to say

c. In, of south, truly; to be sure.See also Forsuth(e adv. phr. 1558-66 Knox I 164.
Of suth, my Lordis, I have redd in the Evangell, that [etc.] c1690 N. Burn Leader-haughs 15 in Roxb. Ball. VI 607.
One house there stands on Leader side. … Men passing by do often say in south it has no marrow

2. To gif suth (til), to give credence (to something). a1400 Leg. S. xliii 206.
& thu ma heke thaim [sc. idols] as thu wil. Quhy suld thu than gif suth thaim til?

II. With article.

3. The suth, the truth; the real facts or circumstances. a1400 Leg. S. xviii 502.
Tel furth thi tayle … & al the suth thu lat me here a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii 225.
To grant the suth thu sais I nyte c1450-2 Howlat 356 (A).
All of sable the self, quha the suth leris c1460 Regim. Princ. 144 (Marchm.).
The sampil suth befor thi self thou seis 1460 Hay Alex. 1103.
‘Certis’ said he, ‘the suth I bid nocht lane: I am King Omeris’ a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 517.
The sicker suth sall ye se Quhat kin men that thai be a1500 Seven S. 1867.
Bot ȝe sall knaw The suth … within thre dayis ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 116.
The suth in proverb spokin is [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 448.
According to my sable weid I mone haif sad maneris Or thai will se all the suth c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1234.
Or tell with toung I am nocht abyll, The suthe bene so abhominabyll 1567 G. Ball. 190.
Quha the suith dois infer, preistis say thay erre a1568 Bann. MS 257a/18.
Sowth a1570-86 J. Maitland in Maitl. F. 285/6.
The suythe sall schaw it selffe out to thair schame 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xl 349.
To syle the suith, and sunȝe, I will plane ȝow 1622-6 Bisset I 87/6.
Quhilkis criminall actionis suld be decyded … be inquisitioun of ane assyse or inqueist, called a juri of certane loyall … men, quha best knawes the suith and veritie

b. As object of the verbs declare, ler, say (furth), schaw, tell. Also with qualifying adjective, with indirect object, and in parenthetic constructions.(1) 1375 Barb. x 293.
For gif that I the suth sall say, He wes fullfillit of all bwnte ?1438 Alex. ii 9023.
This warsling was sa fers and fell That nane the suith with toung micht tell c1420 Wynt. iv 1959.
Soyth a1500 Rauf C. 733.
The Coilȝear quoke … Quhen he hard the suith say how he the king schord c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 157.
I sall say furth the south, dissymyland no word 1540 Lynd. Sat. 266.
Pray my Ladie Priores The suith till declair 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 7a.
Swithe(2) a1400 Leg. S. xix 136.
Or thu gange away Alhale the suth I sal thé say a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 587.
He sad hyme the suth hale a1500 Rauf C. 52. c1475 Wall. iv 32.
Quha aw this sowme? the suth thou to me ler a1500 Colk. Sow i 187.
And for to say the verry suth, … The littill pig gat away 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1963.
Quhair wald thow be, karle? The swyth to me schaw a1568 Bann. MS 256a/20.
The suth I sall say hir 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 141.
That ilk ane of thame shall the right suithe say(3) 1375 Barb. xix 800.
And thar-with weill relevit thai Thar frendis; for, the suth to say, Quhill [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1304.
Thrught which, who so the sooth will say, The lordschipe … obtened we c1420 Wynt. v 1500 (W).
It is said in commone sawis That mastry [etc.] … And sa fell heire, the suth to say 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 662.
Me thocht the feild ouirspred with carpettis fair … Wox maist plesand, bot all, the suith to say c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 217.
Than think I on a semelyar (the suth for to tell) c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 277a/7.
My pen I will apply To say the suth thocht eloquens I mis 1572 Sempill in Sat. P. xxx 112.
His father first, gif I the suith suld schaw, Deit in exyle

c. Const. of. a1400 Leg. S. xiv 49.
Scho the suth wyste of althinge Best, of his werk & of his layre a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 238.
Til thu the suth tel on-to me Of it that I haf askit thé c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 137.
The warld … is so double and inconstant, Off quhich the suth is kid be mony assayes 14.. Quon. Attach. c. 59.
Thai sal suer the greit ath that thai sal say the soith tharof & hel nocht the lawte at thar knawlegis a1500 Henr. Fab. 2298.
Thow man declair this cace, Quhairof we sall schaw the suith a1500 Henr. Age & Yowth 69.
Off the cedullis the suth quhen I had sene a1500 Lanc. 1213.
Ther the suth may we Knaw of this thing a1500 Seven S. 2612.
Ane merwell movis me euermare Quha will the suth of it declare My douchter I sall gif him 1535 Stewart 16085.
Quhilk schew to him the suith of all that thing c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 358.
Schaw me the suith of this now gif ȝe can