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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Walk, v.² Also: walke, walkin, -yn, valk, wak(e. Pres. p. walkand, -ing, -ine, -yn, -en, valking, wakkand. P.t. also woik, woyk, wolk, wouk. [ME and e.m.E. walke(n (a1200), welke(n (c1250), welk, walk (both Cursor M.), OE wealcan, wealcian.]

1. intr.To walk as a means of locomotion or travel; to travel, journey on foot.There is considerable overlap between senses 1, 2 and 3.Doug. ii vi 69 may belong in Walk v.¹pres. c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 177.
Vnto the wyndow gan I walk a1500 Henr. (OUP) Fab. 183.
Scho passit owt off town To seik hir sister … Throw mony wilsum wayis can scho walk a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 588.
My spreit I leif to Diane … To walk with hir in waist woddis and wellis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 176/9.
Walk furth, pilgrame, quhill thow hes dayis licht … draw to thy dwelling place 1513 Doug. i viii 7 (Sm.).
Dido … To temple cummis with ane fair menȝie Of lustie ȝonkeris walking hir about 1513 Doug. ii vi 69.
Sum cumpanyis with speris … Walkis wachand in rewis 1513 Doug. v x 29.
Thai war in nowmyr cumpaneys thre On horssis rydand; and for ilk menȝe A capitane walkis rewland al hys rowt 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2290.
Gif thay culd ony meit Gangand allone, or walkand on the streit 1602 Colville Paraenese 42.
Evin as if vee ver valking amidds a gret court of ducs 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 92b.
It is not lesome to any man to passe forth of his house, or to walke, or travell in tyme of nicht 1665 Glasgow B. Rec. III 52.
To walk throw the kirk … with ane whyt staff … for the crubbing of bairnes … that makis disturbance in the kirk(b) 1513 Doug. vi viii 24.
Onto Eneas … The sawlys flokkis … Furth with him forto walkin and repar 1513 Doug. vi x 14.
Thus said scho, and … tharwith baith tway Gan walkyn furthp.t. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2481.
Pirrus … Walked on fut wp frome the port a1500 Henr. (OUP) Fab. 1824.
I tuke my staff … And walkit hame a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 38.
As thay walkit … ane ciete thai se a1540 Freiris Berw. 68.
Freyr Robert said ‘Dame fill ane stoip of aill That we may drink … With that the gudwyf walkyt furth in hy Sche fild ane stoip [etc.] c1590 Fowler I 122/116.
Than after that I had espyed … I saw a sort and kynde of folk in silence walkt agane 1600-1610 Melvill 75.
Verie frugall in fude … and walked maist on fut(b) 1535 Stewart 57720.
This Inglisman fast hamewart than he woik, To mak reddie for the jornay he tuke 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 45.
I wolk [M. wouk] out throw the plane To see mae farleis

b. Const. by: To pass. ?a1450 Florimond 410.
He sa stout is … That na … vycht beast Dair walk him by in ȝone forrest

c. Of a leg: To be capable of walking. 1627 Forbes Eubulus viii 152.
Which legge, all-bee-it in an hudge degree festered, yet walketh

d. tr.With related object. c1475 Wall. vi 15.
As thai war wount to gang, Walkyn thair cours

2. To walk as a means of passing time, recreation or distraction; to wander, stroll, pace.(a) a1500 Henr. Orph. 93.
Erudices … walkit furth in till a Maii mornyng a1500 Henr. Orph. 131.
Wryngand his handis, walkand to and fro a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 100.
The grene woid rycht neir ws by To walk attour a1500 Lanc. 20.
Walkine furth, bewalinge in my mynde a1500 Colk. Sow ii 9.
Walking in his disport By a rever c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 84.
Thair saw I May … Within the gardyng walkand up and doune c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 11/127.
Pennance did walk the hous within, Byding our salvitour Chryst Jesu c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 73/17.
Solitar walkand ȝour allone 15.. Clar. iii 2254.
But companie thus walking dissolat 1598 Melvill Propine 142.
As I me walked in a morning faire(b) 1657 Misc. Hist. Soc. VII 39.
Setterday: Mester Robert Scott and I waked throw the feelds

b. To strut vp and doun. a1500 Henr. (OUP) Fab. 477.
The cok, inflate with … fals vane gloir … walkit vp and doun

3. To journey, travel; wander. a1500 Rauf C. 73.
Or ony vther gude fallow that I heir fand Walkand will of his way a1500 Rauf C. 161.
Thow hes walkit, I wis in mony wyld land c1475 Wall. xi 661.
Till a chyftane thai held it fantasy To walk allayn 1513 Doug. vi ix 119.
By horssis four furth rollit was his char … Amyd the cite of Elys … Prowd and haltand in hys hart walkyt [L. ibat] he 1535 Stewart 30100.
He grew into sic eild, As he wes wont he micht nocht walk on feild; Sic travell than he micht nocht weill induir To foure lordis thairfoir he gaif the cuir [etc.] c1590 J. Stewart 51/124.
Scho valks vandrand void of vordie gyd Quhair vayis vas vilsum … As naturall nymphe

4. To go about, live, exist, be in existence. c1420 Wynt. i 304.
In tyll this tyme … Was geawndys walkand [W. wakkand] c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 115.
Thay … That in my lawis bene so negligent … and list tham noght repent, Bot breken louse, and walken at thaire large 1456 Hay I 244/26.
How men suld nocht lichtly traist in na sauf conditis, and namely in the warld that walkis now a1500 Henr. (OUP) Fab. 1112.
Men of contemplatioun … walkand in this wildernes c1475 Wall. iv 329.
He sawe full feill bestis abide, Off wylde and tayme walkand haboundandlye a1570-86 Maitl. F. 364/136.
In to this wod ay walk I sall Ledand my lyfe as wofull weycht Heir I forsaik bayth bour and hall a1585 Maitland in Maitl. Q. 51/27.
I wait not how this realme sall stand And lymmaris wak so wyde

b. To live or behave according to a particular fashion. Chiefly const. in, by the manner of living prescribed or with adverbial, participial or adjectival complement. a1500 Seven S. 72.
I counsall ȝow He be nocht techit in this cite For dreid he walk in wanyte 1535 Stewart 8387.
The Romanis … put thair cuir … In Venus werkis as to walk and wow 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 7.
That we … may endivour us … to walk fordwart in the waiis of the Lord 1567 G. Ball. 5.
We … suld walk in a new lyfe 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 80/5.
The treu vay quhairin all thair forbearis valkit c1590 J. Stewart 217 § 70.
Ȝour sensles sensis … dois inclyn To valk in velth … Vith euerie protigaletie repleit 1587-99 Hume 83/126.
After well doing … walke … modestlie 1603 E. Melville Godlie Dreame 157.
I feir no paine, sence I sould walk with thee 1604 James VI Tobacco 88/24.
Why doe we not as well imitate them [sc. the Indians] in walking naked as they doe 1654 Cullen Kirk S. 5 Nov.
That Alexander Shireff and Margaret Young have walked scandelouslie … they being in ane house alone 1667 Edinb. B. Rec. X 28.
And caus the partie enterer pay what in equity … hee shall sie expedient according as formerly he hes walked by the councels order 1670 Murray Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. 426.
To have a speciall care of this book, and to own it as ther rull to walk by 1671 Inverness Presb. 9.
The elders report of him was declared to him and he desyred to walk answerable to their large declaration of him 1693 Cramond Kirk S. III 28 Dec.
This paroch haveing in the several steps thereof walked according to order

c. tr.To follow (a way of life). a1568 Pedder C. 64.
Proceding still in averice And leivis his sawle na gude commend Bot walkis ane wilsome wey I wis

5. With non-material subject: To travel, spread. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 419.
Now is namyt neir of all nobilnes, Sa wyde quhare wourscip walkis be west c1475 Wall. iii 252.
The worde of him walkit baith fer and ner c1475 Wall. ix 29.
He leit no word than walk off his passage, Or Inglismen had stoppit him his wiage 1513 Doug. ii i 9.
The voce this wys throu owt the cite woyk [: tuke; L. fama vagatur] 1513 Doug. vii iv 68.
Quhou gret tempest of batale … Our Troiane feildis wyd has walkyt [L. ierit] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5449.
His gredynes sa weill was kend, It walkit to the warldis end 1567 G. Ball. 101.
Thair violence and wrang walkis full wyde

6. Of a thing: To pass, proceed. a1540 Freiris Berw. 430 (M).
[For ay] the wyne was wal[kand] [B. rakand] thame amang