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

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

Wicht, Wycht, n. Also: vicht, vycht, wight, wyght, vight, weicht, weycht, wecht. [ME and e.m.E. wihht (Orm), wihte (c1200), wiȝt (c1220), wight (Chaucer), wyght (c1400), weight (1609), OE wicht, MLG, MDu. wicht, ON vætr, véttr, vitr.] a. A human being, man or woman. b. A creature; a living being.a., b. c1400 Troy-bk. i 388.
Medea, the mayden schene, Was thane the wlonkast wicht [pr. witht] but wene Of all the kynrik of Colkas a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk 63.
Sa evill wondit was the knycht That he behuvit to de; … In all the warld was thair a wicht So peteous for to sy? a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 435.
Thou was callit of eirdlye wichtis flour a1500 Lanc. 67.
The byrdis thar mychty voce out throng, Quhill al the wood resonite of thar songe, That gret confort till ony vicht it wer … to here c1475 Wall. vii 286.
‘I sall help, as I am woman trew.’ ‘Der wicht,’ he said [etc.] 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 941.
Calliope, … Inquirit Venus quhat wicht had hir mismaid c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 39/10.
Have mercie, ladie bricht: Quhat have I wrocht aganis ȝour womanheid That ȝe suld murdir me, a saikles wicht c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 142/61.
Away thow dully nycht, And welcum day that confortis every wicht 1535 Stewart 1854.
King Feretar wes fund … Deid in hes bed wnwist of any wicht 1560 Rolland Seven S. 625.
With him come diuers grit kings & knichts Duiks, barrouns, erls, & mony worthie wichts a1568 Bann. MS 41a/23.
Thow hes ws formit all And of the clay Thow creat every wicht a1585 Maitl. Q. 189/75.
Sen heir afflictit wichtis alwyse Hes euer ayd and favour found a1605 Montg. Misc. P. lii 5.
In the presone of dispair I ly, Seing ilk wicht gettis sum weilfair Bot I(b) 1375 Barb. ii 525.
Luff … mais tender wychtis Off swilk strenthtis … That thai may mekill paynys endur ?a1450 Florimond 484.
Vychtis c1475 Wall. viii 806.
To palȝounnys bownyt mony wery wycht 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 17.
Withoute respect tyll ony wycht, Suld kyngs geue euery man thare rycht a1568 Bann. MS 226b/9.
Quhen euerilk wycht in to the nycht takis rest I madlie mvrne and mviv me to & fro 1570 Sat. P. x 155.
Him will I marie and nane vther wycht(c) c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 42.
I … sawe hir walk, that verray womanly, With no wight mo, bot onely wommen tueyne a1500 Lanc. 2482.
Vight 1513 Doug. iii v 64.
Scho … walit so that piete was to heir … A few wordis skars as I mycht furth bryng For to confort that maist lamentabill wight a1570-86 Maitl. F. 448/11.
He was … Belovit of God and everie gracius vight a1585 Maitl. Q. 269/1.
Heir tuo wights inburied be … In mariage-band they liued long 1587-99 Hume 48/52.
The spreits vncleane he did expell, Forth of the pure possessed wight 1604-31 Craig v 9.
That … I should bee no wights wyue For ten yeares and maire c1655 Fugitive Poetry II xxviii 2/46.
Meg Mulloch that alrich wight(d) 1513 Doug. ii ii 150.
Thai, saykles wyghtis, sal for my gilt be slane 1522 Douglas Corr. 85.
Beseking the samyn of ȝoure grete goodnes to haif compatience of me, desolatt and wofull wyght(e) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 40/42.
Mercyles may no weycht nobill be c1530-40 Stewart in Maitl. F. 353/13.
Scho wes sa wondirfull a weycht [: sycht, lycht, brycht] a1570-86 Maitl. F. 362/76.
This man I bow and arrowis beir Becaus I am ane baneist weycht [: mycht, plycht, nycht] c1600 Montg. Suppl. ii 4.
Ȝe haue ane luif as kynd As euer luifit weicht [: nicht] c1600 Montg. Suppl. ix 39.
My freindis will cheis sum vther weicht [: bricht], … That of great kin and clan is cummit(f) a1568 Bann. MS 216a/55.
Wechtis

c. A being not of this world, chiefly a supernatural being such as a fairy or spirit, also, a celestial being. 1513 Doug. iii i 43.
Onto my moder, … Sacrifice I maid, and to the goddis all … And to the kyng of hevinly wightis 1576 Crim. Trials I ii 57.
Thom tauld, It was the gude wichtis that wer rydand in Middil-ȝerd 1628 Stirling Ant. IV 189.
He … prayed to God and all unearthlische wights to send the said Jhone his health againe a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 275.
The word rendered beasts … might be well translated living creatures … or living wights … these living wights or cherubims 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 218.
In the time of popery … they believed the repetition of this … prayer was effectual to preserve them from danger … Keep this house from the wear … And from a ill rea That be the gate can gae And from an ill wight, That be the gate can light 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1933) 104.
The invisible wights which haunt houses seem rather to be some of our subterranean inhabitants 1691 Kirk Secr. Commonw. (1964) 264.
A multitude of wights … as thick as atomes in the air which are no non-entities, or phantasms … but realities