A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513-1657
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Beget, v.1 Also: begat; p.t. begat, begatt, begate; p.p. beget, byget; begottin, -yn, -an. [e.m.E. beget (begat; begotten). ME. begete (begat, begate; begeten). beȝete, OE. beᵹitan. Introduced in 16th c. from Eng. in place of Get v.; hence Douglas's p.p. be-, byget in place of begottin.] tr. To beget, generate.(a) p.p. 1513 Doug. ii. ix. 57 (he quhamby thou fenys thi self byget); 1513 Ib. p. 916 (of Mantua am I beget and boir). 1562-3 Winȝet II. 40/30 (afoir al warldis begottin). 1597 Foulis Acc. Bk. p. xlvii (thre femeill childryne begottan of him).c1611–c1617 Mure Early Misc. P. i. 112 (tuix hatefull lust and idilnes begottin).(b) p.t. c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 326/14 (quhilk begate us new agayne). 1569 St. A. Kirk S. 317 ( … begat ane bairn of hir). a1578 Pitsc. I. 107/11 (this Alexander begatt Alexander). a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS clxx. 108 (he begat the baldest beirnis).1657 Mure Hist. Rowallane 244 (he begate vpon her Adame).(c) 1586 St. A. Kirk S. 578 (in begating of ane barn); 1586 Ib. (the begatting of the barn).
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"Beget v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/beget_v_1>
