A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1628
[1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Folk, n. Also: folke, foilk, foik, fok(e, fock(e, fouk. [ME. folk, folc, OE. folc, ON. folk.]
1. In collective sense: People, persons.
a. With the or similar qualification.(1) 1375 Barb. i. 479.
Swa trowblyt the folk saw he 1375 Ib. ix. 497.
All the folk that vyth hym weir c1420 Wynt. viii. 2769.
Gret pyte off the folk he had 1456 Hay I. 157/3.
The folk that ar tane in sik weris a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i. 111.
I hald the folk best fure That stud fer without the dure a1500 Doug. King Hart 210.
The watchis … hes sene The chaseing of the folk(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxi. 28.
Scho wald gang & dwel vthyre folk amang c1420 Wynt. iii. 21.
The folk off Israell c1420 Ib. viii. 4369.
Thai folk had lytill cwmpanyis 1456 Hay I. 58/14.
To big a temple … for the folk of Cipre that thare decessit 1456 Ib. 116/1.
Quhat folk he takis till his counsaile a1500 Bk. Chess 1882.
Thir folk suld be of richt hale consciens a1500 Doug. King Hart 442.
Quhat folk ar ȝe thairout? a1500 Ib. 828.
Thir vther folk of wirschip ar full blait 1567 G. Ball 137.
All folk [mycht] honour thy name
b. With limiting or descriptive adjectives.(1) 1375 Barb. xx. 430.
The lord Dowglas with few folk a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 1294.
Feile folk that bundine ar with syne c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1831.
Sum folk that has … plesaunce Of vtheris sorow c1400 Ib. 2283.
The quhene folk that ware Liffand c1420 Wynt. v. 289.
Quhen deide wes he Fele folk glad ware 1456 Hay I. 47/26.
He … past agayn in his contree with fewe folk(2) 1375 Barb. ii. 375.
The kingis small folk ner wencusyt ar c1420 Wynt. v. 3899.
Scho oyssit to wesy bodely Al pur folk c1420 Ib. vii. 534.
Lordys … The sympill folk wald ay supprys 1456 Hay I. 189/7.
For quhat caus … suld sik folk be sustenyt amang Cristyn folk? 1463 Peebles B. Rec. 150.
vj laffis to be tane and delt to pur fouk 1488 Treasurer's Accounts I. 98.
To the seke folk at Crawmond Brig c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 129.
He trowis that ȝoung folk I ȝerne 1513 Doug. xi. ii. 110.
We had wer at hand with bustuus folk a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitland Folio MS xxix. 124.
With wilfull folk I man bayth cry and ȝell
c. Without article or adjective.a1400 Legends of the Saints xxvii. 846.
Dewenik can to Catnes pas, To folk that than wntreutheful was 1456 Hay I. 102/20.
Law civile may wele be callit lawe of peple or of folk 1476 Acts Lords Auditors 42/1.
In the hieest tyme of the market quhen maist multitude of folk ar present c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 72.
I suld … be found … quhair preis was of folk 1571 Satirical Poems xxviii. 104.
Sa Paslay may repent That I thé maid of malesounis of foik 1583 Ib. xlv. 90.
He … maid ane sermone, … To plesour fock on bayth the sydis
2. Persons in relation to a ruler or leader, or naturally connected with each other.1375 Barb. i. 487.
Thai sla our folk but enchesoune 1375 Ib. vii. 365.
All his folk var fra hym gane 1375 Ib. viii. 5370.
Off thare folk a few ware slayne 1456 Hay I. 142/8.
Thai may wele say to the kingis folk [etc.] c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1001.
Thair awin folk was multipliand a1500 Doug. King Hart 3.
So semlie wes he set his folk amang 1535 Stewart 450.
All his folk … Callit thame Scottis
3. In the plural folkis, used in the same senses as the singular.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxi. 528.
Symon … al thai folkis dyssawyt il 1477 Stewart Mem. 75.
The said Neill with all the folkis … sall pas [etc.] a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1105.
Of diuers folkis … Gret woundir is c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 47.
That folkis may behald thare feit 15.. Clariodus iii. 85.
Thir folkis I beteach in ȝour keiping a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xxiv. 13.
Deil with all folkis faythfullie(2) c1420 Wynt. ii. 704.
Thai … Unhonest folkis wer a1500 Prestis of Peblis 155.
To seike folkis … thai wald be mendis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xx. 15.
Fra vyle folkis draw thé far on syde 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 154.
Gif it with mortale folkis ma fundin be c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 306.
So lang as tha sall fleschlie folkis indure a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xlvii. 127.
Folkis of law or hie degrey 1628 Elgin Rec. II. 203.
For making ane bear to the pur folkis(3) 1483 Acts Lords Auditors *112/1.
Williame Lord Crechtoune … and his folkis 1490 Treasurer's Accounts I. 170.
Quhen Lord Drummondis folkis bayd the law 1512 Reg. Privy S. I. 367/1.
That all his folkis … await apoun him and cum with him to our service 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 15.
That ye … causit thaim to skayll thair fokkis a1578 Pitsc. I. 55/25.
The earle of Huntlie being destitut of his folkis … fled away 1596 Dalr. I. 195/14.
Our folkes … skairse mycht … byd the firste brasche
4. a. A number of persons. b. A distinct people.1375 Barb. xvii. 284.
A gret folk than with him had he a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 154.
He … wan to Cryst fell folkis seyre c1420 Wynt. ii. 285.
A folk that callyd wes Telchyses c1420 Ib. vi. 651.
Off that folk [sc. the Danes] he wes ane
