A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1499-1513, 1570-1680
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Halfhed(e, -heid, Half(f)et, n. Also: halffeit, half(f)it, halfatt, halffat. Also common later variants: haffet, hafet, haffat. [OE. healfhéafod.] The side of the head, above and in front of the ear; the temple, cheek.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2153.
He laid his halfheid sicker hard and sad 1513 Doug. vi. viii. 41.
Deiphobus … Thar he beheld, and crewel manglit face, … Halfhedis spulȝeit 1513 Ib. ix. xiii. 67.
Hys bos helm … Clynkand abowt hys halfheddis with a dyn 1570 Wemyss Chart. 200.
Archbald Wynd … straik the said Robert Bruce on the halfheid with his fauld naif 1604 Ellon Presb. 48.
[He struck her upon the] half heid and schulder(b) 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 10.
The leym of fyre … In his haris, about his halffettis [Sm. halffeittis] baith Kyndyllis vp brycht 1513 Ib. iv. xi. 107.
And thou thy self thine halffettis als array With haly garland a1578 Pitsc. I. 258/16.
He had nothing on his heid bot syde reid ȝallow hair behind a.nd on his halffitis a1578 Ib. II. 48/6.
Monsr Lorgie wpe witht his neif and gaif on the halffit ane blow befor the quene 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 127.
Jonete … is decernit in ane wrang for streking of the said Jonete Bogyll on the halfatt 1613 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs II. 429.
Giff any of the merchants … sould gif ane vther cuf on the halfit, thay sall pay ane pund Flemys 1615 Inverness Rec. II. 134.
Upon the halffat(c) 1575 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 37.
Johne Gilmour is fund in the wrang for … stryking of him on the haffet with his neifis 1588–9 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 536.
George Litiljhonn, … for strikking of James Bartane on the haffet 1590 Burel Queen's Entry 11.
And down thair haffats hang anew Of rubies red and saphirs blew a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxv. 20.
Hir curling loks … About hir hevinly haffats hings 1596 Dalr. II. 157/23.
Quhen M. Lord Drummond gaue Lion Harat … on the haffet 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 199.
A cruell straike … , whairwith he cutted away his lug with ane great part of his haffet 1662 Highland P. III. 22.
In summer last … she got a sore stroke upon the hafetfig. c1680 W. Row Blair 343.
Mr Blair being … , as he used to say, cuffed upon both the haffets by them
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"Halfhed n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/halfhede>
