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.
Hilt, Hylt, n. Also: hylte; helt. [ME. hylt, hilt, pl. hiltes, -is, OE. hilt, pl. hiltas.] The hilt of a sword or dagger.c1420 Wynt. iii. 46.
Ayot … put it [the sword] in his wame sa fast Quhill hylte and plumet bath in past?1438 Alex. ii. 8897.
He ... hynt the King richt by the hand, And by the heltis of the brand 1456 Hay II. 44/25.
Thare is to the knycht gevin a suerd with a crossit hilt c1475 Wall. ii. 131.
Hys byrnyst brand ... Brak in the heltis, away the blaid it flaw 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 205.
For grathing of ane ald suord of honour with new hilt and plomet 1513 Doug. x. vii. 63.
All the blayd, vp to the hylt and hand, Amyd hys flaffand longis hyd hes he
b. Used in plural with the same sense.1375 Barb. x. 628.
Swerdis … War till the hyltis all bludy ?1438 Alex. i. 1565.
The sword brak in the hiltis in tua Ib. ii. 8897.
He … hynt the King richt by the hand and by the heltis of the brand 1513 Doug. II. ix. 78.
His schynand swerd … onto the hyltis dyd he hyde 1533 Bell. Livy II. 10/6.
With thir wourdis he straik the dagare to the hiltis in his douchteris breist 1576 Inverness B. Rec. I. 252.
Ane pair of heland hiltis wyth the plwmet … to be put on ane sourd bled 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 197 b.
Five pair of halflang hiltis & ane pair of losand hiltis or gairdis with plummettis
