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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Leding, Leidin(g, vbl. n. Also: ledyn(g, leddin(g; leidd-, leideing; lieding; lead(e)ing; laiding, laydding. [ME. leding (a 1300), e.m.E. leading, f. Lede v.]

1. The action of commanding a military force, military command; also, the troops so commanded, one's ‘command’.Common in early verse, only in phrases with preps., as in l eding, at, in, under one's leding (or command). 1375 Barb. viii. 219.
In twa eschelis ordanit he had The folk that he had in leding Ib. ix. 121.
He … assemblit gret cumpany … And als his frendis vith him war … Vith fele folk in thair leding Ib. xi. 164.
Till renownyt erllis twa … He gaf the vangard in ledyng Ib. xv. 302.
Thai that war of his leding … War all ded Ib. ix. 6, xx. 411, etc. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 800.
Gregeois … Wnder Anthenoris ledyng ?1438 Alex. i. 1737.
[He] Come with ane thousand in leding Ib. ii. 7048.
At our leding c1475 Wall. ix. 1285.
A hundreth men was at his ledyng still a1500 K. Hart 125.
Ane legioun liell war at hir leding 1586 Thanes of Cawdor 189.
To obtein to him the causualiteis of the saidis courtis … and ledding of my lordis frendis … in all hoisting

2. The action of governing (a country, etc.); rule, government.Only in early verse, in the phrases, to have or take the leding of (a country), (a country) in leding, (land) to one's leding. 1375 Barb. i. 579.
Than thocht he to have the leding Off all Scotland, but ganesaying Ib. ii. 90.
I haiff gret hop he sall be king, And haiff this land all in leding a1400 Leg. S. xl. 820.
A nobil knycht … had the leding of the land c1420 Wynt. v. 472 (W).
Arbigarus, the King That Brettane tuke than in leding ?1438 Alex. ii. 9922.
He said he had in all-kin thing Our lytill land to his leding

3. Leading along (a person) as a prisoner or by force; also fig. a1550 Goldin Latany 134.
For the schamfull leidding that thai led thé lik ane theif 1589 Reg. Privy C. IV. 429.
For leiding me, be the noyse as it wer, to all his appetytis

4. Conveying (goods or produce) by pack-animal or by draught-animal and cart or sled, carriage, transportation; bringing in (produce) in this way. Also, concr., ? the amount conveyed, the cartage (of so many horses) or, ? less prob., a variant spelling of Ladin(g) vbl. n. in a sense 'load' (of so many horses). Also attrib. in leding-tyme. Also hame-leiding, Hame n.¹ 3.(1) 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 285.
For leding of ix^c knapholtis … to the Castel of Edinburgh 1498 Acta Conc. II. 187.
The wrangus impediment … done … to the … comunite in the asportacione and leding of thare merchandice be our soverane lordis commone strete to the schippis 1534 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 117.
The entres of thua cartis to the leiding of the fre stane to the palice of Linlithqw 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 95.
With our hay ledyng in ȝeirlie 1593 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 289.
x s. for leiding tymbir out of Bardrochvud to him 1596 Paisley B. Rec. 176.
The Act … touching the leiding of milne stanes throw the town 1618 M. Works Acc. XV. ii. 51 b.
For the … laiding of thaim [slates] to the water 1662 Peebles B. Rec. II. 51.
The supplicatioun … desyreing the counsell to discharge the leiding of eldine up and down that balk 1677 Stitchill Baron Ct. 79.
20 sh. Scots money for not leiding of ten loads of peits from the Moss of Home to Stitchell 1701 Seafield Corr. 329.
The payment for cutting [the trees], leadeing to the vater(2) 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 166.
The abbay sal prouyde for met to the seruandis and to thar hors a bayt in tyme of ledyn of petis 1482 Acta Aud. 103/2.
Vexatioun and distrublance of thaim in the gadering and leding of thare teyndis 1498 Acta Conc. II. 185.
The sade Florymond sal haf xvj oxin apone the sade ground the tyme of the leding of his corne quhil it be wone 1526 Carnwath Baron Ct. MS. 24 b.
The quhilk day Thome King contrar Jane Curre for muk leidin 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 27.
Or [= before] tha fall to the leddin of the tyndis 1586 Cal. Sc. P. IX. 18.
The leading of tythes is ane ordinary mater for the which noblemen will assemble theyr fryndis 1638 Old Ross-shire II. 37.
Complent against the tenents of Strathcarrone for disobedience and not leiding of the loggis and deils 1678 Fawside Coal Compt 37.
For 16 bolls wood leideing 02, 00, 0 1682 Ure Rutherglen 68.
A man and horse, for lieding sand for the calsway 18 schilling Scotts 1689 Brechin Test. VII. 216 b.
The … expens he should happen to depurse for shearing winning and leading the corns(3) 1489 Acts II. 222/1.
Lordis and gentilmen of the cuntre … compellis thaim to do seruice, auerage, cariage, schering, ledding [etc.] 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 302.
For xij rebatts stanis to the greit ȝet … , for the wynning and ledding, xiiij s. 1571 Lanark B. Rec. 64.
The said Thomas … sall haf thame [slates] rady for the leiding betuex Beltan and Sant James day 1609 Ellon Presb. 81.
[Complaints of Sunday labouring at Cruden] leiding, scheiring [etc.] a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1060.
Licht leading maks weil drawin horse 1628 M. Works Acc. MS. XXI. 18.
Brocht in be Johne Davie, kairter, vij kairtis for leiding 1635 Boharm Par. Mag. (Mar. 1891).
He confessit he … led sum of his father's corns at the night fallinge … and being askit if his father ether commandit him or knew of his leading, confessit [etc.] 1640 Ritchie Ch. St. Baldred 250.
Leiding in the Knowes, and that day leiding begun all the rest of the weik. Much corn led, praised be God 1698 S. Ronaldshay 70.
Overlooking any of his parishioners for fishing therupon [on the Sabbath], leading, baiting, etc.(4) concr. a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI 341.
Gude store of vevers ... careit with thayme in sik aboundance as was the laydding of fyve hundreth horsis(5) attrib. 1574 Edinb. Test. III. 103 b.
The seruice of sex hors in elding tyme leding peitis & turves; ... sex hors in leding tyme in hervist

5. Guiding, piloting. c1575 Balfour Pract. 618.
Gif ony leidisman undertakis the leiding and convoy of ane ship to ony steid [etc.]

6. The conduct of legal proceedings, the bringing of a legal action. 1474 Acta Aud. 34/1.
Johne Moffet commissare of Dunblane and Schir Johne Scot to compere the said day to declare the leding of the said proces before the said lordis 1529 Reg. Privy S. II. 1/2.
Be resoun of eschete throw foirfaltour of the said Archibald, of all termes bigane sen the leding of the said forfaltour 1555 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 60.
And attore dischargis … Williame Bischop of Dunblane … of all asking cravyng monyssing and ledyng of proces quhatsumever aganis the saidis personis 1559 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 142/1.
In oure soveranis names in leding of the said apprising a1578 Pitsc. I. 225/2.
Luik that ȝour proceidingis be honest … in all the leiding of ȝour proces 1622-6 Bisset I. 138/26.

7. a. Bringing forward, producing (witnesses). b. Putting about, promulgating (a slander etc.). c1420 Bute MS. 154.
Of ledyng of wytnes & the sweryng c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 125 (Arund.).
I haue synnit … In foule descepcioun, in fals invencionis leding [B., M. bre(i)ding]