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: 1420-1457, 1513, 1567-1700
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Lit, n. Also: litt, lyt(t, lyte. ? Also: leitt, leithe. [ME. (midl. and north.) lit (Gen. & Ex.) colour, litte (14th c.) batch of dyeing, ON. lit-r colour, hue. In the mod. dial. chiefly Sc. and north. Eng.]
1. Colour, dye.c1420 Wynt. v. 1381.
Off clene lynt … Fayre and quhyt but ony lyt
2. Dye-stuff; also, dyeing fluid.Also with qualifying words, as brissell-litt, Brissell n. 1 b, Grain-litt n., and mather-, orcheard- (orcheart-), orlian- and shumak-litt, q.v. —1457 Acts II. 49/1.
That lit be criyt vp and vsyt as it was wont to be 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 92.
Sum latyt latton, but lay, lepys in lawyd lyt [v.r. lyte] 1567 Acts III. 30/2. c1575 Balfour Pract. 588. 1578 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs I. 76.
Euery burgh … to tak ordour anentis thame quha hantis the litting of fals litt, sic as bleu brissell, orchart litt1592 Edinburgh Testaments XXV. 16 b.
Sax quarteris of lit of pleis madame at xl s. the stane 1605 J. McUre View City of Glasgow (1736) 178.
It shall not be leasom … to tap … waid, grain, indego nor any other kind of litt 1609 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 72.
The said Patrik being then litting Frenshe cullouris, quhilkis throw her occasioun wald not tak with the litt 1622 Edinburgh Testaments LI. iii.
In his … buithe in materiallis for litting vnwrocht of grein litt xj pund wecht 1626–7 Glasgow Chart. II. i. 582.
Jhone Lowiff, mader 100, new leitt 100, panis 60 lb. wecht, alne 200, annettis 100, succer 20lb. wecht 1626–7 Ib.
Patreik Lymburner, soip 2 barrelis annettis 60 lb. wecht, granis 40 lb., mader 100, alne 200, new leithe 100a1650 Row 432.
If the fishers strike it [a fish] on the head it renders out all its blood, and it is excellent litt 1654 Stirling B. Rec. I. 216.
[The council] have dischairgit the litstares … to litt any yairne heirefter withe caprus gallis, blew birsall or any uther unsufficient litt 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 79.
In … Monnygaffe there is ane excrescence, … which the country people make up into balls … [which] they call cork-lit 1692 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs IV. 662.
The few cramers or chopkeepers [at Fortrose] … does not now export or import any merchant vair … except some litle salt, iron, litts [etc.] 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 25.
Of this scraped from the stone it groweth on, they make the lit they call the corkar litt c1700 Sibbald Autob. 32.
Some servant … had let the cole of a candle fall into the lit … which had fyred it but did not spread
