A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Meting, Meiting, vbl. n.1 Also: meitt-, mit(t)-, myt-, miet-, meat(t)-, meet(t)-, mett- and -in, -ing(e, -ingg, -yng(e, -enge, -eing(e. [ME. (Cursor M.) and e.m.E. met-, meeting, -yng, f. Met(e v.1]
1. a. With trans. force: The action of meeting in senses 2 and 3 of Met(e v.1Chancing to meet; going to meet; trysting with.a. (1) 1456 Hay II. 64/4.
Sum trowis in wichecraftis, as in meting of bestis or in fleying of foulis with thame or agayne thaim c1500 Fyve Bestes 192.
Gret was the joy that in the place was than To se the meting of that noble man a1500 Seven S. 1383.
Than till his meting couth scho rys 1492 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 421.
[The citizens] to furnys the personis furtht to the meting of my lord Huntlie, locumtenant 1525 Douglas Corr. 339.
Your lordship had writtene a letre to me for meating of youe at Caldstreme 15.. Clar. v. 2897.
[They] aduertist war Of thair cuming and com in thair meiting a1578 Pitsc. I. 343/1, 4.
Thair was nevir sic … preparatioun maid for na tryumphe nor meiting that evir was … as was than prepairit be the King of Ingland for meitting of the King of Scotland(2) 1585–6 Montgomery Mem. 227.
Being … informit inwith the nycht of his meitting the Lord Sempill
b. With reciprocal force, in intr. or absol. uses.The fact or occasion of two or more persons' meeting or having met, or of one person's meeting or having met with another or others, in senses 7 and 11 of Met(e v.1 In some instances merging with sense 3.At meting, when we meet, or, when we met. To (till, quhill) meting, till we meet.(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 512.
He for pite gret agayne That neuir off metyng wes sa fayne a1500 Peblis to Play 221.
Thair salbe mirth at our meting c1475 Wall. v. 670.
So Inglis men nocht off thair metyng knew a1500 Rauf C. 336.
Thair was ane meting of grace At that gaddering ?a1500 Obsecro 72.
And for the blissit metting deir Quhen Sanct Johnne in hir wame can steir 1524 Douglas Corr. 96.
Many practises be in hande, aswell for appointing trestes and metingges as for other meanes 1533 Boece ii. viii. 72.
Athir prince with thankis & mery chere at Dingwell made thare meting 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 79.
All wder novillis I refar to wour metyng 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 99. 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 203.
Without any meting to be soght of us(b) ?a1500 Obsecro 66.
And the meitting that He thé met In hevin, Lady 1535 Stewart 53750.
He fand him than at thair meitting rycht drye 1540 Lynd. Sat. 641. 15.. Clar. ii. 142. c 1573 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. ix. 25.
At owr last meitin 1591 Crim. Trials I. ii. 235.
Eftir that he appointit tyme and place for thair nycht meting 1596 Dalr. I. 336/20.
Eftir glade meiting, mirrines and joy 1679 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 20 Sept.
Spent at a meitting with Mr. Da. Scringer & Mr. John Preston for seeking the warkmen(2) 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 228.
As yowr grace sall knaw at meittyng 1639 Hamilton P. 95.
Muche more of this kynd that past betwixt one of ther number and me this day … at meating 1678 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 289 (28 Nov.).
And at meitteing I sall be more fullin expresseing [etc.] — 1559 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 298.
I will nocht writ bot referris that mater to meting 1579 Reg. Morton I. 121.
Sa quhill meting I … committis ȝow hairtie to God 1604 Douglas Corr. 245.
And sua to meiting committis ȝow to Godis protectioun 1680 Dunlop P. III. 8.
I will pase this part of it til meiting(3) 1613 Highland P. III. 135.
There has bene dyuerse metteinges with the erle 1616 Crim. Trials III. 388.
In keiping of dyverse trystis and meattingis with the other thre 1627 Justiciary Cases I. 73.
At his first meitting uith his said spous 1646 Aberd. Council Lett. III. 71.
He desyrit a meiting with us in the laigh counsell hous 1662 Highland P. III. 25.
That Nc Conochie [one of the Bute witches] … was at a meitting in the lowlands with one Jonet Isack in Kilwineing — 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 105.
For witchcraft at ane meitting with the devill Ib. 119. 1658 Sc. Ant. IX. 50.
That scho hes bein with tham at severall meetingis with the dewill Ib. 51.
Jonet Blak confesset the meeting with the diwell among the quhinis as scho went to Simisyd 1673 Argyll Justic. Rec. 20.
The said pannell keiped meitting and consultatione with the devill 1679 Salmon Borrowstounness 117.
Mettings(4) 1534 St. P. Henry VIII. IV. i. 673.
We understand … that thayr is mytyng to be betwyx ȝow and France at thys tym 1630 Soc. Ant. LVI. 51.
The said Alexr was maist rigorouslie strukin be the devill wt ane battoun at ane meitting keipit betuix thame(5) 1603 Crim. Trials II. 421.
With quhome he lykwayis dyuerse tymes consultit sen his first meiting
c. To give (another) a meting, ? to return his greeting. d. To get a bad meting (of another), to have an unfriendly reception (from), to be unwelcome (to). — 1638 Henderson Serm. 319.
And if they fear God, they will give you a meeting and say, ‘God bless you also’ 1651 Dickson Matthew 246.
Ordinarily the Lord gets a bad meeting of His people and specially of the rulers of the Church
2. The action of engaging (an enemy) in battle, in transitive and reciprocal uses; an armed engagement or encounter, a fight, battle.To cum in (another's) meting, to engage him in battle. 1375 Barb. iii. 15.
And weill ost at thar fryst metyng Warlayd at erd but recoveryng Ib. viii. 242 (E).
That the stowtest off thair mengye Off our meting abaysit be Ib. xviii. 331, xix. 787. ?1438 Alex. i. 1849.
Thair haif thai maid sic ane meting That athir may prys small his winning Ib. ii. 8858; etc. c1420 Wynt. viii. 4591.
Qwhen thai nere ware thaire metyng Thare at a lytyll bwrne passyng Schyre Thomas hwrt wes c1475 Wall. ix. 475.
A cruell conterans at that metyng was seyn a1500 Rauf C. 485. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 527.
Of that meiting … Quhilk soundit lyke ane crak of thunder 1596 Dalr. II. 148/17.
Vncertane victorie at bathe the meitings
b. To get a meting, to be met or opposed by force, ‘to find oneself with a fight on one's hands’. 1599 St. A. Kirk S. 893.
Albeit the session had send sum of thair number … to Raderny, yit had he and his cumpany bene als mony and als habill, they suld have gottin a meitting
c. ? A counter-measure, retaliation, rejoinder. Cf. Met(e v.1 6. — 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. vii.
If the world will have by it the graue restored to her victory, God for a meeting to the world uill restore death to his sting
3. a. The action of assembling or convening for the transaction of common business etc., by a group of persons.b. The fact or occasion of being assembled, or a gathering of persons assembled, in a more or less formal or organized way; an assembly or convention. Also, a particular session or diet of assembly of an organised body.Uncommon until the later 16th c. and not at first clearly distinguishable from sense 1 b. Very common in sense b throughout the 17th c.a. 1398 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 38.
The said lordis at thair metyng sal tak knawlage [etc.] 1475 Cal. Doc. IV. 408.
We have written to oure wardane … to sett the dais of merche and meting on the bordouris 1500 Acta Conc. II. 408. 1596 Errol Par. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 244.
Quhilk lattis the meting of the pople to the preiching 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 214.
To report their diligence in metting and convening at the burghe of Edinburgh 1660 Musselburgh 71
In thair ordinar place of meittingb. (a) 1561 Reg. Privy C. I. 159.
And that memour to be deliverit be the clerk to the Chancellar or President at thair nixt meting 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 205.
Be a cours to be taken be the haill burrowes at thair generall meting 1629 Ib. 306.
Whair the metings hold(b) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 239.
And thair to conclude with the tua ambassadouris vpoun the nixt meitting 1576 Douglas Corr. 210.
Meitenge 1589 Edinb. Presb. July.
The said Wm … promesit to satisfie the kirk and presbiterie the first day of thair meitting 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 145/12. 1606 Acts IV. 288/2. 1600-1610 Melvill 325, 370. 1611 J. Melvill in Fugitive Poetry II. ii. 17/9.
Me thought there wes a meiting in the towne 1626 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 245. 1627 Rep. Parishes 68.
If the people be far fra the kirk we can hardly get a meitting, and sometymes in winter … no meitting at all 1640 Moray Synod 56.
Frequentlie vpone the Sabbothe day their ar gryt meittings at streams vpon the watter of Spey for slaying off salmond fishes 1641 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 127. 1650 Glasgow Wrights Acts 5.
Any meiting of the croft 1650 Kingarth Par. Rec. 26.
Till after the provinciall meitting c1650 Spalding I. 220.
It is denyit that ony vnlauchfull meitinges ar keipit c 1651 Scotland and the Commonwealth 26.
Soe that ther was noe quorum at that meitting 1652 Old Ross-shire II. 42.
In keiping daylie meittingis for the barronie of Strathcarron 1654 Conv. Burghs III. 379. 1655 Laing MSS. I. 299.
And hath ever since had our meitting for the worshippe … of God in the oppine feilds 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 648.
Shoe … was at ane meitting in the back burne 1662 Crim. Trials III. 606. 1662 Lamont Diary 148.
Shewing the leamnesse of that meiting all that tyme since they were debarred 1662 Acts VII. 379/2.
He doth … discharge all private meitings or conventicles in houses … to the prejudice of the publict worship of God 1670 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 261. 1677 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 89. 1691 Riot in Aberdeen in Sc. N. & Q. i Ser. XII. 90.
Inciting every person to com to the councell hous dore and brake it up and raise the meiting(c) 1622 Bk. O. Edinb. C. XX. 98.
That this miting and ak was concludit was for the liting of the Mris at thair aune hand 1657 Misc. Hist. Soc. VII. 34.
At a mittinge with the heritors and elders 1661 Soc. Ant. XXII. 250.
At this second mieting the divill and the witches did drinke together 1666 Laing MSS. I. 349.
For hee was caled to non of ther mitings, tho hee was hier(d) 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 201.
Instructiones to George Nicolsone, provest, … to keip the meeting of the nobilitie, barrones and burrowes befoir the previe consell a1650 Row 213.
At the first dyet of their meeting 1647 J. Hope Diary 143.
A meetteing … for choyceing of comissionaires 1656 Laing MSS. I. 307.
When the meetting was goeing to convein 1667 Ib. 362.
The meettings of leat have been frequent(e) 1643 Dumfries Treas. Acc. MS. 9.
To the prowest to tak to Edinburgh to ane greit metting that was ther
c. The members of an assembly, collectively. d. A group of members of an organised body meeting together as a separate unit. 1654 Strathendrick 8.
With many teares expressed sense of his falȝeings to the satisfactioune and convictioune of the meteinge 1696 Ayr Presb. MS. 13 May.
Of overtures anent setling this presb. into two meetings
e. Field-meeting, hous-metting (see Hous n. 4). — 1678 Fountainhall Decis. I. 14.
In representing such persons as present at their field-meetings who truly were not there
f. Attrib. in Meting-hous, -place.
4. Metin(g to, ? causing to fit exactly: cf. Met(e v.1 9 b. 1559–60 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 323.
For metin to of this windok efter the makin, vj s. viij d.
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"Meting vbl. n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 31 Oct 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/meting_vbl_n_1>