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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Outwith, prep., adv., and a. Also: oute-, owt- and -uith, -withe, -witht, -wyth(t. [ME. utenn wiþþ (Orm), utwiþþ (Orm), utewið (c 1230), utewid (Cursor M.), utwith (Destr. Troy), out(e)wiþ (Cursor M.), outwith (c 1420), thereafter appar. only Sc.: cf. also Outouth, Utouth, etc., Without (and Inwith).]

A. prep. 1. a. Of position: Outside of (a place or boundary); on the far side of; beyond. Also transf.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1806.
Mony sandy brayis lyand Outwith the craggis on the land ?1438 Alex. ii. 9340.
Endlang the feild outwith the toun The battell fers was 1427 Acts II. 16/2.
Outewith the realme 1436 Ib. 24/2. 1493 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 214.
The landis outwytht the said merchis 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 13.
Abufe the watir thar hals stude … With bludy crestis owtwith the wallis hie 1531 Bell. Boece II. 106. 1555 Conv. Burghs I. 12.
At fischear hewinis … and landwart kirk styllis outwith freburgh 1577 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 36.
And thair culd fynd na geir outwith houses and lokfast lwmes to pvnd 1583 Conv. Burghs I. 170.
In purchessing of lordschip outwith burgh 1583–4 Reg. Privy C. III. 627.
The maser to stand outwith the dur 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Rus, the … countrie outwith tounis 1584–5 Rec. Earld. Orkney 306. 1608 St. A. Baxter Bks. 72.
Till sett vp meat owt with thair bwithe ? 1623 Melrose P. 513.
For the Dunkirkar wes not a pare of buttes lenth owtwith the peere c1650 Spalding II. 306.
Becaus the Marques duelt in the Bog outwith the schirrefdome of Abirdene 1687 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 214.(2) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark vii. 15.
Na thing is outwith [P. withouten] a man … that may defoule him, but tha thingis that cummis furth of a man [etc.] 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 118.
For He had not ane externall principle outwith Himself to induce Him Ib. 195. 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 348.
Gif the love of Christ … be outwith thee, only sounding in thy eir [etc.] Ib. 445.
Gif thou be not an new creature you are not in Christ bot outwith Christ and outwith Jesus Christ na salvation

b. Not in (another's presence). 1588 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson 171 b.
The said Susanna owtwith the presens of hir said spous gaif hir full consent … thairto 1620 Perth Kirk S. MS. 15 Feb.
Ilkane of thame outwith the presence of another ar seuerallie examinat 1655 Rothesay B. Rec. 4.

c. Of motion: Outside of, away from. 1504 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 101.
To cum outwith thair awin place 1535–6 (c 1580) Ib. II. 72.
That nane of thame pas nor send owtwith the town to … stop ony persoun cummand to the mercatt 1553–4 Reg. Privy C. I. 155.
That thai sall nocht evaid nor eschaip owtwith this burcht

d. Coupled with inwith, within, in, etc. Freq. in judgment or outwith.For further examples see Jugement n. 4 d, Inwith prep. A 1 (2).(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 10924.
Quhat out-with and within the toun, Thare was ane full great assemble 1508 Reg. Panmure II. 275.
Both in houshald and outwith houshald 1531 Linlithgow B. Ct. 26 Oct.
That thair be na ale sald derar innoch the hous nor outwith the hous derar than xvj d. 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 165. 1581 Acts III. 210/1. 1597 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 158.
Outwith or inwith his hous 1631 Misc. Spald. C. II. 226.
Alswele within the court as outwith the same(2) 1465 Montgomery Mem. II. 35.
To be vext … be me … in priue or in a pert, in jugement or owtwith, of the said landis 1509 Reg. Privy S. I. 285/1.
In his forest courtis or outwith 1516 Ib. 422/2.
Outwyth 1589 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 188.
Outwitht 1599 Ayr Chart. 5.
To mak als gritt fayth in jugement and outwith as the principall 1613 Binns P. (S.R.S.) 23.

2. a. Outside, not during (a particular period of time). c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 20/27.
And outwith confessioun he [the priest] may say and swere he wate nocht of the thing that he herd in confessioun Id. Ib. 72/15.
Outwith tymes customable to ete & drink c1575 Balfour Pract. 272.
Tuesday, recent spuilȝies outwith the time of vacance

b. Not in (one's keeping or possession).1593 Edinb. Test. XXV. 255 b (see Inwith prep. A 2 c).

c. Beyond the limitations or restraint of, not governed or restrained by. 1450 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 12.
All men … that hes swyne in the towne outwith band 1513 Doug. vi. xiii. 88.
The landis lyis without the starnys blenk, Outwith the ȝheris cours and sonnys renk 1597 Skene Verb. S. (1599) s.v. Bastardus.
Ane bairne vnlauchfully gotten outwith the bande of mariage 1626 Justiciary Cases I. 48.
That it sall be laufull … to marie outuith the degreis of affinitie and consanguinitie

d. Not included in. 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 27.
Letters which wer smothered to and again in bypacquets outwith the publict sealled pacquett

B. adv. Outside, on the outside; out of doors; out of the country. a. Of position or situation. b. Of motion.See also Inwith adv., for examples.a. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1243 (C).
That none was outwith of walour … the Troyiens to succour 1425 Montgomery Mem. II. 9.
Becaus of kynrend thar behufys to be a purchas, and … gife it be outwyth, it sal be gotyn on bath thair costys 1455 Acts II. 43/2.
And lynyt befor outwith a1500 Seven S. 73.
I counsall ȝow He be nocht techit in this cite … Bot erar owtwith in a fair waist Ib. 1148.
Than was ald Ysak tane & bundyn Becaus he was outwith foundyn c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxiii. 26.
Thou blind Pharisie, clenge the cop and platere within, that it that is outwith [P. with outforth] be made clene Id. Mark iii. 32.
Thi modere and thi brethire outwith [P. with outforth] seekis thee Id. Luke xi. 39. 1576 Crim. Trials I. ii. 61.
And lokit the tour ȝet thairof outwith 1587 Acts III. 522/1.
And the edge … be pairit outwith toward the nethir sydeb. 1532 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xx.
[The advocate to] pas outwyth wyth the party

C. adj. Outside, outer, exterior. 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI. 576.
In the … outwithe chalmer ane Turkie coverlatt 1613 Soc. Ant. X. 222 (see Inwith adj.).