A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Salt, adj. Also: saltt, sault, sald, sauld, sat. [ME and e.m.E. salte, (Orm), salt (1279), OE sealt, OFris. salt, ON saltr; Salt n.1]Certain of the following senses could equally be regarded as attrib. uses of the noun.
1. Impregnated with salt, salty, saline. a. Of the sea or other expanses of water.c1450-2 Howlat 303 (A).
Thai … Seikis our the salt se [etc.] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 302.
Our the salt flude a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 10 (Asl.).
Quhar that the warld is set in the salt se 1513 Doug. Comm. i iv 24.
Nymphis of wellis bein callit Naydes, … of salt fludis, Nereides Ib. ii ii 21.
Wald God … sum salt sey dyd swelly me alyve Ib. iii iii 19.
Ourspannand mony swelland seys salt Ib. vi 61.
Of Ausonya the salt stremys Ib. v xiv 74.
So gan the salt iawpis ythandly smyte The holl rolkis Ib. xii Prol. 197.
Ane [girl] sang, The schyp salys our the salt faym Will bryng thir merchandis and my lemman haym 1549 Compl. 40/2.
I leukyt far furtht on the salt flude 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1708.
The heit into thy hippis the salt sey will not slokin 1615 Aberd. B. Rec. II 326.
And doun the said Bantstickill burne quhill it enter in the salt sey c1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 530.
The sea or salt lochispredic. a1500 K. Hart 76.
About the wall thair ran ane water void Blak stinkand sowr and salt as is the sey
b. Of tears or other bodily fluids.(1) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1141.
The king … Grat mony salt tere ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 645. 1513 Doug. ii xi 2.
Fillyng the hows with murnyng and salt teris 1549 Compl. 70/13.(2) 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 159/432.
The sliddrie ureter caryer of salt urine Ib. 165/487.
The skau upon thaire heade doth of thaire saltest fleaumes proceid 1648 Fife Synod 161.
Ane salt humour arysing fra the melt
c. Of ground, grass, etc.: Salty by contact with or proximity to the sea.a1500 Sir Eger 896 (H).
Of your way … The salt water it will you lead … in the coast of that salt sand [etc.] 1565 Reg. Privy S. V i 613/1.
Lie salt girs c1570 Lindores A. 423.
The Reid Insches saltgres [etc.] 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 59b.
The litle hillok of reid and the salt girs … within the regalitie of Lundores 1612 Acts IV 517/2.
The Mussilscap and pece land callit the salt gers 1651 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 120.
To build ane breist work of salt faill round about wpone the heid of the blockhous
d. Of other things.1650 Brechin Presb. 23.
When shee went to milk the kow her milk … was salt Urquhart Rabelais i xxii.
At the salt doup 1696 Donaldson Husbandry 8.
Some assert the salt or hot quality that is in the earth is the only cause of growth of vigitables
2. Of commodities: Preserved or cured with salt.(1) 1398 Acts I 212/2.
Salt flesche 1456 Hay II 134/36.
As … ete salt metis a1500 Henr. Fab. 265.
Flesche and fische aneuch, baith fresche and salt 1479 Acta Conc. I 33/2.
A salt mert 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 304.
Tua berrel salt flecshe 1513 Ib. 494.
Of the kingis salt martis send to the James, iiij scor 1523–4 Aberd. B. Rec. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 122.
The salt pork 1549 Banff Ann. I 26.
Nor haue na salt keilling within the howis accept vi keilling at the maist 1573 Reg. Privy C. II 269.
xxx martis of salt beif a1578 Pitsc. II 146/9.
He wald grant nothing to thame bot saltt salmond 1585 Glasgow Prot. IX 63.
Unum salicum pelocum, vulgo lee salt pellok 1590 Black Bk. Taymouth 306.
Of … martis fresch and salt … iiiixx 1614 Crim. Trials III 325.
The erllis creare, laidnit with beare and salt goodis 1621 Black Bk. Taymouth 313.
Off new salt beiff 1643 Boyd Fam. P. No. 178 (11 Feb.).
Twa stane of guid and sufficient salt buttir yeirlie c1650 Spalding II 340.
Salt beif, talloun [etc.] … and suche commoditeis pertening to Caithnes merchandis 1686 Galloway P. 12 April. 1689 Siege Castle Edinb. 79.
With water instead of drink … and old salt herrings for all kynd of kitchinproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1405.
Spair never your maisters salt beif for a drink 1638 Rothes Affairs Kirk 62.
Wherto Rothes replyed, he wold not give a salt sitron for himattrib. 1617 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 156.
To hald the puddine mercat or salt beif mercat … upone the hie streit(b) c1460 Dietary in c1500 Makc. MS xiv 69.
Our sault meit dois grit opressione to febill stomok(c) 1531–2 Perth Guildry p. 374 (19 Jan.).
iiij barrallis sald fische 1625 Argyll Rentals 17 Nov.
Restis for sauld salmond grilssis & troultis(2) 1488 Acta Aud. 120/1.
Foure kistis [etc.] … a chafere x salt hidis 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 111.
To by ane salthyde to cover the polder 1546 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XXI 67. 1597 Bk. Rates 6b.
Hydis callit eisterling salt hydis 1600 Aberd. Council Lett. I 90.
Of … ilk pek of woll or salt hyd(b) 1611 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 46.
Send a sat hyd with Johne Ogilvy
b. Salt meldir, rendering L. mola salsa: see Melder n. a.
3. fig. a. Of an experience or the like: ‘Bitter’, ‘sharp’, unpleasant. b. Of persons or their language towards others: ‘Bitter’, ‘caustic’, harsh, severe.a. a1500 Prestis Peblis 1208.
And he to me wit thow maid ony falt To thé that wil be ful sowre and salt 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 98.
Wald thou … mak amendis, I sal remyt this falt; Bot, other ways, that sete salbe full salt 1535 Stewart 53539.
Sir Thomas Cuming … into the feild wes tane, Quhilk efterwart till him it wes weill salt, That on the morne wes heidit for his faltb. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 233.
The tongues of salt mockers and reproachers of godliness 1638 Rothes Affairs Kirk 53.
Mr. Robert Balcanquhell … who had heard the informatione read … alleadging that it was too salt and bitter against the bischops
