A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Spet(e, Speit, n. Also: speite, speitt, speyt, speet, speat(e, spit(t, spite, spyt. [ME and e.m.E. spete (a1300), spet (1392), spyte (a1400), spit (c1420), OE spitu, MDu., MLG spit, spet; ON spjót a lance, spear.]
1. A spit for cooking meat, fish, etc. Also attrib. with jak (Jak n.1) and raxis (Rax n.).(1) 1457 Peebles B. Rec. I 119.
The archap that was Wil Mouatis was delyuerit til his auwys … A pot, thre qwarttis, a spet and lantter [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 1810. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 13.
Thai maid gud chere … With thre fed caponis on a speit with greis 1513 Doug. v ii 117.
Sum … the colis het vndir the spetis swakkis to royst in threyt The raw spaldis 1526 Prot. Bk. J. Foular II 222.
Ane irne chimnay, speit and tayngis price xxiiij s. a1540 Freiris Berw. 137.
This fair wyfe, how scho the fyre cowld beit, And thristit on fatt caponis to the speit … Syne bad the madin … To flawme, and turne, and rost thame tenderly 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II 136.
Ane irne chymnay with rakkis cruke tangis and speitt xlv s. 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii 396.
Thair was, to recomfort him, Peirtryks and pleuers pyping on the speit 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Veru, a speit [1617 spit] 1583 Elgin Rec. I 172.
Speyt 1600-1610 Melvill 129.
Jhone Dury … narowlie eschaping the duc his cookes (wha cam out of his kitching with speittes [a1651 Calderwood III 620, speates] and grait knyves) with his lyff … was … banisched out of Edinbruche 1645 Sc. Ant. XIII 33.
Margaret Dickson to pay 2 thalers for transgressing the Lord's-Day, having speets and roasts at the fire in time of sermon 1660 Wedderburn Bk. II 44.
Speet [pr. speel] 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 365.
2 speits with horls at the end of them. 2 irons above the braise for laying speits on 1698 Edinb. Test. LXXX 312.
Speitattrib. 1661 Edinb. Test. LXX 154b.
Ane speit jack worth iiij lib. —1579 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 99.
Tua speit raxis pryce xx s.proverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1644.
Ye should not call me to the rost and ding me with the speet a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1792.
Young flesh will front on a speit(2) 1500–1 Acta Conc. II 477.
Ane irne speit 1515 Treas. Acc. V 25.
Ane irne speit with the pertinentis x s. 1531 Bell. Boece II 206.
The kingis servandis … fand ane image of wax … drepand on ane treine speit [Boece 409b spet of tre] 1533–4 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 136.
Ane irne speit with ane rak 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Gudis of ayrschip … ane gret spet of irne with the rakis 1539 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. x (Scott v. McDowall).
Ane gret spete 1557–8 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 154.
Tua irine speittis price of the pece ten s. 1561 Aberd. B. Rec. I 336.
Ane mekyle spitt, ane lytile spitt 1596 Dalr. I 287/27.
A spite of trie 1612 Paterson Ayr & Wigton III 410.
Fywe lang speittis 1627 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 529.
Ane pair of raxes with thrie speits lesse and more 1641 Old Ross-shire I 125.
Ane great speit and midling speit xxvi sh.(3) 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 177.
iij spyttis ane grit ane les and ane for wild met 1572 Edinb. Test. II 235.
Ane apill speit of irne 1643 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 536.
3 speits with ane lavrock speit
2. ? A sharp-pointed weapon, the point itself, or perhaps further examples of 1 above. Cf. Melvill quot. there and Spete-staff n.c1420 Wynt. vi 1769 (W).
Neire vnder by [the privy] the traytour wes And with a speit murtherist the king c1500 Rowll Cursing 258 (M).
Now … will I … speik of feyndis … with foull berdis blasand in the wind And hot speitis in thair tailis behind 1522 Perth Hammermen in Mill Mediæv. Plays 272.
Item deliuerit for the mending of the dewillis cot and play claythis vj d. Item for the mending of the speit and making of twa signettis iij d. Item for bluud and chars ij d. 1533 Boece 468b.
Edrite … secretlie borit ane hole in side of the closet … and at the hoill with ane spete of irne [L. veru ferreo] schot him throw the bare fillettis, gevin him dedelie woundis 1626 Linlithgow B. Rec. 23 June.
In misleiring thame and mannassing to have strukin thame with ane speit 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 176.
For their journey, they said they made use of all sorts of instruments, of beasts, of men of spits and posts: … if they do ride upon goats, and have many children with them, that all may have room, they stick a spit into the back-side of the goat
