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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

The, Thie, Thich, n. Also: thei, thee, they(e, theich, theigh, thigh, thye. Pl. also the(i)se. [ME and e.m.E. þeh (Layamon), the (Cursor M.), thee (Rolle), thegh (1422), they (c1475), also þih (12th c.), þyghe (Trevisa), thye (Caxton), thighe (c1532), thigh (Spenser), OE þíoh, þéoh, ON þjó.] The thigh.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 430.
With handis bundine til his kneis, & helis vpwart til his theis a1400 Leg. S. xxxix 343.
Cancre … sa consumyt had his the That begare & crepele wes he c1420 Liber Calchou 450.
Or ellis be thu ventosyd on the the with a boyst or a horne be syde the byle c1475 Wall. iii 176.
The and arsone in sondyr gart he ga 1490 Irland Mir. III 157/25.
The heid of it [sc. a statue] was of fyn gold and breist and armes of siluer the wame and theis of brace 1494 Deidis of Armorie 61.
Tremelliere is maid of iii iambes al hail quhilkis with the plying of the irn ar bot ane and thai depart as the mollettis of a spur; and thai ar the theis the feit and the spurris a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1168.
Pilot said thai suld thair theis breik, Syne but delay of the croce thame tak c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 82.
Quha mycht behald thare sweitie theis, Begairit all with dirt, and dust c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4927.
Men gett sum souerane preserue, As, in the theis, Siatica Passio 1571 Bann. Memor. 152.
Tuo sword strypes, or plettis, for the theise and legis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 67.
Ane convoy of the ȝoung mene of the said burgh … thair bodeis and theis coverit with ȝeallow taffateis 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 94.
These(b) a1500 Seven S. 941.
Thee 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III 252.
For ij elne quhit, to be tua pair hos for the King to his myd thee, vij s. 1513 Doug. x vi 123.
Thee(c) c1500 Makc. MS xv 25.
Behald my chankis, & my theys c1500 Interl. Droich 62.
Scho fischit all the Spanȝie seyis With hir sark lap betuix hir theyis 1567 Digest Justiciary Proc. G 2.
Robert Bruce … woundit James Weymes … with the schot of ane pistolat throuche the theye(d) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 137.
Theigh 1624 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 212.
My being verrye ill with a paine bothe in my shulders and theiches(e) 1535 Stewart 11984.
Hanchis wer hewin hingand by the thie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2298.
Thye 1581 Treas. Acc. MS 97b.
Ane pair of ryding sockis according to the Frensche fashioun to cover his hienes thie to the cleving 1587 Carmichael Etym. 18.
Femur, thie 1622 Elgin Rec. II 174.
Alexander Hephburne pat his thie to stay Robert Martein and wald nocht let him sitt doun and said to him, Will thow sit on my knie, kneaff?(f) 1547 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXVIII 143.
Thighs 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 22.
And other some do stiffly jangle That they and thighs make a quadrangle

b. The part of a pair of hose or breeches covering the thighs. 1527 Treas. Acc. V 301.
Quhyte satyne to lay in the theyis of the kingis quhite hois 1529 Treas. Acc. V 361.
Twa eln ane quarter of blak taffateis to draw throw the theis and narow the said hois 1535 Treas. Acc. VI 253.
To be ane pair of theis of hois to the kingis grace, vij quarteris ȝallow velvet 1547 Treas. Acc. IX 71.
Crammesye welwote to eik the theis of the said hois 1551 Treas. Acc. X 17.
For cantailȝeis and sewing silk to the theis of thir hois 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 274.
The thiftius steling … of his purs furth of the thie of his hois he being slepand in his bed 1599 Treas. Acc. MS 65.
Siluer pasmentis to be … loupes to his powches and theis of the breikis

c. A protective covering for the upper leg of a horse, as part of its ornamental armour.Cf. late ME thy(e (c1450) ‘the defence for the thigh covering both back and front, and distinguished from the quish (i.e. cuisse) which only protected the front and side.’ C. R. Beard Dictionary of Costume & Armour, s.v. Thigh. 1507 Treas. Acc. III 396.
iij housing girthes, ane braid of rede ledir, tua stoppit theis for bardis

d. The thigh part of an ox, bull(ock) or cow, as a cut of meat. 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 9.
James Frissall is dempt to quyt himselff and his hous of the stowth of ane thei of beiff

e. attrib., possess. and comb.The-pece, a piece of protective armour for the thigh. Thigh-bellilesse, without thigh or belly.(1) attrib. 1513 Doug. xii vi 24.
A quhirrand arrow … dyd in hys the bayn lycht a1578 Pitsc. I 143/14.
His thie baine was doung in tua witht ane peace of ane misframit gune 1596 Dalr. I 46/29.
In his thie bane, or as we speik, his hanche bane, is nocht ane of this age quha may nocht esilie hand and arme put in togither 1596 Dalr. II 125/23.
He ansuers that his thich bane is brokne, and he hopet neuer to gang again 1611 Reg. Panmure I xcv.
The thee bone … ves neir als longue as bothe the schank and thee bone of any ressonable man of this age 1668 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 482.
Lady Cardinis … being ane old and infirme woman and dislocat of her thie bonepossess. c1500 Fyve Bestes 146.
With the casting of a litill stone Of ane litill bird the theis bone Brokin he has c1500 Fyve Bestes 265.
With ane stone my thees bone he brak(2) c1475 Wall. viii 265.
Erll Patrik … On the the pes a felloun strak him gaiff 1606 Edinb. Test. XLI 168.
Twa corslattis & twa heid peices effeirand thairto with arme peices & thie peices(3) comb. a1649 Drummond II 57/241.
Thigh-bellilesse, most gastlie to the sight A wasted skeliton resembleth right