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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.

Tithing(is, Tythand(is, Tyding(is, Tydand(is, n. (pl.). Also: Sing. tithand, tything(e, -yng, -ande. thythyng. Pl. tithingiz, -andis, -ans, tything(i)s, -yngis, -ys, -and(e)s, -ance, -ennis, thithingis, -andis, thythingis, thyzandis, tiding(i)s, -an(i)s, tid(d)ance, tydings, -innis, -yngis, -andes, -an(i)s, -engs, -en(i)s, thydingis, -anis, tadingis, tayandes, tedingis, teydens, teddens, tians, tyance. [ME and e.m.E. sing. tiþennde (Orm), tidende (Layamon), tidding (c1250), tyding (c1275), tiþingue (c1290), teþinge (c1305), tiþing, tydant (both Manning), tiding (Chaucer), tiþand, tydand (both Cursor M.), tithande (c1430), tythynge (Cath. Angl.). Pl. tidinges (c1275), tiþinges (c1290), tiþandes (a1352), tiþans (Cursor M.), tytandes, tydannes (both 1451), tithings (1530), late OE tídung, ON tiðendi, -indi neut. pl., f. tiðr adj.]

1. sing. A piece of news or information. Also tell, spere, here, etc. tithing, to give, ask, get news of, hear tell of, find out about. 1375 Barb. iii 452.
Rychard off Normandy Magre his fayis warnyt the king That wes ioyfull off this tithing 1375 Barb. xix 121.
[The king] askyt him of the north tithing a1400 Leg. S. x 491.
The puple hard tythinge How [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxi 132.
Thai nocht fand Na of hyre hard ony tythand a1400 Leg. S. xxx 432.
Tythande c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2905.
He gat all hole tything Quhare that Vlixes maid duelling ?1438 Alex. ii 3018.
Sit doun and tell me sum tithing Of Clarus c1420 Wynt. viii 1774.
Quhen the Kyng Edward … herd off this deid full tythand 1460 Hay Alex. 964.
[He] callit him and speirit of his tything c1475 Wall. ix 686.
In Munros hawyn thai brocht hym to the land; Till trew Scottis it was a blyth tithand c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 2.
Evin sa is this Euangelion and new testament of God a joyfull and mery tithing c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 720.
The Squyer wes in his bed lyand, Quhen he hard tell this new tydand 15.. Clar. i 623.
Have ȝe no knowleging Of him that sent ȝow with sic tyding a1568 Bann. MS 27a/18.
Quhoeuir … hard so blyth a story Or tithing of sa grit felicite

2. pl. News, information, reports; rumours, gossip. Also proverb. and attrib.(a) ?1438 Alex. i 475.
I sall … Ga tell thir tythingis to the king; He sal nocht call thame gabbing c1420 Wynt. iv 1443.
On na-kyn wys wald he Thaire messyngerys wytht eyne se, Nor off thaire tythyngys walde he here 1424 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 14.
The quhilk ar til vs maste liking tithingiz that may be in this erde 14.. Acts I 112/2.
That nane be conspiratour na fyndar of taylis or of tithingis [L. rumorum] thruch the quhilkis mater of discord may spryng 1474 Treas. Acc. I 68.
Gevin to William Todrike … for his tithingis that the Carvile wes on life a1500 Henr. Annunc. 25.
Thir tithingis tauld, the messinger Till hevin agane he glidis c1475 Wall. vii 127.
The fyr sall be fell tithingis … Quhilk will be tald in mony syndry art 1489 Treas. Acc. I 121.
To the Bisschop of Brechingis man that com to the king with tythingis furth of the Northtlande 1490 Irland Mir. I 124/24.
The joyus tithingis [pr. tichingis] of His blist incarnacioune 1501 Treas. Acc. II 104.
To Bute pursewant to pas [to England] … and to cum agane with the first tithingis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 200/49 (M).
Sic tythingis hard I at the sessioun 1515 Doug. in Doug. (Sm.) I p. xl.
Tythyngis 1522 Douglas Corr. 85.
Plesit ȝoure grace, sen I heard the tythings and wrytings of ȝisterday, I am and half bene so dolorous [etc.] c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 2.
Euangelion is a Greke word, and is alsmekill to say in Inglis as a gude message, gude newis, gude mery tithingis 1552 Buccleuch Mun. II 210.
Hard ȝe ony tythennis of the lard of Bukclucht?(b) 1460 Hay Alex. 351.
Doun befoir his mother he him keist Sayand mother my maister I haue slane Off quhilk thythingis [etc.] a1500 Lanc. 2277.
The court … Whar that al thithingis goith & cumyth(c) 1375 Barb. i 346.
Then come tythandis our the se That his fadyr wes done to ded 1375 Barb. v 143.
He … speryt tythandis off the queyne 1375 Barb. v 447 (C).
The tithandis … Com to the Cliffurdis ere 1375 Barb. xvii 829 (C).
Thar come tithandis out of Ingland a1400 Leg. S. vii 540.
I wil Tythandis rycht blyth to tel thé til c1475 Wall. ix 1417.
Tithans a1500 Sir Eger 2061.
Courteously he asked tythance, If that of him I had quantance 1513 Doug. xi iv 101.
Desyre I … Turnus … deth with me to beir As glaid tithandis onto my child 1524 Douglas Corr. 95.
I haif rasavit … the copy of ane byll of tythandis 1533 Gau 105/32.
This promis is the vangel or ioiful tithandis the quhilk God reuelit [etc.] 1534 St. P. Henry VIII IV 667.
And ȝe sall weit, for other thyzandis in to Schotland 1535 Stewart 13301.
Of tha tythandes Mogallus lykit ill 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 75.
Maister George, all tithandis heir I haif writin to my lord of Paslay at leinth 1546 Corr. M. Lorraine 161.
Thithandis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10270.
Tythands(d) ?1438 Alex. i 2136.
The king and all his barnie Sall of thir tydingis sory be c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 162.
Tidingis 1456 Hay I 10/23.
Johne the Baptist … brocht the gude tydingis [of the] cummyng of Goddis sone a1500 Sir Eger 759.
Some new tidings that ye will hear c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 74/3.
Quhat tydingis, gossep—peax or weir? 1513 Doug. xi xvii 65 (Sm.).
All the maist cruell tydinnis fillis his eris 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I 462.
This glaid tydyngis of the kingdom salbe preichit throwout the haill warld a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 20.
The sam place quhar the king was quhen the thydingis com till him 1596 Dalr. I 316/10.
Tydengs(e) 1524 Douglas Corr. 97.
I pray ȝou that ȝe will writ me all tydandes with this present berar 1525 St. P. Henry VIII IV 283.
Tydandis 1535 Stewart 4166.
Of thair tydenis than glaidlie for till heir, And euirilk man efter his kynd till speir a1538 Abell 93a.
Thomas Lermwnd (callit rymor becaus he spak mekill prophice) the erll of Marche inquirit … of tidans a1538 Abell 93a.
The tidanis of the kingis deid 1540 Lynd. Sat. 653 (B).
Tha tydanis confortis all my hairt 1551 Hamilton Cat. 149.
Quhen we heir tydanis tald us of thingis doine in strange, and far cuntreis, we geve mair credence to a man that hais dwellit in that cuntre, than to ane uthir man that was nevir thairin 1551 Hamilton Cat. 93.
Tydans 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1913.
The knicht heiring thir sorrowfull tidance [etc.] 1567–8 Q. Mary in Facs. Nat. MSS III lvii.
Y refer al tydens to the birar bot pres you to vreit al neus to mi c1590 Fowler I 279/135.
Newes of joy and tiddance of trew grace c1595 Maxwell Mem. II 179.
For thydanis, ȝe sall understand that the Baittepland is devydit, and the marchis set betuex Ingland and Scotland(f) c1450-2 Howlat 812 (B).
Tareit as tratour and brocht na tadingis 1544 Corr. M. Lorraine 72.
Plesit yowr grays to wet as for tayandes, the Lord of Kelmawris … on Fowresday last was [etc.](g) 1545 Douglas Corr. 154.
I ville nocht say to ȝow that alle thir teydens off Franse ar trewe 1569 Events Q. Mary & Jas. VI 24.
Teddens a1578 Pitsc. I 115/19.
He gart the word gang to the Erle of Douglas eiris … Thir tedingis cummand to the Erle of Douglas [etc.](h) 1428 Ayr B. Ct. 121a.
To man to spere tians xiiii d. a1605 Montg. Flyt. 66 (T).
We will heir tyance [H. tythance] peild pelletproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1628.
Travailars gets ay tydingsattrib. 1497 Crim. Trials I i 116.
To Stevin Nesbit … for siclike tithingis bringing to the king

b. Newsworthy events. 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 108.
And as for tythingis thar occurris nocht mony in thir partis

3. ? An incident or difficulty. c1420 Wynt. v 7.
Mary … But thythyng [see f.n. to C. in Amours edn., in Laing edn. as [threttyng]], thrawyng or dises Or ony smyt … delyveryd wes Off hyr a sown