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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tuiching(e, Tweching(e, vbl. n. Also: tuech(e)-, tueych-, twi(t)ch-, twych(e)-, tweych-, touch- and -yng, -in(e, -eine. [ME and e.m.E. touchingue (c1290), touchyng (a1400), touching (c1400), towchynge (c1460).]

1. Touching, physical contact, an instance of this. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 1.) a1400 Leg. S. xliv 33.
A woman that of tweching Of Cristis heme but vthir thing, Of sic seknes gat hele quyt 1456 Hay II 48/10.
That his handis wirk na misgovernaunce in taking of wrangwise gudis … na making of unlefull condiciouns, and unlefull touchingis 1490 Irland Mir. I 136/31.
The foulis and wild bestis tholis na grapin na twichin 1490 Irland Mir. I 157/7.
This froit … in guste, in twiching, it has all manere of plesaunce and dilectacioune 1492 Myll Spect. 274/3.
Tuichingis 1533 Bell. Livy II 93/28.
Throw twiching of the beistis come grete maladeis … amang the landwart pepill c1552 Lynd. Mon. 833.
Off twycheyng als thay had delyte, Off vtheris bodeis soft and quhyte Arundel MS 253/423.
I … pure synnar, hes offendit thé oure mekill … in fowsum twiching, in drinking and lesingis [etc.] 1562-3 Winȝet II 61/16.
Eschew … as fra a viper, as fra a scorpioun … leste thai slay thee nocht onlie be tueching, bot also be thair sicht and venemous aind 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 66.
Our saull cannot be joyned nor bound with the flesh of Christ … but be ane spirituall band; not by ane carnall band of blood … nor be the twitching of his flesh with our flesh 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. xi 6.
Hands, forbeare to tuich Oght ȝour tuiching can bewitch! 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) ii 37.
Folks, by touching, get the meazles 1688 Tryal Philip Standsfield 15.
The touching of the neck with the cleik … was sufficient to have made the blood … congeal

b. The sense of touch. c1420 Ratis R. 228.
Gyf thow the fyfft [sense] wndirstandis, That is the tueching of thi handis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 15/12.
The wrang spending of my wittis five: In hering, seing, tuiching, gusting, smelling 1551 Hamilton Cat. 206.
We see with our eyne the figure of breid and wyne … we taist with our mouth the gust of breid and wyne, we feil with our twiching the hardnes of breid and the liquore of wyne

2. The act of touching with the hands in order to heal, or with the effect of healing; the laying on of hands. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 2.) a1400 Leg. S. xii 425.
Vthyre blynde [war] made … That he gert se thare clerly Of his handis thru the twechinge a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 133.
Tweching 1533 Boece 291b.
Elabe … having his son of lang tyme crepill, be the onelie twiching of Germane gat him to heill restorit 1600-1610 Melvill 657.
We saw the royall ceremonie of tuiching of some diseased childrein for hailling off sume of the escrolles, commounly callit the kingis seicknes

3. The act of touching as a symbolic gesture. a. In swearing an oath. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 3 a.) b. To indicate agreement to something. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 3 b.) c. To indicate royal assent. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 3 d.) d. To witness a document. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 3 c.)a. 1531 Prot. Bk. J. Brydin No. 142.
Deuly sworn be faith and trouth in their bodeis and tweychin the haly evangill 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 198b.
Thai ar all sworne in plane covrt befor alderman and balȝeis and communite be tueychin of the haly evangellb. 1555–6 Prot. Bk. Gilbert Grote 7.
[David Spence … had become surety for him to the said Oswald,] … be tuecheing and wphalding of thair handis to vtherisc. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 186.
The king in proper persone come to the tolbuith and be the twiching of the sceptore did ratifie all thingis done befoird. 1647 Maxwell Mem. I 339.
The tuichinge of the pen of the nottir

4. Meddling, interference, damage. (Tu(i)ch(e v. 9.) 1558-66 Knox I 230.
The foirsaid four personis … departed, without harme done to the persone of any, or without tueching of any thing that apparteaned to the king, the capitane, or the house

5. With reference to lines in musical notation: Crossing, passing through. Cf. Tu(i)ch(e v. 6. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 4b.
The pausis ar decernit be dyvers twiching of lynis

6. The action of magnetising a compass by contact with a magnet. 1589 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 1b.
For tuecheine our compeses vii s.