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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.

Vak(e, Vaik, v. Also: wak(e, vace, wac, vaike, waik(e, vaick(e, vaict, vayik, wayk, waek, vack(e, wack, vaack, vaque, veak, week. P.t. also wakkit, waikitt, vukit, woukit. P.p. also vaik(t. [e.m.E. vake (1543), OF vaquer, L. vacāre to be empty.] intr.

1. a. Of an office or position, esp. an ecclesiastical benefice: To become vacant; to be or remain unfilled. Also transf.pres. 1449 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 327.
The aldermane [etc.] … has gravntit the next paris clerkschipe that vakis … to William Forstar 1458 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 329.
Vake 1511 Lennox Mun. 195.
[They] sall dispone and gife the kirk, quhen it wakis, at thar will 1516 Reg. Privy S. I 432/2.
Quhilk office vakis now be resignatioun or dimissioun thairof made … be Patrik Wellis 1529–30 Stirling B. Rec. I 39.
Vak 1611 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 31.
Scarcely was Mr. Andrew Stevenson entered the chare, when another fell to vake, be the untymely death of Mr. Blase Colt 1671 Misc. Hist. Soc. I 267.
As for the Iles, … you desired it might vake and when I was desired St. Leonards might have the past vacancie [etc.](b) 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 71.
Kirkis in thar keping constitut thaim to graunt gif thai waik 1514 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 25.
The bischoprik of Abirdene waikis 1535 Stewart 44949.
As bischop, abbot, dene, archidene also, Hapnit to vaik … The haill restis in his hand suld remane 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II 174.
Gyf thair happynis ony seriand to deceis, or vtherwis thair offices to waik be resignatioun or depriving 1558 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 151.
Vaick 1560 Bk. Disc. 205.
Yff your honouris can not find … sa many able men as the necessitie requireth then … more proffitable it is that those provincis vaik till God provide better than [etc.] a1570-86 Balnaves in Maitl. F. 357/43.
Fra thow inlaikis to lay on straikis … Than thi rowme vaiks ane vther it taks 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 316.
Forsameikle as … half of the … senatouris of the colledge of justice … ar appointed to be of the spirituall estait and that certane places now vaikis, whairthrow thair is oftymes default of a full number 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 88/8.
Uaike 16… Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 79.
When a church vaiks, the patron must present within six moneths a fit person to the bishop 1607 Orkney Rentals App. 91.
Vaict 1637 Baillie I 47.
Vaicke c1680 W. Row Blair 566.
To return to their own kirks where they are vacant or when they shall vaik 1689 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 12.
Churches or vaccancies that … shall happen hereafter to vaick(c) 1615 Brechin Kirk S. 24 Oct.
Vack 1636 Letter from the Marquis of Hamilton 18/8 Dec.
When anie places vaackes they heave sildum beine conferred on absent persons(d) 1537–8 Acts Sederunt i 31.
On to the tyme the benefice waek(e) 1581 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 492.
Electioun is the cheising out of ane persoun or personis maist able to the office that veakisp.t. c1420 Wynt. v 1232.
The Papys sege … wakyt [W. waikit] … Fully fywe [yere] 1489 Acta Conc. I 122/1.
Vacit 1495 Acta Conc. I 385/1.
The … benefice was vnitt & incorporit to the sege of Sanctandrois and be that way the said benefice vakyt nocht in the court of Rome 1620 Aberd. B. Rec. II 370.
The said office waked be demissioun of Mr. Andro Aidye(b) c1420 Wynt. v 4116 (W).
Vaikit 1581 Sempill in Sat. P. xliii 179.
Thay cheisit him regent in that rowme that waikit 16.. Hist. Kennedy 55.
Waikitt(c) a1578 Pitsc. I 200 marg.
Quhen the benifice of Coldingham weekit and the king thocht to haue it to the chapel(d) c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis 3a.
So his hyenes hes given to thir ministeris all the haill bishopes ay as the [? = they] vukit and sundrie that woukit not his majestie bought them fra the possessoris and over placed ministeris in themp.p. 1640 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 417.
The principall of the … universitie hes waiked the space of auchteine monethis … be the deprivatioune of Doctor William Leslie, last principall 1642 Orkney Rentals iii 17.
Vaikttransf. 1429 Ayr B. Ct. 6 March.
Quar thar is na maris of fee in sum wardis and othir wardis wakis the schyerafe sall ches suffycyand and abylle personys

b. Of a possession, right or privilege, esp. a tenancy: To be lost to the tenant, etc., to lapse or fall in the handis of the superior. Also, once, with the tenant as subject, to lose his tenancy.(1) pres. 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I 197.
Gif it happynis the said Candow or Wil Red to forfaut thar takis, or thar takis to wayk … the said Gilcryst … sal bryng in tenandis 1477 Reg. Cupar A. I 209.
Vake 1483–4 Aberd. B. Rec. I 40.
Gif he … absentis him … the said pensionis sal vaik 1488 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 427.
Falyeand thyr condicionis … be nocht … kepit the said landis sal wak … in oure handis 1530 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 12 July.
That the craft … sell uphald thair altar … Or elts thair altar sell waik in the towns hand 1545 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 6.
Ane cotland, the first that ever fallis or vaikis in to his hand 1617 Stirling B. Rec. I 147.
The haill … unlawes … salhappin to fall and vaik within this burghe fra this furth quhill Michaelmas a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 163.
His lyfrent could not waik in the earle of Marr's hands (as superior) 1661 Decis. Lords G. 4.
It was found, that a stipend of a suspended minister did not vaque, the suspension being only interprete to be ab officio, non beneficiop.t. 1476 Acta Aud. 47/2.
Thare vakit a fisching of a cobil of Speye belanging to the said prioure 1526 Reg. Soltre 93.
Quhen our saidis landis wakkit be deces or resignacioun of thar antecessouris 1531 Bell. Boece II 249 heading.
How the noblis gaif to him [sc. King Malcolm] the wardis, releiffis, and mariage of thair airis, quhen thay waikitp.p. 1540 Wigtownshire Chart. 69.
Gif it happins the saids landis is vaik in the handis of the place [sc. of Glenluce] 1656 St. A. Presb. 173.
To have a notte of all the stipends which had wacked since the yeir 1651(2) 1567 Reg. Privy S. VI 13/1.
Quhen ony fre tennandis sal happin … to vaik be waird, releiff, nonentre or uthir wayis

c. Of a church service: To lack a celebrant. 1473 Peebles Chart. 21.
[They] sal haue ful power to vse the said patronage and to present a chapellane to the saide seruice als oft as it vaikis 1476–7 Peebles B. Rec. I 181.
Wac 1505 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 103.
That we haif powar to cheise ane chaiplane till do devyne seruice daylie at our said alter at all tymes quhen the samyn sall vaik 1527 Rankin St. A. Ch. 134.
Vace

d. Of a kingdom: To lack a king. Misc. Bann. C. III 39.
Becaus that the aire of Britane was maryit with a Scottis man quhen the kynryk vakit and Arthure was xv ȝeris ald thai maid him king

e. Of a thing, activity or event: To be or become lacking, to lapse, fall into disuse or fail. 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 188.
Quhen ocht sall vaik amangs our handis, That ilk man stand to help his fallow 1600-1610 Melvill 85.
The sabothes, at efter noone, vaked, because of Mr. Robert Hamilton's seiklines, wha was ordinar minister

f. Of a court: To go into recess, to cease to function. 1641 Baillie I 381.
That a warrand may be given to the justice-court, since all courts in tyme of parliament, without a warrant, did vaike, to sitt on Mr. John Stewart

g. Of a place: To become empty. a1538 Abell 37a.
Scotia vacat Scottis kingrik wakit the naturall induellaris expellit the space of 52 ȝere or thare abowt

2. Of a person. a. To attend upon (in), give one's attention or time to (a person or activity). Also without construction. b. To absent oneself fra (an activity). Also without construction.a. (1) 1456 Hay I 221/26.
The law levis all clerkis to vake in scolis and in studyis to leȝ sciences and literature 1501 Exch. R. XI 296 f.n.
Johne oure servitur is waik and ageit … quharethrow he may nocht gudly vaik on oure daily service 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1448.
All thir … on Venus' seruice vaikis 1528 Acta Conc. MS XXXVIII 188.
That thir lordis under writtin vaike daily apoun the secrete counsale 1533 Bell. Livy I 109/28.
He suld glaidlie vaik on thame the nixt morowe to dres all materis 1531 Exch. R. XVI 539.
The kingis grace has ordanit thame to vaik upoun thes present chekkir … and nocht to proceid bot apoun na materis bot chekkir materis c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 242.
Waike 1579–80 Reg. Privy S. VII 360/2, 361/1.
That he may the better vaik and attend thairupoun 1581 Burne Disput. 66b.
Quhidder gif thay … to vaick on … prayer, suld leue thair vyfis 1583 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 132.
That … ministeris may be found to waik on thair vocatioun 1596 Dalr. II 456/15.
Plesouris … tha gaue thame selfes to and vaikit on 1600-1610 Melvill 45.
To veak upon him as his sone and servant 1607 S. Leith Rec. 5.
Williame Clappertoune … sall vaike wpon the reader and execute all offices(2) 1531 Bell. Boece I 83.
This Ewin … banist ane certane of his nobillis … to the fine he micht the more esaly waik to his lust [Boece 100a, apon his plesouris vaik] 1533 Boece 311a.
That the persouns and vicaris … mycht mare eselie vaik to divine seruice to euery ane he assignit ane porcioun of land beside the kirk(3) 1517 Acta Conc. MS XXX 5.
The wardanis of the … marchis to vaike and convoy the Erle of Angus for the meting 1535 Stewart 7625.
Syne efter that, quhen he mycht better vaik, Ane epistill send to king Carataic 1566–7 Reg. Privy C. I 497.
The … Lordis of Secreit Counsall may nocht weill vaik at all tymes for the ordouring thairof being occupiit with uther wechtie materis 1583 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 82.
Ordanis that John Halkheid … with Robert Hey pas and confer with my lord … and cais the said Robert Hey may nocht vaik nominatis Alexander Boswell to pas with the baillieb. (1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1890.
Esope … Quhen that he waikit from mair autentik werk … this foirsaid fabill wrate 1531 Bell. Boece I 107.
To suffer thair pepill to waik [M. vayik] sumtime fra battal, to recover sum strenth 1533 Boece 77b.
Kirkmen had priuilege to vaik fra all weris 1590 St. A. Kirk S. 663.
Sche may nocht vaik fra the comptes of Crawfurdis service quhill Witsonday a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxv 4.
Quhan I may vaik fra service of the king 1641 Baillie I 365.
With libertie to vake from preaching whenever he pleased(2) 1644 Baillie II 191.
Our toyle is exceeding great; every day from eight in the morning [etc.] … only the Saturday free, and that for Sunday's preaching when sinle times any of us does vacke