A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Wasty, Waisty, adj. Also: wastie, waistie, vaistie. [ME wasti (c1230), wasty (Wyclif).] a. Desolate, deserted; unoccupied. Chiefly wasty wanes, empty dwellings. b. Laid waste, damaged.a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xx 37.
Thare in-to [a] wasty stede Heremytis lyf wel lang he lede 1587-99 Hume 70/61.
Barran Syrt, and wastie Scythia(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2440.
Ones, It was a faire rowme, wasty wones c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 150/18.
First of all in dance wes Pryd With hair wyld bak and bonet on syd Lyk to mak waistie [B. vaistie, M. waste] wanis 1513 Doug. xii viii 6 (Sm.).
Alhaill the barnage flokkis furth atanis, Left voyd the tovn and strenth with waisty wanis a1570-86 Maitl. F. 242/2.
Brissit brawnis and brokin banis Stryf discorde and waistie wanis Cruikit in eild syn halt with all Thir are the bewteis of the fute baleb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xiv 29 (M).
Sic feinȝet flawis so mony waistie wawis Within this land wes never hard nor sene
