Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

We, Wee, pers. pron. Also: ve(e, wie. [ME and e.m.E. we (a1250), wee (Cursor M.), OE we.]See also Our possess. pron. and Us pers. pron. for further examples.

1. First person plural, nominative case: Denoting the speaker and one or more other individuals with whom he associates himself in subject position in the sentence.(a) 1375 Barb. ii 296.
We sall speid ws swagat that we Sall be all redy till assembill a1400 Leg. S. i 457.
Symon to Petir and Paul … Sad ‘Gyf I may nocht noy ȝow here, Ve sal son cum quhare that ȝe on a day sal bath jugit be' 1401 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 8.
We ar thai at wald at gud acord war betwex yhu & hym c1420 Wynt. viii 5795, 5797, 5799.
Till his feris sayd Ramsay We mon sumdelle in till this fycht Wyrk … wyth slycht Yhe se that thai ar ma than we; Bot … We sall [etc.] ?14.. Ship Laws c. 17 (H2).
The maistir aw to say to his fallowis [etc.] … and thai aw to say sa sall we a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 323.
I rede we cast ws betuene How best is to done c1475 Wall. i 307, 310.
Wallace ansuerd, said ‘Westermar we will … Will God I leiffe we sall ws wreke on part' a1500 Seven S. 90.
Than said Cato … I reid we se gif all our werk Into this child effect has tane c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 148/54.
Both thow and I most in the court appeir … With sum rewaird we mane him quyt againe 1535 Stewart 1024.
Than we and tha sall [etc.] 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 313.
We Gabriel Byschop, Nicolas Van Brook, and Philip Vermont … in our contract we ar bund to spynne [etc.] 1619 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 94.
We … was … feasted boith be the Inglisch and Scottisch collegis(b) 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 35.
To cheis ane of ws … vnder quhais counsale … wee schall fecht 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2832.
[Spiritualitie:] To that, my lords, wee plainlie disassent; Noter, thairof I tak ane instrument 1598 Melvill Propine 12.
Neither knaw wee what thy glory requires … na not our awin neids 1603 Philotus 708.
Ȝea harlote, trowit thow for to skip? Sen I haue gottin of thé ane grip … I sall thy nurture nip Richt scharply or wee sched 1631 Justiciary Cases I 186.
Wee haif beene pleased to remit him thither to be tryed 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 169.
The wind being faire wee came the lenth of Dort by 5 1660 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 13.
Wee wold put your lordship in myn of these favorable expressionis your lordship wes pleased to mention in your letter 1661 Carstairs Lett. 85.
Wee are at a losse by misreports(c) 1659 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 250.
In respect off thie shortnes off tym thie presbyterie of Aberdein hade to considder the … paper, wie shall not [etc.] 1659 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 252.
And, for our selffs, wie was, and will bee, verie loath to make such a preparative

b. Where the speaker and associated persons are defined by a following word, phrase or clause. 1385 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 7.
We thre before nemnyt 1391 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 3.
We the forsaid Wauter and Howisun 1490 Irland Mir. I 51/6.
We that are … Cristin pepill 1490 Irland Mir. III 9/5.
We all and thai that ar tocum eftir ws a1500 Seven S. 217.
He sall go with me To chalmer or we twa dissevere He sall speike c1515 Asl. MS I 193/16.
Thar was neuer land … so fre … as we Scottis in Scotland c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 448.
For certis we wemen We set us [etc.] 1548 Reg. Soltre 217.
Ve … prowest … and … prebendaris of the said college 1602 Colville Paraenese 91.
Vee blind oulles and molds 1603 Philotus 1159.
How could wee twa disagree

c. Used of indefinite numbers of persons whom the speaker associates with himself in general statements, including his readership, contemporaries, fellow countrymen, etc. c1420 Wynt. i 620, 621.
Quhat walde He for ws all set Gyff we tyll Hym walde do oure det Bot fra Hys wyll quhen that we wryth [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 22.
For as we se, ane bow that ay is bent Worthis vnsmart 1490 Irland Mir. III 37/10, 11.
Obeyand to God our merit is richt gret for and ve saw the diuersite betuix the hoste consecrat and it that is nocht consecrat and than trowit, the verite thar of we seruit na merit na reward c1515 Asl. MS I 185/17.
Of the quhilk Scota … we war callit Scottis a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 124/8.
Be this … maner of spekynge ve man onderstand the equalite of the Sone with the Father 1596 Dalr. I 13/1.
Thair was S. Ninian the oy as we beleiue of S. Martine 1596 Dalr. I 69/13.
For gif we walde think of euerie beginning of euerie natione … twa thingis … sal we find [etc.] 1602 Colville Paraenese 45.
If vee suld grant that heresie ver allvhar as the veritie is alluhar 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xiii.
From Adam to Abraham … wee neyther reade of kirks nor buriales 1608 Soc. Ant. XI 415.
As for sol minerall wee have enoughe in Scotland 1629 Boyd Last B. 11.
Though lawfullie wee may desire death … for to bee with Christ [etc.] 1706 Sibbald Hist. of Picts in Misc. Scot. I ii 72.
What we call broad Scots

d. transf.Contextually denoting the author or narrator.Barb. ix 295 may be a further example of c above. 1375 Barb. i 381.
He wes nocht sa fayr that we Suld spek gretly off his beaute 1375 Barb. ix 295.
Now ga we to the king agayne c1475 Wall. x 1164.
Off Wallace mar in sum part spek will we

2. Denoting a single person: Used by a ruler or a person in high authority of himself, chiefly in letters or documents of a formal character. 1380 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 3.
Ws Robert Erle of Fyf … til have [etc.] … that we sal be helpare and consalour [etc.] … in to [the] witnesyne of this oure seale we have gert be put to 1381 Douglas Chart. 29.
We … grantis for vs … that [etc.] 1389 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 15.
Robert Erle of Fyf … to the custumers [etc.] … as it apperis be the forsaid chartir confermyt be our mast souereigne … lorde … the kyng of Scotland Robert … to yow … be the tenour of this lettre fermely we bid & commandes [etc.] c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 20.
Reuerent fadyr in Cryst gyf yhe haue in remembrance we [sc. the king] wrate till yhow in owre other lettres [etc.] c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
We [sc. the Earl of March] lat yhow wyt that [we] wyll gerre rayse tyll vs all the fermes [etc.] … for vs thynk ve are nocht haldyn to do fauour [etc.] 1393 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 27.
Thrw this present lettres vs Thomayse of Dunbarr, Eryl of Murreffe, for tyl hafe grauntyt [etc.] … the qwhilkis we hafe consayvit hurtis gretly thaire fredome c1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 50.
Water Stewart lorde of Innerdonyn til Wylyhame of Qwytson his balyhe sendys gretyn, to thé we byde & comande thir lettris [etc.] 1406 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 63.
Til al that thir lettres herys … Archebalde Erle of Douglas … greting, forthy that we hafe made … our lufit squyer [etc.] … we wil & grantis & be thir present lettres we gif [etc.] 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 569.
We George Erle of Huntley, Lord Gordoun and great chancellour of Scotland, and we Archibald Erle of Ergile, Lord Campbell and Lorne and greit justiciar of the said realme, it mott be kend [etc.] … how we being informit [etc.] 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 570.
The said Erle of Murray … came in the chamber of us the Erle of Ergile in the morning we being in our bed 1584 Cal. Sc. P. VII 176.
Forasmuch as since the accepting of the regiment on our person we [sc. James VI] have chiefly endeavoured to establish [etc.] 1597 Warrender P. (SHS) II 334.
In primis forsamekill as we [sc. James VI] ar informed [etc.]