A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1658
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Bete, Beit, v.1 Also: beitt, beyt, beet, biet, beat, bet, bette; p.t. bet; p.p. bet (ybet), bett, bait; beitit (beited), beittit, beatit. [ME. beete, bete, ONhb. bœ́ta, OE. bétan, ON. bœ́ta (with cognates in other Germ. languages), f. bót Bute n.]
1. tr. To relieve or mitigate (distress, need, etc.). a1400 Legends of the Saints v. 229.
In entent thare bale to bete a1400 Ib. xxii. 253.
Al thare mystere he can bet a1400 Ib. xxvi. 469.
Thai ordenyt gret landis to bet The schath c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 153.
Thar petuous mene as than couth nocht be bett a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1224.
Ȝour baggis than may no thing beit ȝour bale c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 128.
He … may nought beit worth a bene in bed of my mystirs a1568 Scott xiii. 23.
To ȝow … quha ma my baillis beit 1566–7 Rec. Earld. Orkney 286.
Twa settingis meill gevin to me to beit my misteris
b. To amend, correct, or make good. a1400 Legends of the Saints vi. 320.
For to bete his mysded a1400 Ib. xvi. 144.
In hope that scho syne [= sin] mycht bete 1535 Stewart 21230.
In euerie place quhair faltis war to beit
2. To relieve (a person) of something; to assist or aid. a1400 Legends of the Saints xxiv. 522.
Vthyr of lepyre he can bet a1400 Ib. xliv. 60.
Thi treutht has … bete [hir] wele of all hire bale c1420 Ratis Raving 1070.
Quha wyll abyd, and be nocht bet … , Is seldin lord of his delyte c1460 Thewis of Wysmen 391.
Thai … clamys of kyne to mychty men, That thai trow may thaim mend or beit c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 18.
With stuff of houshald … he thaim bett c1475 Ib. viii. 1389.
The queyn fand weyll, langage no thing hyr bet a1500 Henr. III. 146/5.
Luf ws fra barret betis a1500 Prestis of Peblis 154.
War nane in baile bot wele thai couth thaim bete c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 69.
Keip ordour, and poore niechtbouris beit 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 233.
To beyt thir amorus of thar nychtis baill a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS clxxv. 37.
Sum man … with mett and claythis hes him bet
3. To make up or mend (a fire). 1375 Barb. xix. 497.
Thai bet thair fyres and maid thame mair a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 593.
Lynt to bet the fyr of hell c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii. 1053.
Thai … bet the fyr with brwndys brym and bauld a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 142.
Sone was the supper dicht, and the fyre bet 1513 Doug. iii. viii. 144.
Quhen he lyst gant or blaw, the fyre is bet 1513 Ib. viii. vii. 91.
Lyke as the puyr wife … rysys forto beit hir fyre a1540 Freiris Berw. 133.
This fair wyfe … the fyre cowld beit 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 64.
Thai band him to the chymlay … and so thai began to bait the fyre c1590 J. Stewart 20/201.
Flow as scho vill, ȝitt sall I biet the low
b. To make greater or stronger; to increase. a1400 Legends of the Saints xvi. 621.
His deuocione to bete c1460 Consail Wys Man 40.
Byrnand wordis bettes ire
4. To repair or mend; to make good again; to supply deficiencies in.(a) 1488 Treasurer's Accounts I. 95.
To George of Crafurde to beyt the Kingis stabil 1489 Ib. 129.
[For] the Kingis schip … to vittal hir and beyt hir grayth that wantit 1512 Ib. IV. 297.
Item, to beit the standaris of the Margret, xxvj elnis 1513 Doug. i. viii. 105.
To … take Tymmyr to beit ayrris 1513 Ib. iv. ii. 23.
[Scho wald] Renew and beyt the sacrifyce all day 1533 Boece iii. iii. 94.
Thinking he … in the present tyme wald beit his schippis 1534–5 Linlithgow Pal. 326.
For 600 slait to beit and mend the place 1543 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 112.
The … counsall hes feyit Moreis Crawfurd to mak, beitt, and mend thair calsay 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 26.
The said Wylyem bygand, beittand and uphaldand the tan half of the said bait 1584 Red Bk. Menteith II. 423.
To big & beit an part … of the said park dyk 1594 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 122.
To caus beitt and help the ruif of the Tolbuith of Leyth in things necessar 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 23 b.
Thomas had alreddie causeit beit & mend the foirsaid boitt quhair scho wes hurt 1635 Thanes of Cawdor 278.
To big, beitt, mend, repair, & uphald the said castell 1646 Lanark B. Rec. 329.
Quhilk bridge … is lykelie to decay except the same be tymeouslie beatit and reparit 1658 Orkney Rentals App. 59.
The roofe of the school, quhich is liklie to goe to ruine, if it were not beited this winter —absol. 1572 Satirical Poems xxxiii. 188.
The prouerb is: … Better in tyme to beit nor efter to big(b) 1533 Boece iii. iii. 94.
Having the remanent [ships] weill bet 1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 20.
The westmost … chope, giffand xs yeir, because it is at the erd and nocht bet 1566 Reg. Privy C. I. 446.
Thair Hienessis … commandit all thing quhilk wes fallin in decay to be amendit and bet 1584 Ib. III. 678.
The palice … requires to be bett and reparit 1602 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs II. 142.
The skipper sall caus beitt the ship … , gif sche may be bett agane
b. In p.p. Made, constructed, constituted. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. Prol. 14.
Vapours hote, richt fresche, and weill ybet 1513 Id. Æn. ii. iv. 86.
That myschancy monstre, quently bet 1513 Ib. iv. viii. 104.
Within hir palace ȝet … was a tempil bet Of marbill
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"Bete v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bete_v_1>
