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: 1381-1685
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Carpet, Carpit, n. Also: carped. [e.m.E. carpet, carpit, ME. carpette, karpete, OF. carpite, med. L. carpeta, -ita.] A thick table-cloth or coverlet; a floorcarpet. Also fig. 1381 Exchequer Rolls III. 63.]
[Per solucionem factam … pro carpitis et matras, liberatis ad cameram regis ?1438 Alex. ii. 3711.
In silkin carpets [F. tapis] on the grece [= grass] Auld Cassamus gart bring the ches c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 281.
Scho gert graith wp a burd be the hous side, Wyth carpettis cled a1500 Bk. Chess 915.
He laid his sqwyer in to his lordis bed, And vnder carpet brocht this lord furth led 1513 Doug. i. xi. 13.
Apon ryche beddis sydis, … Ourspred with carpettis of the fyne purpour c1420 Wynt. iii. 94 (W).
Scho … happit him syne and gert hym ly Wnder a carpit [R. tapyte] prevely 1535 Stewart 36359.
In lynnyng clayth … Tha wand his cors and syne into reid silk, Wnder ane carpet of ane cullour cleir 15.. Clariodus ii. 1342.
Skaffaldis … Ouerspred with Mayis carpits of verdoure
b. Attrib. with chair, (tabil)cloath, cussing. 1647 Edinburgh Testaments LXIII. 237 b.
Ane fyne ca[r]pet cloath to the round boord 1651 Buccleuch Mun. II. 290.
Aucht carped cussings 1652 Edinburgh Testaments LXVI. 150.
Four old carpett tabill cloathes 1669 Ib. LXXIV. 36 b.
Tuo old wainscot chyres and ane carpit chyr c 1670 Douglas Chart. 343.
In the dyneing rowme ther is four carpit chyre, ane old armed chyre [etc.] 1673 Leith Customs 16.
18 carpet cheares 1685 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries LVIII. 358.
2 dozen of carpet chayers
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"Carpet n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/carpet_n>


