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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Dyke, Dike, n. Also: dik, dyk, dyik, diyk; dyck(e, dick; deik(e, deick, deyk, daik, deck. [ME. dyk(e, dik(e, dick, OE. díc.]

1. A ditch or fosse.(a) c 1230 Liber Dryburgh 115.]
[Usque ad fossatum quod vocatur Wattirdike 1375 Barb. ix. 353.
He gert assay quhar of the dik the schawdest was Ib. 387. Ib. x. 795.
Schir Edward … Had … doungyn doune the castellis all Richt in the dik, bath tour and wall c1420 Wynt. iv. 101 (C).
He gert be drawyn dikis deipe About the wallis c1475 Wall. ii. 125.
Atour the dike thai ȝeid on athir side; Schott doun the wall Ib. vi. 822.
Dede our the roch in to the dik he fell a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 408.
Maneris full menskfull, with mony deip dike(b) 1375 Barb. viii. 172.
Thre dykis ourthwort he schar, Fra bath the mossis to the vay Ib. xvii. 363.
Thai went in hy toward the toune, And fillit dykis richt hastily a1400 Leg. S. vii. 669.
Than our the wal thai vald tham cast, Til the dykis nere full ware c1420 Wynt. iv. 101.
He gert be drawyn dykis depe Abowt the wallys Ib. viii. 3585.
Wyth thai fagottis thai thowcht that thai Suld dyt the dykis suddanly ?1438 Alex. ii. 4016.
Quha thinkis to fecht at great battaill At dykes [F. fossé] and walles suld nocht assaill c1475 Wall. vii. 968.
That toune thai may nocht kep; The wallis ar laych, suppos the dyk be depe a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 239.
Ane wane … , beside ane riveir, With doubill dykis bedene drawin our all 1535 Stewart 43817.
Ane ald man … Neirby the gait wes makand dykis thair Delfand full fast 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 102.
In to dykis by dint it deidly dang thame 1596 Dalr. I. 145/19.
That ouir dykes and dubis [L. fossas] … thay sould spang and leip

2. A wall (of earth, turf, or stone) made for enclosure or defence or as a dividing line.Very common after 1530. Also with numerous defining terms prefixed, as fauld, feild, garden, heid, hill, kailȝaird, kirk, kirkȝaird, loning, march, park, stane, ward, ȝaird dyke, q.v. under these words.(a) a 1325 Liber Calchou 362.]
[Ad murum qui dicitur Swtercrophtdyk c1420 Wynt. iv. 16.
He … wallyt it rycht welle wythoute Wyth dykis off fale and mwde aboute 1473 Acta Aud. 28/1.
The wrangwis occupacion of a berne … and bigging of a dyke onne his landis c1475 Wall. iii. 133.
A maner dyk off stanys thai had maid c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 9.
I drew in derne to the dyk to dirkin efter mirthis 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 104.
The fomy ryver … The dykis and the schoris bettis doun Ib. vii. Prol. 59.
The wynd maid waif the red wed on the dyke 1533 Boece v. v. 172 b.
The confederate naciouns … brak the dyke 1550 Breadalbane Coll. MS. No. 73.
The said Iohne … sall … big ane sufficient dyk about ilkane of the saidis ȝairdis 1572 Buccleuch MSS. I. 22.
He said he sould rather ly deid under a dyk in S[cotland] nor to seik refuge againe in England 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 773.
Vpon ane dyke doun was he sett, … And sat thair till his schone wes dicht 1596 Dalr. I. 203/30.
Victor commandet to erect the dyk betuene Abircorne and Clyd-mouth agane 1621 Misc. Spald. C. V. 222.
The said Jon sall poynd for ewere man, womane, hors or nolt … apprehendit within the said dyks c1650 Spalding I. 136.
Thay … buskit veray advantagiouslie thair muskattis round about the dykis of the kirk yaird 1667–8 Glasgow Chart. II. 353.
For mending the dyk on the new greenfig. 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 191.
Because the said Dauid is nocht sufficientlie eleckit [as officer] and enterit be the dure thairto, bot intrusit and cumin our the dyke(b) ? 1434 Liber Aberbr. 67.
Fra thyne passand sowth vest … and swa one to the Blynd or the Beld Stane ondyr the dikys of the Brakkys 1488 Acta Aud. 117/2.
The citineris … has erit and brokin the erde, maid dikis and faldis within the saidis landis 1505–6 Peebles B. Rec. 33.
The actioun … for the wrangwis … dovnecasting of thar dikis and merchis of the sammyn [lands] 1531 Bell. Boece I. 251.
Thay wer commandit to big ane heich dike … to devide thaim fra Britonis; and gif ony Pichtis transcendit this dike, to be punist 1557 Inverness B. Rec. I. 9.
The said Merting [is] decernit to big the said dik as it was of befoir in the ald place 1561–2 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 162.
For thair wagis … in casting of the red and seiking of the ground of the said dike(c) 1547 Prot. Bk. W. Corbet 8.
Passand … as the ald dyik gangis on to the fwt of the lone 1563 Echt-Forbes Chart. 98.
Hauldand southwart the said auld dyik to the southwest cruik thairof 1598 Reg. Great S. 387/1.
The dyikis bigit at the north syid of that pairte of the samin Waird-ley 1618 Urie Baron Ct. 26.
The gairdine dyik of Wry 1621 Ib. 37.
To repair the lairdis ȝaird dyik 1670 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 140.
The dyik the merchant hospitall is building about the Craigs(d) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 128.
The papistrie, … as it come in over the dycke, so sould it be shot ouer the dycke againe 1658 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 539.
For building of the dyck about the north side of the Blackfrier Kirk 1672 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 281.
For vpholding ane pairt of the fabrick of the kirks and dycks about the said kirkyard 1699 Conv. Burghs IV. 285.
In soe far that the dycks by these tydds and speats are caried away

3. a. Comb. with bigger, brekar. 1522 Stirling B. Rec. I. 17.
Ane kow and ane sowe that war commoun dik brekares 1621 Black Bk. Taymouth 312.
Dauid Haidman the dyik bigger

b. Attrib. with fute, hede, nuik, pot, side, spade. 1632 Lanark B. Rec. 324.
That pairt … of Braxismos quhilk is foiranent the dyik fute 1472 Prestwick B. Rec. 21.
John Smythtis quartar [was] at the dikhedis 1596 Reg. Great S. 194/1.
Discending thairfra eistwart to the said common gait and west dyknuik thairat of the Hiltoun-fauld 14.. Acts I. 70/2.
Fra this tym furth thar sal be na iugment done [on hym] thruch dykpot [L. fossam] na yrn 1562 Charter (Reg. H.) Suppl. 11 April.
The south half of the buttis of the schoirt ffassat with the lone dike syde a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) 18.
Seldome lyes the devil dead by the dyke side 1661 Soc. Ant. XXII. 254.
She … was forced to lie at ane dykesyde all night 1546 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XXI. 84 b.
Ane peit sped, … ane dik sped 1573 Edinb. Test. III. 30 b.
Ane flauchter spaid, ane peit spaid, tua dyke spaidis