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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.

Fecht, Feicht, v. Also: fechtt, feght, feycht, faicht. P.t. facht, fawcht, faucht(e, faught, focht. P.p. fochtin(e, -tyn, -ten, -tne, fochtteine, foghten(e, fowchtyn, fowychtyn, fouchtin(e, -tyn, -ten, foughtin; fochin, foichin, fouchin, -en; foughin, fauchin, faughin. [ME. feghte, feȝte, feihten, fehten, OE. feohtan, fehtan (ONhb. fehta). Cf. Ficht v.]

1. intr. To fight, engage in fighting.a. (a) 1375 Barb. vi. 155.
Quhat sal we say Quhen a man fechtis aganis vs all Ib. xii. 131.
The Erle … that fechtand was a1400 Leg. S. i. 259.
Quhene twa fechtis, pece sal be Quhen we the tane vincust se c1420 Wynt. v. 1454.
Scho saw quhare men ware fechtande fast Ib. vi. 844.
To fecht wyth hym thai ware sa yherne 1459 Peebles B. Rec. 132.
Gyf euir the sayd Thom distrowbyllis or fechtis … with that party or ony other nychtburis a1500 Bk. Chess 981.
It causis thaim to turne thair bak & fle Quhen thai suld fecht c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 65.
Thow speiris, dastard … gif I dar with thé fecht c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 742.
That men micht weill wit, … That shippis wer on the sey fechtand a1578 Pitsc. I. 76/3.
Wtheris … doubting quhither they sould fecht … or flie … war cruellie slaine 1603 Moysie 14.
They wer purposit to fecht for the libertie of the King or elis to die 1622-6 Bisset II. 233/4.
Gif they gae at adventour of the seæ to fechtfig. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1108.
Men of gude conditioun, … Fechtand with lust, presumptioun, and pryde c1500-c1512 Dunb. xv. 44.
To fecht with fortoun is no wit 1533 Gau 11/6.
Ve suld fecht aganis our euil desiris 1573 Sat. P. xl. 344.
Quha planely fechtis aganis all vprichtnes 1609 Gardyne Garden 35.
Yow, the faithfull, that are fechtand here(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 2248.
The lele Scottis men, That in that feld ware feychtand then Ib. 6708.
That thai mycht In nowmyre of thai xxx feicht 1456 Hay I. 270/4.
Sen thai ar in clos felde, and be ordynaunce of justice suld feicht 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 238 b.
It is necessare that he feicht and mak battall agane the innemeis of Ihesu a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 453.
Mair honor is to vanquisch ane, Nor feicht with tensum and be tane 1633 Dundonald Par. Rec. 372.
Being fund tuilzeing and feychting with ane wther man wpone the Saboth day(c) 1513 Doug. i. vii. 130.
Amyd the thowsandis egyrly feghtis sche Ib. ii. vi. 40; etc.
We thocht maist semly in a feld To be feghtand 1558-66 Knox II. 78.
Yf we be a thousand and thei ten thousand, thei dar not feght a1578 Pitsc. I. 332/7.
Sum to feight witht the tuo handit suord a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxiii. 26.
Far rather had I ȝeild, Than feght and tyn the feild 1674 Highland P. II 265.
Armed men … in a posture ready to feightb. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 714.
He sped hyme fast & with thaim facht 1470 Peebles B. Rec. 164.
Quhatsumeuir thai war that barganyt and facht … thai sal be had to the tolbuth c1515 Asl. MS. I. 227/11.
James of Douglas … facht in the barres at Striuling 1531 Bell. Boece I. 127.
Hir dochteris wer … , brocht armit, as thay facht, to Suetonius 1571 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 91.
The barras in the quhilk Iohne Coupance and Schir Patrik Hammyltoun facht in Edinburgh(b) 1375 Barb. i. 468.
Thai … Fawcht in-to mony stalwart stour Ib. iii. 20. c1420 Wynt. v. 4362.
In hast he come agayne, And wytl hym fawcht Ib. viii. 5724; etc.
Thai fawcht a qwhille rycht cruelly c1475 Wall. viii. 968.
Twys thai fawcht, suppos thai war myschewit a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk 51 (B).
That prince … fawcht with him … And tuke him presoneir(c) 1375 Barb. xvii. 144.
The Ynglis men faucht cruelly a1400 Leg. S. xl. 1219.
He … faucht & flat with Niniane c1420 Wynt. iii. 575; etc.
That cumpany … mowyd were and faucht 1456 Hay I. 48/24.
The quhilk [dragon] that consul of Rome faucht with, and slew it a1500 Bk. Chess 1025.
Ane duke thare was … That daylye faucht and dayly aye he wan 1531 Bell. Boece I. 153.
The bowmen … faucht with swerdis and litil buklaris c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 50.
Sir Lancelote du Lake … Faucht neuer better with sword nor knyfe 1596 Dalr. I. 189/15.
Quhen sche first fauchte in the feild 1622-6 Bisset I. 59/21.
Alexander … faucht with his father at the said battall(d) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 570.
Thus thai faught vpone fold, with ane fel fair 15.. Clar. v. 2325.
As two wyld boaris irouslie thay faught a1578 Pitsc. I. 49/13.
They pullit out suordis and faught right cruellie 1625 Garden Kings 5.
This Prince … Faught contrare both his fortune and his foes 1640 4th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 512/2.
Ane stone … quhilk Sir Coline Campbell … woir quhen he faught in battell(e) a1578 Pitsc. I. 29/16.
Johne Colquhoun … focht at Loch Lummond 1585 James VI Ess. 17.
As if they foght in skyesc. (a) c1420 Wynt. v. 4371.
Quhen that he hade fowychtyn fast Ib. viii. 4219.
Quhen thai thus had fowchtyn fast 1456 Hay I. 170/5.
Quhen the peple of God suld have fouchtyn with the inymyes of God 1533 Gau 99/6.
Thay fled in the day quhen thay suld haiff fouchtine 1531 Bell. Boece I. 74.
It had bene mair honest to thaim … to have fouchtin maist strangly to the deid 1649 St. A. Presb. 146.
He had foughten with him, but accidentaly(b) c1475 Wall. v. 140.
Inglismen dempt … at the Scottis had fochtyn amang thaim sell 1531 Bell. Boece I. 104.
Thay had fochtin fra the dawing to the midday 1582 Waus Corr. I. 257.
He wald haff fochtin in deffense of that woman aganis me(c) 1535 Stewart 38740.
Thai … fochin had als lang thair as tha mocht 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1816.
The hound werie, and fochin furth his fill 1570 Leslie 226.
Gif thay should haif fochin 1607 Dundonald Par. Rec. 149.
Symon Mvir [delated] … to haif fochin on the Trvne with John Ald 1635 Maxwell Mem. 441.
Wee heir that Colonell Hepburne hes fochin in Loren(d) 1535 Stewart 38918.
Canutus, quhilk fouchin had so lang 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 172.
The Hamiltonis … belevit that the said erle of Mar wald haue fouchen(e) a1578 Pitsc. I. 329/1.
Because he … had faughin so cruellie befoir

2. tr. To fight (a battle). Chiefly in p.p. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 152.
The first battall was fochtin on dreich Id. Livy I. 161/3.
This batall was fochtin with mare cruelte than ony batall afore rehersit 1570 Leslie 23.
Thair wes fochtin ane gret battell 1596 Dalr. I. 265/21.
Quhen thir feildes war fochten a 1600 Misc. Spald. C. III. 216.
I knaw ye are to fecht a harde batle c1615 Chron. Kings 70.
This King also fachtt the battell of Hairlaw 1616 Crim. Trials III. 385.
He … offerit to haif fochin the singular combat with the said George c1650 Spalding II. 230.
Kentoun battle … hes in visioun bene sein fochten sevin sindrie times sensyne

3. With it as subject or object; or in passive without it. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 163/14.
Thus was it fouchtin at the louch of Regill 1533 Boece iii. viii. 103 b.
Certane tyme be duchtines of athir partie equalie was fochtin 1570 Leslie 176.
It wes crewellie fochin … with uncertane victorie 1572 Sat. P. xxxviii. 259.
Better it is to fecht it, … Nor for to se Frenchemen deflorand our wyfis a1578 Pitsc. I. 97/8.
It was lang fauchin and with great cruelltie c1650 P. Gordon Brit. Dist. 129.
It was couragiously foghten on both sydes

4. To fight with or against. a1578 Pitsc. I. 227/18.
The king of Ingland hard tell … how his schipis was so foughin and taine 1596 Dalr. I. 281/3.
Quhen Gregorie … fercely had fochtne thame, and dourlie dantount 1610 Crim. Trials III. 100.
Ȝe, be way of pirracie, faucht, assailȝeit, buirdit, and … tuik the number of sax schipis

5. To lead in battle. 1597 Skene Verb S. s.v. Arreragium.
The Erls of Angus … to quhom it perteins to fecht the Kingis wantgard