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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.

Get, v.¹ Also: gete, gett, gait, gayt, geat, geitt, gitt. P.t. gat, gatt, gate, gaet, got(t. P.p. gotyne, gottyn, gottin(e, gottne; gettyn, -in(e, gaitten, gattyn, get(t. [ME. get(t, gette, gete (geten), ON. geta (gat, gátu, getenn). In ME. the new p.p. goten appears as early as the original geten.In early texts (Brus, Leg. S., etc.) in addition to the usual later infin. get. the form gete with normal lengthened vowel is evidenced by such rhyme-words as ete, mete, threte, even when the spelling get is used. In the Leg. S. there is also considerable confusion between the spellings get(e and gat(e.]

1. tr. To beget, to engender.(a) a 1350 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 14.
Heredibus … linialiter et non ex latere procreandis (gl. on side to be to gett) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 259.
That he mycht get & scho beyre barnis Ib. xlv. 161.
Thu tyrand, that thi flesch can get Of thi body, now it ete c1420 Wynt. i. 652.
Quhen thai ar thre yhere awlde, but let, Thair barnys all thai bere and get(b) a1400 Leg. S. xi. 362.
Tel gyf this dekyne gat thé Ib. xxx. 569.
This barne we bring to thé, … For dene Theodorus … it gat c1420 Wynt. vi. 489.
Hyr cubiculare By hyr lay, and gat a barne Ib. 1926.
He the Dewil wes, that hym gat a1500 Henr. Orph. 63.
A quene … Of quhom he gat this prince schir Orpheus a1500 Colk. Sow iii. 76.
A wirthy wyfe had he weddit, … on quhome a sone gat he 1567 G. Ball. 217.
Phisco … That gat Heliogabalus(c) 1397 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 166.
The ayrs male betwyx thayme to be gotyn 1402 Reg. Panmure II. 184.
The ayris betwene thaim lachfully gotyn c1420 Wynt. vi. 1902.
Gottyne he wes on ferly wys a1500 Henr. Fab. 790.
This foirsaid foxe … Had not ane barne wes gottin richteouslie 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 248/1.
Johne, quhilk deit bastard without ony lauchfull ayeris gottin of his body 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Bastardus.
Ane barne vnlauchfullie gotten outwith the band of mariage(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 266.
Quhen that slawchter wes foryhetten, On Eve Adam Seth has gettyn 1436 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 45.
His ayris betwex him and … his spous gettyn 1484 Grant Chart. 36.
To … the barnes to be gettine amangis thame c1420 Wynt. iv. 1252 (C).
Alexander … That gattyn was on Olympi(c) 1513 Doug. vi. ii. 88.
He that was immortal get and boyr Ib. ix. ix. 48. 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xii.
This othir wenche … wes get of frothis of the see

2. To get, obtain, acquire (anything material).With a great variety of objects, including persons and places.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 341.
The castell … with strenth war hard to get, Quhill that thar-in war men and mete Ib. ix. 39. Ib. xvi. 335.
He gert get vrichtis that ves sle a1400 Leg. S. xix. 517.
Gais and gettis ȝou lechis fele Ib. xxix. 561.
Hichtand fare reward and gret To quha-sa erast mycht hym get c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 314.
Thyr thynges for to get [:quhet] c1420 Wynt. v. 239.
Laurens … Askyd delay, swa that he Mycht it all in a sowme get Ib. viii. 6228.
Gettis me … Ane hundyre on hors wyth me to ga 1456 Hay I. 155/20.
All that I may gett apon him … me think I suld tak fra him c1475 Wall. vi. 683.
We may get meit off bestiall in this land Ib. vii. 1306.
Wayttand a tyme to get his rychtwis king c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvi. 46.
Sum gettis giftis … To sweir all that his maister sayis 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 241.
He gettand for ilk wild gwis iij s. a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 26.
The hyre women gettis na balbeisabsol. c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 94 b/32.
Sum gettis at Ȝule, sum gettis at pes a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxx. 3.
Get and saif and thou sall haif(b) 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 203.
To bring in all [the fowl] at he gaitis apoun ane price 1565 Peebles B. Rec. 299.
To gait ane doctour … to tech vnder him a1540 Freiris Berw. 255 (B).
Ga, gait [M. Gav. get] me cheis and breid 1588 St. A. Kirk S. 622.
I sall find thé remaid, and gait thé geir 1601 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 108. 10/24.
Andro Gellatlie … past to the litt hous … to gait ane wapin 1643 S. Leith Rec. I. 44.
Till he gaitte a house provydit for him(b) 1375 Barb. v. 110.
The men … effraytly gat thair ger Ib. xviii. 279.
He askit gif thai gat na ma [ky] a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 198.
He of thare almouse gat Ib. xxxiv. 281.
Scho gat … The clething of ane ald heremyte c1420 Wynt. ii. 119.
Prewaly he gat a knyff Ib. v. 2193.
He … gat hym wyttalle off the land a1500 Seven S. 1745.
Thai delvit quhill thai the barrall gat 1531 Bell. Boece II. 146.
Dongallus … gat ane cobill to pas ouir the samin [water] 1542 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 333.
He gatt and boycht the samin [landis] fra Jhone Gordoun a1500 Peblis to Play 121 (M).
He gate na better beddin 1570 Sat. P. x. 316.
Without delay he gat Northumberland 1603 Philotus cliii.
I gat … A deill vnto my dame(c) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 592.
It that is Gottyne of blythnes … Is tynte richt oft c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 932.
All the ryches of that toune That gotten ware c1420 Wynt. v. 2411.
Till hawe gottyn … Off gold and sylvyr gret plente 1425 Montgomery Mem. 9.
Gife it be outwyth [Scotland], it sal be gotyn on bath thair costys 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 189.
With plantation of frote treis of the best kynd ma be gottyn 1492 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 48.
Quhar the some may be gottyne to the frethin of the saide malys 1515 Prestwich B. Rec. 47.
George allegit he had gottyn it [sc. a sword] … fra the said James 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 392.
The uther burdis that wes gottine … wer crewkit 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 3.
Giff he had vsit the counsall of his lordis, … he mycht have gottin the Castill of Berwick 1634 Maxwell Mem. II. 252.
I hawe gottin nothing as ȝit … nather of powdir nor billat 1695 Corshill Baron Ct. 190.
Two dolloris … quhairof one goten of airleis of ane horse(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 227.
Of quhois benefice Thys thing … getten is c1420 Wynt. iv. Prol. 5 (W).
A garland, getten with gret perill 1582 Colville Lett. 4.
Lowsone hes gaitten ane letter … in fauors of ane laitly cummed hame

3. To get, obtain, attain to, with various objects denoting something non-material.(a) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 526.
He … prayt hym for hym to trete With his lord, & asouerens gete That he mycht cum to his presence Ib. xxvii. 1587.
Deiff men thar gettis heryng c1420 Wynt. viii. 6482.
Gret part … To the castelle … Held thare way to get succowre ?1438 Alex. ii. Prol. 20.
To get lessing of my torment Ib. 4979.
Help sa get sal we 1456 Hay I. 259/12.
Nane wate it bot he himself, na may nocht othir provis gett a1500 Henr. Orph. 209.
Off my lady help me to get a sicht c1475 Wall. iv. 47.
Thow gettis no mendis c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 70.
That ȝe may gett ane bettir name 1521 Grant Chart. 66.
Gettand the said Donaldis leife to blok with the samyn [land] a1540 Freiris Berw. 79.
Thay on na wayis micht gett entre Ib. 365.
Get Symon wit, it wilbe deir doing 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 17.
Sum gettis plesure, vthers gettis tray and tene a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxiii. 17.
Trew knowlege sall I get in it 1610 Highland P. III. 121.
He thoght to gett his pardoun(b) 1542 Grant Chart. 88.
Becaus I … may nocht gait souyr enteres to my … landis 1575 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 121.
He on na wyis culd … gaitt admissioun thairto 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 237.
God gatand thankis, the Quene suld haue the gloir 1584 Ib. xlv. 682.
[He] stude ane lang hour at his yeatt, Or he could ony entres geatt 1601 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 108/10. 20.
Gaiting word that his maiestie wes nocht cum furth 1610 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 416.
Scho … said scho valde gait remeid for hir(b) 1375 Barb. xix. 683.
The fox scathless gat his way a1400 Leg. S. i. 585.
Sike ane fall thane he gat Ib. ii. 611.
He that sicht thane gat Ib. ix. 108.
With that Parfyte hele the madyne gate c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2276.
I gat a fell fray c1420 Wynt. ii. 348.
The kyng gat a vesyown Ib. viii. 1040.
Scho … gat hyr wyll and hyr yharnyng 1456 Hay I. 24/4.
He was chassit in France, quhare he gat gude help c1475 Wall. ix. 622.
Lundy and Graym gat wyt off that awaill a1500 Seven S. 541.
Off him the baire sone gat a sicht a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 102.
Mankind gat na grace c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 82.
Thus he was banist and gat a blek c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 48.
In Court I gat greit audience 1567 Sat. P. v. 38.
It war weill wairit he gat his quhippis Ib. vii. 192.
He gat the same rewaird 1613 Highland P. III. 130.
He … thinks he gat wrange in that act of counsell 1658 Lamont Diary 108.
At this tyme, also, they gatt a deaconry ouer the tradis(c) 1405 James of Douglas Letter to Henry IV in Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
Til aske … redresse tharof the qwhilk my deputis has askyte … & nane has gotyne c1420 Wynt. i. 838.
Off Aracus … That land that name has gottyn richt 1456 Hay I. 70/27.
Thair digniteis, that thai have gottyn wrangwisly c1420 Wynt. viii. 2855 (C).
He was richt blithe That he had gattyn that respyte c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 23.
Dreid he had gottin that he desarvit 1533 Bell. Livy I. 117/4.
Quhare na crymes nor occasioun or falt mycht be gottin 1596 Dalr. II. 302/2.
Quha war woundet, or had gottin vtheris wrangis [L. injuriis](b) 1513 Doug. iii. vi. 159.
On sik wys quhen thou hir fauouris has gett

4. With various complements. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1100.
To payre ane apil & til ete, [He] in hand a knyfe can gete Ib. xxxviii. 499.
This Natalia … Stal a hand … & in hir bousume gat it sone c1420 Wynt. v. 433.
A Romane … gat on that senyhe That Bretownys bare Ib. viii. 2114.
The schyrrave be the throt he gat c1475 Wall. iii. 31.
It war the best … Mycht he him get to be his steidfast man Ib. vi. 70.
This … man hyr gat in mariage c1500-c1512 Dunb. xliii. 43.
Thay get indoist Alhaill thair evidens 1535 Stewart 48888.
King Edward … had nocht bene lang, Had he thame gottin all into ane fang, To deill with him 15.. Sym & Bruder iii.
This was no bourdene to Brown Hill That gatt betwene the browis 1571 Sat. P. xxvii. 60.
Fra the Newhawin thay gatt into thair hand 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 77.
As ambassatour to the king of Denmark to get doun ane toll 1672 Foulis Acc. Bk. ii.
To Megs nurse for Megs geitting out teith

5. intr. With adverbs or prepositions indicative of movement.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii. 2711.
Ay quhen he on hand wald ta To get on fute c1420 Wynt. vii. 501.
Owre hys throt it mycht noucht get [: ete] Ib. viii. 6474.
Thai … fandit on the wall to gete a1500 Seven S. 900.
I am quhar I may neuer get out c1500 Fyve Bestes 244.
Get wp, get wp, we se the dayis sky a1540 Freiris Berw. 94.
Our ȝettis ar closit that we may nocht in gett 1570 Maitl. F. xxix. 18.
Scantlie can I find quhar to get out Ib. xcv. 10.
Quhair thai on sett, ay in thai gett(b) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 206.
He … one kneys and elbois gat c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2276.
With the tothir half away I gat c1420 Wynt. vii. 2526.
Ay throwch thame yhit gat he then Ib. 3211.
In the castelle at the last Thai gat ?1438 Alex. II. 8410.
Delyuerly on fute he gat c1475 Wall. ix. 1655.
Gat nane bot ane with lyff out off that sted a1500 Seven S. 2460.
The stewart on the morne airly Gat wp 1561 Inverness B. Rec. I. 67.
Jasper and I gatt out at the duyr 1593 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 506.
That part of the stirkhous quhilk wes brokin be the men that gat away(c) 1375 Barb. xviii. 454.
Thai bar thaim swa That thai ar gottyn aboun the bra ?1438 Alex. i. 2386.
On fute sone is he gottin thare