Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Gryt(e, Grite, Gryit(t, adj. and n. Also: grytt. [Var. of Grete a. with exceptional change of vowel, which appears also in quhyte (mod. dial. white) for wheat.A common form from c. 1540, and remaining in the mod. dialects, now chiefly in sense 1 b. The speiling gryt(t may also be a variant of Grit, a.]

1. Of things or persons: Great in size, quantity, number, or importance.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxii. 466.
Thane Decius … A gryt fyre sone gert mak 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 174.
Item ij gryt cussenis of arres 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 71.
Ane gryt bowie ourgilt 1549 Compl. 83/20.
At that time the tua gryt battellis … var campit neir to giddir 1556 Crim. Trials I. 390*.
The pryce of … the peis of pultrie vj d … , gryt chikkiuis iv d. 1572 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 383.
For ij faldowme of ane tow to the gryt bell 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 57 b.
Thrie grytt behewuis 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 172.
The Deuill … in ane gryt man his lickness 1605 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 44.
For dinging … her on the face with a gryt key 1609 Ellon Presb. 89.
In steilling of cornes to mak his stacks grytter nor they suld be 1619 Orkney & Zetl. Test. I. 38 b.
Tua gryt eikin boattis, … tua litle ald firne boittis c1650 Spalding II. 216.
It fell … vpone the kirkis gryt ledder, brak it in thrie peices(b) c1420 Wynt. iii. 648.
Dydo … gert formyd be … that gryte cyte 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 139.
xxxiiij grytast garroun [nails] 1580 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 35.
Twa taffellis, ane small, ane gryter 1607 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 166.
Item, twa gryte powtis at ten schillingis the pice c1650 Spalding I. 259.
The castileanis began to schoot … with gryte schot(c) c 1450 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 202.
A gryit crois … standand apon a gret futh closit wyth a pyn of silner 1561 Monymusk Writs No. 16.
The gryit stane in the bauk 1567 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 643/2.
Ane gryitt rubye … bakkytt only with blak enamaleit 1570 Leslie 18.
Ane gryit pray of guidis 1592 Elgin Rec. II. 26.
James Roy, pyper, … playing on his gryit pyipe 1598 Marischal Coll. Rec. I. 97.
The gryit anguel house 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 5.
A gryit shoo will not gain a little fitt Ib. 29.
The number of the quheills of gryitt and small cloaks of dyvers sortis(d) 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 174.
Ane grite arres bed with ruif and heiddis Ib.
viij coddis grite and small 1552 (1554) Reg. Great S. 215/1.
The eist grite carne of Cowburty 1578 Invent. Guidis, Lady E. Ross (Jam. (1825) s.v. Cumpter paciss).
Ane grite chinȝe, & … ane small 1581 Treas. Acc. MS. 82².
Hors scheittis to his hienes grite hors 1582 Ib. 83.
Ane mekle grite calderoun 1607 Reg. Privy C. VII. 335.
The port and heavin … fillit with … grite craigis and rolling stanes 1615 Highland P. III. 299.
Some of the Laird of Largy his servandis … set on grite beikynis(2) 1549 Compl. 14/2.
I saw neuyr sa grite ane fule Ib. 25/19.
Kyng Darius, quhen he vas venqueist be grite Allexander (a1570-86 Dunb.) Maitl. F. clxv. 19.
The grytt Sowdan Gog-ma-gog (Id.) Ib. clxvii. 34.
The grytast erle or duik in France a1570-86 Maitland Ib. xvi. 9.
The gritest ȝoung prince in Christintie 1590 Conv. Burghs I. 332.
The suitting of redres of snm gryt men quha oppressis thame c1650 Spalding I. 213.
A gryte favorit of the covenant(3) 1542 Acts II. 416/1.
To … avise vpoun sa grite materis 1542 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 30.
Ane grite nummer of commoundis tane 1579 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 33.
All thing is becum of darar and grytar pryces 1588 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 120.
Vtheris grite stentis and chargis a1605 Montg. Sonn. xii. 6.
Can candle lou give fyr a griter heet? 1610 Rep. Earl Southesk MSS. 14.
For thair wes allreddy gryt snawe 1632 Fam. Innes 220.
The gryt droucht sene April c1650 Spalding I. 31.
Ane gryt storme of snaw

b. Of salt or grain: Coarse. 1587 Acts III. 494/2.
Grite fisches … can not be … dressit with the small salt … and thairfoir … behovit to be … saltit with gryt salt 1594 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 44.
22 bollis gryt salt 1604 St. A. Baxter Bk. 62.
The pickeman … for his peanes in grindeing of twente bollis gryt corne 1647 Misc. Spald. C. III. 198.
Ane boll gryt aitis 1570 (1650) Dundee B. Laws 111.
Two watter-mettis for gryte salt

2. Of conditions, etc.: Great in degree or intensity.(a) c1420 Wynt. ii. 566.
Thus that kyng … Heide this folk in gryt thryllage 1553 Rec. Earld. Orkney 250.
Becaws my brodyr germen geff me the forsaid sowme in my gryt neid 1588 King Cat. 91 b.
A gryt misdeid … requiris gryt satisfactioun 1590 Reg. Morton I. 169.
Gif the difference be not werie gryt 1622 Melrose P. 480.
I come heir … with als gryt expedition as I could 1642 Strathbogie Presb. 29.
He … hade brydled her … to the gryt effusion of her blood 1649 Blairs P. 21.
Those who are of gryttest power(b) 1461 Coll. Aberd. & B. 364.
A certane soum of mony payit to me in my gryte mystir 1507 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 140.
Na baily nor factour … in gryter degre 1568 Breadalbane Lett. MS. (Reg. H.).
Your cheif hes tayn gryte paynis 1573 Cath. Tr. 3/12.
I haue … with als gryte simplicitie as I culd, … ansuerit a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx. 9.
Ȝour greif is gryte, I grant. in sa gryte aige 1609 Hume 176/441.
If suche a man, … indewed with so gryte giftis, did so c1650 Spalding II. 294.
This vncouth act, … bred gryte feir and perturbatioun(c) 1571 Misc. Bann. C. III. 125.
A gryit havines in my body a1585 Maitl. Q. xl. 13.
Ȝonr vertewis ar so gryit(d) 1549 Compl. 4/9.
The grite force of the oriental pepil Ib. 8/6.
My esperance is sa grite 1555 Conv. Burghs I. 10.
The grite diuersiteis of pete custumis of burrowis Ib. 11.
Because grite hurt is dayiie done 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV. 74.
Quhenas thair is grite derth and scairstie of victuallis 1591 Ib. 578.
Quhair he wes lyand bedfast … in grite disease 1609 Gardyne Garden 31.
His grace and godhood … Full glorious and grite 1624 Melrose P. *641.
Als grite caus of greiffe aud havynes, as euer pastoris had of thair flocke

3. = Grete a. 4. 1590 Conv. Burghs I. 351.
That … the said conseruatour vplift of ilk refuisar … fourtie schiliingis grite

4. n. a. In gryte, = Grete a. 5 a. 1553–81 Aberd. Baillie Ct. 9 b.
Androw Raye, saidlar, being convict for bying of hyidis in gryte … and selling the same in gryt quantitie to extranearis 1587 Aberd. Chart. 350.
To sell and top in small and gryt thair said handie wark of seyis [etc.] 1587 Acts III. 456/2.
That his Maiesties casualities sall not be gevin away in gryte as of the casualities of ane haill cuntrie togidder 1598 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 168.
That na inhabitant … by victuall in smallis … , and gadder the same in gryt, and keip the same to ane darth 1615 Sutherland Corr. 114.
I spendit my money in gryit in Santandrous

b. A groat. = Grete a. 5 b. 1515 (1650) Dundee B. Laws 94.
To gather and tak vp fra the merchantes … in Zealand or in Flanders, twelf gryt of ilk seck of guid ane gryt of ilk stick of cloth [etc.] 1541 Conv. Burghs I. 517.
Ane herald to be sent to the king of France for doun-getting of the gryte 1592 Dundee B. Laws 131.
5 d Scotts money, ... and ane gryt in Flemmis