A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1420, 1475-1624
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Hald, Hauld, n. Also: halde, hawld; holde (after Eng. hold). [Northern ME. hald, halde, hauld, OE. hald, heald (rare).]
l. The act of taking or keeping in the hand; a grasp or grip. Also fig. a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 730.
This [= thus] he ȝalde The spyrit, of god in-to the halde a1400 Ib. xxiii. 453.
The spryt … That he resawit in his hauld 1572 Satirical Poems xxxiii. 74.
The murtherars unto my heid did fle, Quhar thay tuik hald 1587-99 Hume iv. 52.
Hir mortall stang sall nocht take halde on thee
b. Hald again, keeping back, retention. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 491.
Na hald agayn, na hoo is at thy hips
c. Detention, imprisonment. 1567 Satirical Poems vii. 187.
King Euenus was keipit in strang hauld 1572 Maitland Quarto MS lxi. 32.
Quho tuik king Hareis money … our cardinall to keip in hauld
d. = Halding vbl. n. 1 (3). 1523 Wigtown B. Ct. 145 a.
2. A place of stay, an abode or dwelling.Repeatedly used by Douglas. a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 87.
He … in harde presone hym thrynde, And but met hild hym in that halde c1420 Wynt. v. 2988.
Quhen thai sayd hym that thai walde Ken hym to that bestys halde c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 178.
Thai … Ordanyt to soupe in to that sembly hauld 1513 Doug. iii. ii. 29.
Appollo, within his hallowit hald Or tempil 1513 Ib. ix. 56.
A gousty hald within, laithly to se 1513 Ib. iv. iv. 72.
Thai seik to haldis, howsis, hyrnys and beildis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 31 (B).
Se no misdoaris be so bawld, As to remane in to this hawld 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 7680.
Quhair he watchit thair was na hous nor hald 1624 Melrose P. 566.
Without house or holde to repoise thair languisheing bodyis in
3. A stronghold. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi. 711.
Thar hors thai left in to that litill hauld a1500 Golagros and Gawane 371.
The renkis raithly can raik into the round hald 1513 Doug. iii. ii. 36.
We thé beseik that schaw … thou wald To ws … sum strenth and stalwart hald 1562-3 Winȝet II. 5/1.
I think that our new citie of Ierusalem suld be sa strang an hald a1578 Pitsc. I. 164/28.
He wald … oftymes war them and chase thame to thair haldis 1614 Melrose P. 145.
There is great appeirance of muche blood schadding before the houss and halds can be takin
4. A device for taking fish. 1607 Reg. Great S. 672.
Piscariam salmonum … cum ceteris lie skarris, draughtis, haldis, laikis et nettis
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"Hald n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/hald_n>
