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

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About this entry:
First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1375-1650

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Hart, Hairt, n.1 Also: harte, hartt, heart(t. [e.m.E. heart, ME. hart, harte, ONhb. hearta, WS. heorte. Cf. Hert n.1]

1. The heart as a part of the body; a representation of this.Also, as in the mod. dial., put for: the stomach.1375 Barb. iii. 525.
Mekill ioy … , May ger men sua amowyt be, That watir fra the hart will rys
c1420 Wynt. vi. 1236.
Thai slwe a hare; The hart off it thai wyth thame bare
c1450-2 Howlat 535.
The Dowglas in armes the bludy hart beris
c1420 Ratis Raving 1010.
Sa weill smelland … thing, It may mak … recomforting Tyll hed and hart
c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 18.
Sic deidlie dwawmes … hes my hairt ouirpast
15.. Wyf of Auchtirmuchty 38.
In the mornyng vp scho gatt And on hir hairt laid hir disiwne
1576 Digest Justiciary Proc. I. 24.
Hir seiknes wes ane cauld bluid that gaid about hir hairt
a1605 Montg. Son. xlviii. 14.
My ladyis bagie beirs my bluidy hart
1607 Criminal Trials II. 526.
I shall haif thy hairt for bruitting of me sa falslie
transf. 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 9.
All thocht he [sc. Phebus] be the hart and lamp of hevyn

b. A trinket or jewel in the form of a heart.1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XIII. 83.
Ane hart of gold, … ane brokin cheffron of gold
1559 Chart. St. Giles cvii.
Ane lytill hart of gold
1583 Edinburgh Testaments XII. 55 b.
Ane chenȝe with ane hairt of gold
1584 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 107.
Ane hart of siluer

2. The heart regarded as the seat of feeling or of various emotions.In constant use, esp. in poetry, down to the 17th cent., in a great variety of contexts.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 248.
To do … That at hys hart hym drawis to
1375 Ib. 378.
His hart on hey honour wes set
a1400 Legends of the Saints Prol. 111.
The hartis at one Crist will cale
a1400 Ib. vii. 716.
In harte thai had sike wgrines
c1420 Wynt. ii. 1489.
Thare hart in to the deyde suld fayle
c1420 Ib. iii. 400.
It is to lele hart a throwyng
1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 10.
We commaunde ws on to yhou with al our hartes
a1500 Henr. Fab. 1547.
Brekand his hart with sair murning
c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 20.
He luffyt him with hart and all hys mycht
a1500 King Hart 109.
The grundin dairtis ... Wald mak ane hart of flint to fald and fle
c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxi. 10.
Sum maid disportis with hartis glaid and lycht
1547 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 110.
To seduce the harttis of the pepill to his opinyoun
1562-3 Winȝet I. 9/9.
Quhy clenge ȝe not ȝour hart and handis fra ydolatrie?
1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 32.
Of quhilk the memory is logit in bayth Scottis and Inglismenis hartis
1570 Satirical Poems xii. 50.
To Hammiltoun in haist quhill ȝe haif hartis
1610 Rep. Earl Southesk MSS. 14.
Sum qualite … so powerfoull to kendell my hart with luiff
(b) 1558-66 Knox II. 405.
Ar ye nocht sorie from your hairt?
1567 Satirical Poems iv. 74.
It wald mak ony haill hairt sair For to reuolue my … tragidie
a1578 Pitsc. I. 31/35.
Agauis the hairtis of all thame that vald the contrair
1591 Criminal Trials I. ii. 251.
Ȝe sall repent itt fra ȝoure hairt
c1600 Montg. Suppl. 221/6.
Ellis thow can nocht conqueis hairtis desyre
1607 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 106.
Our most loyall hairtis
c1650 Spalding II. 401.
Mr Androw Cant gat ane letter … quhilk fleyit him to the hairt

3. Used as a term of affection in addressing a person, esp. a woman.?1438 Alex. ii. 2538.
He said, ‘Swete hart, gay and joly, [etc.]’
c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 2.
My hwny, my hart, my hoip
c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1245.
Thairfoir, deir hart, ȝour self ȝe saue
a1568 Scott xiii. 23.
I mon my barme reweill To ȝow, my hairt
a1568 Ib. 36.
Adew, my deirest hairt
a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1338.
Quod he, ‘Myne hearts, cum hidder’
c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis 7 b.
[Chancellor, to the deputation:] Than, my hartes, ye shall say that [etc.]

4. Attrib. with axes, cake, colour, ene (eyes), evil, fever, ill, pipe, rute, sare, sarenes, scald, skaid, vayn (vein). Also Hart-blude, -brek.1609 Craig-Brown Selkirkshire I. 180.
She gave nane [drinks] bot off waburne leavis for the hart-axes
-1643 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 184.
Ȝe said that the child haid the hart cake, and that gif ȝe pleasit ȝe wold cast the hart cake
1609 Edinburgh Testaments XLV. 121 b.
Ane peis of hairt cullour perpituana claith
?1438 Alex. ii. 6896.
With his hart ene oft sall he se Hir fare effere
a1605 Montg. Flyt. 299 (T).
The hunger, the hart evill [v.r. hairtill, hart ill], the hoist
1623 Elgin Rec. II. 182.
The head fewer and the hart fewer
1513 Doug. vi. i. 98.
Hir hart pipis gan to flekkir and steir
1513 Ib. ix. vii. 100.
Hys hart pipis [L. præcordia] the scharp hed persyt in twa
1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 105.
The wind of thair [fowls'] wingis aboute his harte ... wes werrie profitable to lousse his harte pypis, quhilk wer closit
 —1513 Doug. xiii. iii. 35.
From hys hart ruyt … The kyng Latyn begouth thir wordis schaw
1560 Rolland Seven Sages 9943.
At his hart rute he was richt wonder wo
a1500 Henr. Fab. 1867.
It wes greit hart sair for to se That bludie boucheour bet thay birdis doun
a1500 Peblis to Play 234.
Quhen the winklottis and the wawaris twynnit To se it wes hart sair
1600-1610 Melvill 264.
The Queen, for hartsearnes, followit in Januar
a1605 Montg. Flyt. 326 (T).
The skunnering cattaris and hartskaid remanis
a1646 Wedderb. Voc. (1709) 13.
De Morbos ... Cardialgia the heart scald
 —c 1420 Liber Calchou 450.
The hart vayn is callyd the cordyak

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