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

He, Hee, adj. Compar. hear(e, heair; superl. heast, heest, heist. [Northern ME. hee, he (14th c.), var. of hei, hey, Hey a., or from OE. héa-, héa, inflectional forms of héah Heich a. See also Hie a.]

1. High, in the usual literal senses. Also, tall. a1400 Leg. S. vi. 578.
I … Has bygyt now a wel he toure Ib. xix. 27.
He sa mekill, sa hee and auchful vas a1500 Bernardus 268.
Biggyne … inordinat and hee a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 43.
Ane ciete … with wallis sa he [: se] 1513 Doug. xi. vii. 134.
He … dois bost the hevynnys he 1535 Stewart 8833.
To fle … to the montanis he a1540 Freiris Berw. 12.
With staitlie towris and turattis he on hicht a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxv. 49.
To bring ws to the hewin sa hesuperl. c1420 Wynt. ii. 470 (C).
On the heast [hill]

b. Occupying the higher situation or forming the higher part; (the) upper. c1460 Regim. Princ. 243.
God in heast [v.r. heest] hevyn 1490 Lanark B. Rec. 6.
Common hird to the Hetown … of Lanark 1511 Prestwick B. Rec. 42.
Twa rod of mos, lyand in the he mos of Prestwick 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 325.
Like Phebus in heist of his spheir 1535 Stewart 26316.
Quhen ane man is heast on the quheill 1536 Soc. Ant. XVI. 194.
Fra the heast stane on the hil to the lawest

2. Of exalted rank or dignity; of exalted character or quality. a. Of persons. 1405 James of Douglas Letter to Henry IV in Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
He excellent and rycht mychty prynce Ib.
Giff yhour hee excellent war clerly enfourmyte [etc.] 1420 Reg. Great S. 29/2.
A hee and a mychty lord 1447 Reg. Great S. 69/1.
The said he and mychti lady 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 1.
He plasmatour of thingis vniversall a1568 Bann. MS. 29 b/17.
The he lord fro the hevin abone 15.. Clar. ii. 1220.
Unto bedis went he and law estait 1587 Morris Prov. Methven 67.
To the airis … , na hear of degrie nor thame selffisabsol. c1420 Ratis R. 337.
Than he and law … Suld do syk lawboresuperl. c1460 Regim. Princ. 45.
Think quhy thi croun was gevyn thé till Fra heast [v.r. heest] God 1533 Gau 39/18.
The sone of the heest God 1528 Lynd. Dreme 532.
The nynt [order], and heast, callit Seraphin

b. Of personal qualities, rank, honour, etc. a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 206.
Al-set thai ware of hee degree ?1438 Alex. ii. 8254.
Lautee and he honour a1500 Henr. Fab. 1615 (B).
The he prudence … of God omnipotent a1500 Colk. Sow Proh. 5.
Gentillmen of he genolegye c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxvii. 27.
That mychty campioun … That wan … trevmphe of he victory 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 76.
Ane man of he waslege in feildis 15.. Clar. iii. 320.
The Cainis he magnificence a1578 Pitsc. I. 194/22.
Thair promovearis … to that he estaitcompar. a1400 Leg. S. xiii. 5.
Thai ware of hear degre As apostolis chosine to be Ib. xxvii. 303.
He sat his hart on hear thing c1420 Wynt. viii. 2184 (C).
Hear and hear was his fayme a1487 Gud Wife & D. 48.
Erar lawer place to tak Na hear 1533 Bell. Livy I. 20/2.
Of heair curage 1551 Banff Ann. II. 379.
To thair airis maill … of na hear autorite 1562 Q. Kennedy Ressoning viii.
Princes, hear poweris, maiestratis [etc.] 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 269.
Sa may thou baldlie ane hear place cum crauesuperl. c1475 Wall. vi. 588.
Quha best did than, he had the heast stait

3. a. Of great consequence; important, weighty, serious. 1416 Liber Melros 539.
Be cause of hee and grete besines c1460 Regim. Princ. 50.
To maynteine sa hee a gouernance Ib. 56.
As thai wil answer at the hee jugement 1521 Douglas Corr. 82.
This he fest of Cristis Natyvyté 1533 Gau 33/35.
Thir forsaid thingis ar the heest that man can leir of Aristotil 1531 Bell. Boece I. 18.
I will return to this history … quhen na hear besynes occurris

b. Chief, principal, main.Chiefly in special collocations: see He altare, He gate, He kirk, etc.

4. a. Of the voice: Raised, loud. a1400 Leg. S. i. 646.
Thane the prefet with he woce Gaf sentence sone 15.. Clar. ii. 759.
With he voice

b. Of great amount, degree, or force. ?1438 Alex. ii. 9358.
Thay … Gaif straikis sa horrible and sa he a1500 Bernardus 49.
To mak fest … and hee costage … is foly 1461 Liber Plusc. I. 385.
Enforst with fortoun in the heast gre 1473 Peebles B. Rec. 201.
Vnder all the heast payne and charge 1562 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 333.
To absteyn fra all sic in tym cuming vnder all heast pane and cherge c1650 Spalding I. 264.
To cause proclaim thir lettres … under the heast pane and perrell

c. compar. At a higher rate. 1467 Acts II. 88/2.
To set it [the crown groat] hear or lawar as salbe thocht spedefull 1485 Ib. 172/2.
That nane … rase thar penny worthis hear na thai wald sell for vther money 1565 Peebles B. Rec. 299.
That the said master taik na hear waigis fra the landwart bairnis 1574 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 29.
The frauchtaris sall geve na hear pryces [etc.] 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVII. 361 b.
Ony hear dewtie nor thai payit of befoir

5. Haughty, arrogant, insolent. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xix. 23.
Giff I … in my mynd is proud and he 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 281.
Dauid Grundistone … cruellie slew hyme … in he contemptione of our autorite 1533 Gau 15/1.
Thay quhilk ar pridful and he aganis thair for-elders 1535 Stewart 11129.
Thair appetyte so ardent is and he Ib. 38036.
Thair wordis so helie wes and he a1568 Scott xxi. 18.
I fand hir … staitly, strange and he

6. On he, on high, aloft; aloud, loudly.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 205.
Sancte Julyane than sad one he: ‘My gud brethyre [etc.]’ a1500 Rauf C. 211.
The carll with ane cleir voce carpit on he c1590 Fowler I. 340/51.
Now bagpypes blawes to warme on he These younkers(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 10231.
Porrus heued his brand on he c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 62.
Quhen that he did mont on he 1560 Rolland Seven S. 602.
The browdin warkis … Quhilk on the stairis war spred sa heich on he c1590 Fowler I. 369/20.
Some he threates, … Distroys, & settes on hee