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.
Hukstar, Hu(c)kster, n. Also: hukstare, hukistar, huxtar, uxtar, huikstar, -ster, hokster, hocster, houxstar, houkstar, howkstair, hugstair. [ME. hukstar, -ster, hokster, etc., early huccester (Orm). MDu. hokester, hoekster, are not recorded as early as the Eng. use.] A huckster.(a) 14.. Acts I. 34/2.
Hukstaris … sal nocht by … woll wrocht na lyttyt Ib. 336/2.
Hukstaris … by leddir and barkis 1445 Ayr Burgh Ct. Bk. 4 Oct.
That nane met meile bot the sellaris & nane hukstaris bot burges wyfis 1528 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 120.
The bailȝeis … chargit all and sindrie the hukstaris within this burght … that nayne of tham … by butter, cheis, nor eggis, quhill [etc.] 1543 Lanark B. Rec. 20.
Hukstaris … that byis breid at the cors 1562 Dundee B. Laws 28.
It is statut … that na hukstare … by hearafter in the mercat to top again any foules, egges, [etc.] 1595 St. A. Kirk S. 808.
That na … flescheour, fischear nor hukstar sell ony … fische nor flesche … on the Sabboth day(b)1398-1400 Aberd. B. Rec. (S.H.S.) 87.
Edy uxtar1507 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 437.
That … all caik baxtaris and huxtaris he expellit thairfray1640 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 68.
To use the tred of huxtar, by and sell all such wairis as has bein in use … be ony of the said tred(c) 1448 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 16.
That na hukistar … by butter, cheese or eges to sel agayne quhill … ane efter none 1509 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 124.
Of ilk huikster selland and tappand fische in the gaitt … 1 d. in the quarter 1553 Ib. II. 179.
That na maner of regratouris, forstallaris, nor huikstaris be sene in the mercat 1581 Lanark B. Rec. 82.
Anentis our wechtis, … met lumis, and huiksteris and ordour of merkat tyme keping 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 280.
That na … cuikis, huiksteris, caik baxteris tak upoun thame to out or sell ony sic breid(d) 1520 Stirling B. Rec. I. 3.
Na houkstar sall by ony maner of fycht … to tap agane apon nebouris1521 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 208.
Houxstar1566 Peebles B. Rec. 304.
That na howkstairis sell butter and cheis with trois weycht vnder the pane eschitting of thair graythe that thai sell(e) 1545 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 118.
That na hukster … gif arlis quyetlie afoir the said houris 1589 Ib. V. 12.
That nane of the saids hucksters and caikbaxteris … haif ony quheitt breid or aitt laiffis in thair houssis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Mango, interpolator, a hukster, a regrator 1640 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 69.
That na hucksteris in Auld Aberdein by na mair meill nor serves themeselffis(f) 1594 Perth Kirk S. 218.
The visitors report that Bessie Kinglassie, hocster, bought nets on the Sabbath c1650 Spalding II. 268.
George Wod, hokster(g)1551 Perth Guildry 273 (20 Feb.).
Hugstair