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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.

Hundreth, num. Also: hondreth; hundrethe, -reeth, -reith(e, -reyth; -redth; -retht, -reitht; -rith(e, -ryth(t; hundereth(t, -erreth(e, -irethe, -yrreth, -areth, -erith; hundrecht, -reicht, -richt, -rycht, -racht, -ericht, -erycht. Also: undreth (1551 Boyd Fam. P. No. 32, 10 Mar.), hundarethe (c 1649 Scots Lore I. 273), hundratht (1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 39), hondereth (1413 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 364), honderthe (1568 Bk. O. Edinb. C. VI. 84). [e.m.E. and ME. (? orig. north.) hundereth, hundryth, -ith, hundreth (Cursor M.), ONorthumb. hundrað, -reð, ON. hundrað. Also Houndreth. In the mod. dial. the normal form is hunder, and hundreth is appar. not recorded after 1708. In Older Sc. hundir is common in the earliest texts, and is regular in the Edinb. MS. of Barbour and the Royal and Cotton MSS. of Wyntoun, whereas the Cambr. MS. of Barbour and the Wemyss MS. of Wyntoun mostly have hundreth, which after the early 15th c. becomes commonest both in literary texts and in other writings.]

1. A hundred.(a) 1381 Doug. Chart. 29.
For twa hundreth marcis of sterlinges be yhere 1400 Doug. Corr. 60.
Yhour sauf-conduyt … fore a hundreth knichtis 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I. 2.
A hundreth schilling worth of land 1483 Acta Conc. II. p. cvii.
Silver weschale contenand a hundreth unces 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 86.
Tuelf hundreth and sevin angel nobilis 1513 Doug. viii. xii. 103.
Thre hundreth ryall tempillys 1515 Treas. Acc. V. 29.
To … ane hundreth and xxj pynouris c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5278.
Four hundreth with sevin and fourtye ȝeir 1558 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 21.
To caus mak tua hundreth creillis a1578 Pitsc. I. 176/4.
The year … ane thousand four hundredth four score and ane years 1630 Inchaffray Chart. 106.
Summa … nyne hundreth tuentie fyue pundis 1632 Edinb. Test. LVI. 24.
Threttene hundreth courting ringis 1647 Irvine Mun. II. 69.
The sowme of four hundrethe sextein poundis 1681 Blackness Customs 20 b.
Ane hundreth pund of ginsbread(b) 1410 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 30.
The yer … ane thousand four hundretht and ten 1489 Carnegie Lett. 523.
The ȝeir … ane thousand four hundretht awch[t]y and nyne ȝeris 1549 Compl. 77/28.
Gedeon, witht thre hundretht men, discumfeist ane hundretht and tuenty thousant men 1572 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 6.
Fyfteine hundretht gress steingis 1597 Edinb. Test. 259 b.
Fyve hundretht bledderis(c) 1420 Red Bk. Menteith I. 261.
In the yeir … a thousand four hundereth and twentie 1474 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 125.
Ane thowsand fowr hundereth sewintie fowr yeiris 1556 Waus Corr. I. 9.
Ane yeirlie feall of ane hundyrreth pondis 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 116.
Twa hunderethe, thre scor, fouertin poundis 1604 Stirling Merch. Guild 21.
Fyffe hundirethe punds money 1617 Acts IV. 579/1.
Tua hundereth threttene pundis … of borrow maill 1630 Bamff Chart. 225.
The crop j^m sex hunderethe and [twenty] nyne yeiris 1667 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 242.
Tuo hundereth merkes(d) 1477 Stirlings of Keir 251.
The ȝer … a thoussande four hundreith sewynty and sewyn ȝeris 1527 Maxwell Mem. I. 258.
The ȝeir … ane thowsand fiff hundreitht and xxvii ȝeiris 1529 M. Works Acc. I. 14 b.
To v werkmen puttand downe the forsaid hundreitht peis [of ashler] 1534 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XVI. 656 (J).
Thrie hundreyth gyrthstingis 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 287.
For … half ane hundreith garroun nallis a1578 Pitsc. I. 120/25.
The Erle of Douglas was nocht ane hundreithe men [etc.] 1591 Lennox Mun. 334.
Aucht hundreyth merkis be ȝeir 1665 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 215.
The sume of fyue hundreyth merkes(e) 1470 Breadalbane Coll. (Reg. H.).
A thowsande fowyr hundrytht ande sewenti ȝere 1480 Ib. No. 16.
The ȝer … a thowsand four hundrith & achtie 1528 Lynd. Dreme 646.
Ilk staige, ane hundrith pais, twenty, and fyue a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxiii. 42.
Insycht … wourthe ane hundrithe pund 1571 Waus Corr. I. 78.
Thair is cumand … thre hundrytht horsmen 1576 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 459.
Four hunderith draght of quhynnis 1583 Elgin Rec. I. 172.
The wywing of the tua hunderith elnes quhyt cleyth 1600 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 229/20.
The Bible … falslie translatit in mony hunderith places 1667 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II. 651.
The milne … being a going milne ane hundrith yeires and above(f) a1400 Leg. S. x. 308.
Proves [= provost] … Of twa hu[n]dricht virginis clene 1484 Fam. Rose 150.
This forsaid sowme of thre hundreicht ande four score of merkis 1500 Misc. Spald. C. II. 31.
The yeir of God ane thousand fyfe hundrecht yeris 1507 Grant Chart. 46.
The sowme off ane hunderycht sax pundis 1536 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 28.
Ye sall deliver the aucht hundrecht merkis [etc.] c 1547 Fam. Rose 215.
The quhilk sowme of ane hundericht angellis 1559 Lamont P. 72.
The ȝeir … ane thowsand fyf hundrycht fyfty and nyne ȝeiris 1562 Inverness Rec. I. 80.
Fyve hundracht pundis in gold 1571 Fam. Rose 259.
Of … grottis thre hundrycht merkis(g)) 1594 Grant Chart. 185.
Fyeff hondreth markis

b. In the collocation hundreth ȝer(is), = century. Cf. Hundir a. 1 b. 1456 Hay I. 45/33.
Efter that Rome was foundit thre hundreth ȝere Ib. 297/11.
Of ane hundrethe ȝere aulde c1420 Wynt. i. 383 (W).
Fife hundreth ȝeris quhen he wes auld c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1392.
The makyng of this ark … Indurit weill ane hundreth ȝeir Ib. 3682.
Quhais successouris did ring, but weir, Ovir the warld mony ane hundreth ȝeir 1588 King Cat. h. iv.
Giff ȝow wald knaw the dominicall lettre of ony hundereth ȝere

2. Used absolutely, espec. of persons. Also in plur. form. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 564.
Whene they come, a thousande were, And now but four hundreth but mare 1456 Hay I. 151/11.
Sa was battaillis wount … to be governit; sum governyt ten, … sum ane hundreth 1479 Treas. Acc. I. 79.
In vnicornis nyne hundreth and foure score 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 112.
Eldmodir to ane hundreth thar saw I Hecuba 1531 Bell. Boece ii.
Ane hes that mycht ane hundreth weil sustene 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XX (J).
Ane nyne hundreth grayth … perteining to the vobsteris craft 1575 Edinb. Test. IV. 2.
xxx hundreth of arrow tymmer a1578 Pitsc. I. 156/19.
Fyve hundreith of hir Frenchmen war drewin on the land Ib. II. 118/7.
Twa thowsand men of weir … with … twa hundreith of lang culwerins a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxi. 10.
The tym sall come vhen ȝe sall be accusit, For mony hundreth ȝe haif herryit heir 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Mese.
Mese of herring conteinis fiue hundreth 1615 Crim. Trials III. 24.
Makoneill selff and sex hundreth with him 1622 Course Conformitie 27 (J).
For a thought … bestowed for the weale of any soule, cares a hundreth for their apparell [etc.]pl. c1420 Wynt. ix. 1142.
A thousand yhere and hundrethis thre And thare-to nynty yhere but mare

3. Preceded by a definite adj. or article, as ilk, the hundreth, espec. in reckoning rate.a. 1482 Edinb. Chart. 168.
Of ilk hundreth burdis, gestis, tres, … and siclike gudis Ib.
Of the hundreth skynnis 1613 Highland P. III. 132.
The sowme of tuentie tua pundis … out of euerye hundrethe pund of the fynnes [etc.] 1622-6 Bisset II. 255/30.
To tak sic cair … in keiping of this hundreth crownis as upoun his awinb. 14.. Acts I. 305/2.
At the outgang ilk hundreth of brasyll sall pay twa peniis 1546 Reg. Privy C. I. 36.
The hundreith wanescott, xx li. 1612 Bk. Rates 290.
Bomsparres the hundreth, x li. 1614 Rep. Mar & Kellie MSS. 71.
Of breid, callit haikis, 2800 … at 40s. the hundreth

4. Used indefinitely for a large number. = ‘innumerable, very many’. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3447.
Ane hundreth sys I thank ȝow of ȝour good seruis c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 63/23.
[The sinner] eikis to it ane hundreth or a thousand tymes ma birdingis of syn c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiv. 17.
Sic deidlie dwawmes … Ane hundrithe tymes hes my hairt ouirpast 1513 Doug. vi. Prol. 63.
Quhou oft rehersis Austyne … , Hundreth versis of Virgil

5. = One hundred and twenty.Also great hundreth (see quot.), small hundreth (= Hundir num. 2 b). c1575 Balfour Pract. 88.
The great hundreth knapple, contenand xxiiij small hundrethis, is twa last 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Serplath.
Sexscore of skinnes is reckoned to the hundreth 1661 Buccleuch Mun. II. 308.
Aucht hundereth wedderis at sax scoir the hundereth 1665 Aberd. Council Lett. IV. 276.
Ilk double hundreth plaiding being tuelf scor elns