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.

Juge, Judge, n. Also: jug, jwge, guge; jugge. [ME. juge (1303), jugge, e.m.E. judge (1530), OF. juge.]

1. A judge, the officer who hears and tries causes in a court of justice.(1) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 192.
To do law the juge set 14.. Acts I. 57/2.
Quhen the Kyng cumis in ony contre the jugis of the contre aw til cum til him the first nycht c1420 Wynt. iv. 1819.
He wes a juge myld Regnand oure the Peychtys wyld Ib. v. 5538.
That ymage … tuk hys set in a cheyare, All lyk a juge he semyd thare 1429 Acts II. 18/1.
At the consideracione of the juge and the courte 1456 Hay I. 274/7.
Schir juge, we ar here in jugement ordinar Ib. II. 146/10.
Covert justice is in a gude jugis mynde … nocht schawin out c1460 Regim. Princ. 48.
O Prince, … knaw thaim weil that sal thi jugis be a1500 Henr. Fab. 1193.
Na iuge suld sit in consistorie, Sa lait at evin 1515 Fife Sheriff Ct. 15.
The jugis gert geif dome of court tharupone 1528 Lynd. Dreme 258.
Ponce Pylat was thare … With vniuste jugis 1553 St. A. Baxter Bks. 89.
[To] he punist at the will of the officeris and jugis of the burgh 1567 G. Ball. 8.
Be thow ane juge or on ane syse, In jugement ordourlie proceid 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xcvi.
Thane is ane Gothique … word signifiing ane juge or gewer of dome 1622-6 Bisset I. 272/4.
Juges(b) 1423–4 Wemyss Chart. 48.
Withowtyn leif of ony iugge of the kirk or seculare(c) 1519 Orkney & Sh. Rec. I. 62.
We the said judge and lawman with the xxiiij with us compeirit at the auld mairchstaine of Saba 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3822.
Without thay put them in the iudges hands 1622-6 Bisset II. 52/21.
Everie ane of thir … bischopries had and hes there awin … diocies iudges in all ecclisiesticall materis a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 5.
Anent the apparrell and habit of all judges and magistrats(2) 1379 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 2.
In case gif I … in the contrare of this lettre … before ony juge sall attempt or moue c1420 Wynt. ii. 243.
Before jugys ordanyt he Be plede causys mot to be 1435 Coll. Aberd. & B. 393.
Medeful … is to ber witnas to the suthfastnes and namly in tha thingis that befor jugis ar done c1575 Balfour Pract. 282.
Gif ony man … persew ony actioun … pertening to his lordis court befoir ony uther judge(3) 1375 Barb. i. 223.
Thar fays thar iugis war a 1400 Bute MS. fol. 172.
The maystyr hyris his men to hald thaim in pese and is thair juge gyf ony of thaim hurtys vthir c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1539.
Schyref depute he wes in Fyfe, To euerie man ane equall iudge c1575 Balfour Pract. 267.
The Lordis of sessioun alanerlie and na uther inferiour judge … ar jugeis to the Kingis actiounis a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 58.
The lords fand themselfes not judges because he wes ane kirkman(4) 1456 Hay I. 153/26.
Suppos men wald argu this mater, … how mycht he be bathe juge and party? 1497 Acta Conc. II. 89.
And he persew thame in the sade toune thai wilbe jugis and parti to him 1540 Edinb. Chart. 211.
The said provest and ballies ar suspect to be jugis to tham in the said mater, being baith juge and party

2. Used of God or Christ. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 1102.
Strat reknyng Befor the auchtfull jug & king Ib. xxii. 651.
The juge than sic sentence gaf … With Judas traditore suld he be 1456 Hay I. 265/4.
His witnes is approvit be the grete juge a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 655.
Our juge sa just is in his emperiale c1500 Rowll Cursing 203.
Greit God, our hieast iuge, He gaif decreit c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 53.
All Mon answer deth, quhen he dois call to compt befoir the iuge future c1575 Balfour Pract. 280.
God quha is judge over all jugeis

3. pl. The ‘Judges’ of the ancient Israelites. c1420 Wynt. ii. Prol. 28.
Tyll the time … Quhen jugis jwgyde Israelle Ib. iii. 2.
Jwgs

4. An adjudicator, arbiter, or umpire, in a competition or dispute. 1385 Red Bk. Grandtully I. 139*.
I the forsayde Androw, juge betwene the forsayde Syr Robart and John, of thair fre assent c1515 Asl. MS. I. 264/25.
This Eduard had a commissioun be the Pap to be juge in that mater c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 77.
Lustely thay lakit bot a juge, Sic straikis and stychling wes on steir c 1535 Lennox Mun. 347.
Broider, quhar ȝe wryt to me at I haf maid ȝow too jug betuix my broder … and me, warele, I wyll ay mak ȝow jug 1549 Prot. Bk. Sir J. Cristisone 101.
On the vest bank the jugis maid ane hoyll in the erd and put in stanis for ane march 1557 Rep. Earl Southesk MSS. 17.
In case of discord betuix my barnis … I leve … ouermen and jugis amangys thame a1568 Scott ii. 47.
Eikwall juges satt abowt To se quha tynt or wan 1571 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 395.
We William Dalgarno [etc.] … as juges and arbitrators equallie chosen

5. One who or that which makes judgement of, decides, or forms or pronounces an opinion about, anything in question. c1475 Wall. viii. 54.
Now God be juge, the rycht he kennys best 1533 Boece ix. iv. 295.
Thay ar barnelie … iugeis that … allegeis the bodyis of Saxouns ar corssy 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 101.
Thus sulde the Christiane congregation live in perpetuale debait … geve the Scripture wer juge a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun xiii.
To the quhilk all resonable reidaris sall be juge 1600-1610 Melvill 445.
The King sould he judge if a minister vag from his text

6. With qualifying noun or adjective (in sense 1).The qualifying noun or adjective generally follows (as also with OF. juge and L. judex).a. As juge arbiter, arbitrall, arbitratour, -er, arbitrour, civil, commissioner, competent (incompetent), criminall, delegat, depute, ecclesiastic, secular, spiritual, suspect (unsuspect), temporal. (For definitions and further examples, see these words.)b. Juge ordinar. Judges ordinary were those judges, including justices, sheriffs, barons, lords of regality, magistrates of burghs, and ecclesiastical judges, who had a fixed jurisdiction by virtue of their office or arising out of the tenure of their lands, and as distingnished from King and Parliament and King and Council, and also from judges ‘in that part’.a. c1575 Balfour Pract. 414.
Gif ony compromit be maid be certane parties, anent ony debait … betwix thame, and ony jugeis arbiteris chosin be thame to that effect — 1531 Bell. Boece I. 29.
He was chosin ane juge arbitrall, to discus certane hie debates falling amang his freindis of Ireland — 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 34.
Gif thair be ony terme doutsum or obscur in the premissis the interpretatioun … thairof to he referrit to the jugis arbitratouris forsaidis 1534 Crim. Trials I. 167.
Jugis arbitratouris and amicabill compositouris chosin betuix the saidis pairties to knaw and decide 1552 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 277.
The decisioun of all the premises [submitted] to my sayd Lord Luftennent [etc.] … as gugis arbitrateris and amicable componituris a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 26.
Act that nae lords of Sessione shall be judges arbitraters 1650 Acts VI. 639/2.
To … give commission to the forsaid judges arbitratouris … to meet and convene — 1472 Bamff Chart. 30.
In witness hereof the maste parte of the selys of ws jugis arbitrouris abufe writin ar appensit to this oure decrete — c1575 Balfour Pract. 284.
He that is judge commissioner and hes not sufficient document to schaw quhair he is sworn to minister justice in his office — 1498 Acta Conc. II. 200.
Tharefore the lordis assignis to the sade Alexander … to call the sade Maister Pyot before his competent juge 1546 Reg. Cupar A. II. 35.
It being sufficientlye prevyne vpoun thame befor thair compitent juge 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 209.
That the saidis prouest and baillies could be na jugis competent in the said mater in respect … thai wer juge and pairty c1575 Balfour Pract. 18.
The schiref nor his deputis is not jugeis competent to ony … kirkman Ib.
In thay caisis the Kingis Stewart is juge competent Ib. 268.
The Lordis of counsal … representis the place of a competent judge of appellatioun in the secund instance 1622-6 Bisset I. 174/5.]
[Quhen the defender allegis the iudge to be incompetent — a1578 Pitsc. II. 54/18.
With ane iudge criminall to gif dome and sentance wpoun … Mr George 1622-6 Bisset I. 174/24.
Judges criminall, ecclesiasticall or civile a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 17.
That the lords of session may cognosce upon matters of exemption fra the criminall judge, albeit they cannot be judges in criminall causes — 1622-6 Bisset I. 174/9.
As quhen ane criminall cause is persewed befoir ane civile or ecclesiasticall iudge — c1575 Balfour Pract. 286.
Gif ane judge delegat or ane schiref in that part, creat ony members of court befoir that the commissioun be … presentit to him — 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 126.
The gugis deputis within wretin, continewit the dovmegiffing on hir, to ane new warning 1635 Dickson Wr. 206.
Because the Conscience is set over man by God as judge-depute — c1420 Wynt. v. 2491.
That nane suld drawe Clerkys for till suffyre lawe Befor juges seculare 1558-66 Knox I. 6.
He was committed to the secular judge — 1424 Acts II. 8/2.
Other justice, chawmerlane, schireffis, bailȝeis of burrowis, barons or spirituale jugis 1475 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 34.
The saide Johne his landis and gudis … to be vncompellit, vndistrengeit … be ony juge spirituale or temporal 1542 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. MS. 21.
Reseruand … alanerlie to the spiritual juge the actionis concernand thame — a1500 Henr. Fab. 1183.
It is richt perrilious Till enter in pley before ane iuge suspect Ib. 1187 (B).
As juge suspect, I thé declyne 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 258/2.
The said stewart is suspect juge to him 1512 Ib. 369/2.]
[That thai persew the sammyn [actions] befor the Lordis of counsale or utheris unsuspect jugis 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 188.
That the said schiref deput wes suspect to be juge to him c1575 Balfour Pract. 283.
He is a suspect judge quha has the like cause of his awin dependand in judgmentb. c 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 51.
At we may byde befor our jugegis [sic] ordynar as the ordur of law of Scotlande wyll 1456 Hay I. 274/12.
Sa that the determinacioun and decisioun of the questioun of lawe had bene before a juge ordinare 1457 Acts II. 57/2.
The quhilk ȝer … outrvn all sik spoliacionis salbe decydit … befor the ordinar jugis of the realme, the lordis of the sessione haifande na power to knaw apone thame 1469 Ib. 94/2.
It is statut … that the partij complenȝeand … sall first cum to his juge ordinare of temperale landis as justice, schireff, stewart, bailȝe, barone, provost or bailȝis of burowis … and gif the juge ordinar failȝis him … he sal cum to the King & his consail 1469 Acta Aud. 9/2.
Remittit … be the lordis auditouris … to be decidit … before the juge ordinare becaus it concernis fee & heritage 1479 Acta Conc. I. 34/1.
Becaus the declaracion of the richt … standis alutterly apon the richt of the benefice … the lordis referris this accion to the spirituale juge ordinare 1496 Acts II. 238/1. 1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 273.
Albeyt the said dome is nul in the self … thai hef appeilyt tharfra to ȝou as juges ordinar for remeid 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 228.
The said Maister Jerome and James … becaus tha ar … within ordouris … be that priuilege is nocht astrikit to ansueir bot afor thair iuge ordinar 1577 Reg. Privy C. II. 657.
The said Lord Robert being juge ordinar, sheref principall, and greit fold of the cuntreis of Orknay and Ȝeitland 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Iter.
As for depredationes … the samin being first civilie discussed before the civill judge ordinar, thereafter may be criminally persewed before the justice and his deputes 1622-6 Bisset I. 1/22.
The ecclesiesticall jurisdictioun and proceeding befoir there ordinare judges of the samyn 1631 Stirling's Royal Lett. II. 543.
[The Council to] discharge … ather parteis from taking vpon them the … place of the Lord Oliphant, till such tyme as the same wer decydit befor the judge ordiner a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 2.
That two pairties dwelling under ane jurisdictioun may persew mutually befoir their judge ordinar albeit res … was alterius jurisdictionis Ib. 29.
Of ordinar judges in generall 1671 Rothesay B. Rec. 310.
I am content thir presentis be insert … in the court buiks of justice, towne buiks of Rothesay, or uther ordinar judgis buiks in Scotland — a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 187.
The judicciall compeirance of the partie befor some ordinarie judge