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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.

Just, adj. Also: just, juist. [ME. just, juste (c 1374), F. juste, L. jūstus.]

1. Just, equitable, impartial (judge or lawgiver); righteous, upright, justified (person).(1) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (E.E.T.S.) 674.
A man suld nocht be our just bot he suld … mell justice and mercy to gider in jugment c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 122.
Scho bawd him be als just to awppis and owlis, As vnto pacokkis 1535 Stewart 39825.
So just ane juge, so equale and so trew a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. lix. 3.
Thy counsell cheis of gud men just and sage(2) 1456 Hay I. 291/11.
He that is catholyk to God … he mon be ever just and rychtwis to the warld Ib. II. 153/16.
Gif thou will prove thy baille … gyf he be lele and trewe, just and proffitable to thé a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 63.
O strang tirrand … , Just men oppressand and schrewis settand hie 1490 Irland Mir. I. 39/14.
In that realme is nane … bot werray juste and richtwis persounis 1513 Doug. i. viii. 90.
To ws was kyng the worthy Eneas, Ane justar man in all the warld nane was 1525 St. A. Formulare I. 269.
Cursit Cayn quhen he slew his bruthere just Abell saikleslye 1567 G. Ball. 78.
Christ maid us just quhen he vprais(3) absol. 1554 Knox III. 125.
The causes why the very just are sore … tormented … in this life

2. Accordant with equity or legal right: equitable, fair; rightful, lawful; righteous.(1) 1456 Hay I. 132/18.
But order of just lawe c1515 Asl. MS. I. 192/29.
It is suth and just law that a bastard [etc.] 1513 Doug. xi. iii. 60.
Thy gret gentryce and sa just equyte 1566 Rec. Earld. Orkney 122.
That trew triell and just cognission be tane(2) 1456 Hay I. 153/6.
Gif thai weris be just and rychtwys or nocht Ib. 255/30.
As to the successioun … I traist it be bathe lele and lauffull, haly and just c1500 Fyve Bestes 124.
Throw just batale quho so thairin decesis 1533 Bell. Livy I. 256/3.
The residew of the saidis gudis, quhilkis had na juste awnaris, war sald 1533 Boece viii. ix. 269.
This hure cherist in contempcioun of his just lady Ib. ix. xx. 341. 1551 Acts II. 484/1.
Gif thay assurit perounis spulȝeit haue iust actioun to ask restitutioun of thair gudis 1562-3 Winȝet II. 33/25.
It is a iust requeist, and nocht lang to be delayt 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 234.
The said Joanna wes constranit ... be just fear and dredor that mycht fall in ane constant mai 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 518.
Beggarit in persute of his just heretage 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 75/7.
To debar his g[race] from sic iust impyris quhilk … he may … iustlie inioy 1587 Acts III. 460/2.
Quhairby the iust defence of thair lyffis, landis and honouris wes takin away 1622-6 Bisset II. 227/12.
Befoir the admirall … declair the prysis to be iust c 1653 Irvine Mun. II. 253.
On blanket … quhilk was givin bake to the just aunder(3) a1578 Pitsc. I. 21/24.
It is veray iust judgment of God that deceitfull tyrantis … salbe punisched

b. True, right (statement). 1513 Doug. vi. Prol. 59.
Virgil writis mony just claus conding

3. a. Just ignorance, lack of knowledge of some fact in the eyes of the law (see also Morison Dict. Decis. No. 9367, Kirkaldy v. Pitcairn). b.? Of law, legal. 1515 Fife Sheriff Ct. 16.
The said master Alexander ansuerit … that he knew na dependence of that action … before the officer be na libel … of hyme nor he suld nocht be compellit to gif his aith tharapone because of just ignorance that he knew nocht tharof c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1214.
In Edinburgh, as I hard say, This squyer and the ladie trew Was thair, just matteris to persew

4. Of a measure, quantity, proportion, number, time, etc.: Exact, precise, correct according to the standard, not approximate, true.(a) 1531 Bell. Boece I. lviii.
Thay … gevis ane gowpin, or ellis sum thingis mair abone the just mesure that thay sell Id. Livy I. 17/30.
This ryver … was ȝett furth with large flude abone the brayis, in sic maner that na men mycht haue passage to the streme or juste bankis thare of Ib. II. 155/10.
[They] decernit nocht to tary on the just tyme of commitis, bot the auld tribunis militare to be deponit, and new tribunis to be create 1552 Conv. Burghs I. 2.
That the hale borrowis … ressaue their mesouris of the burghis following, quhilkis hes the iust mesouris 1554–5 Ayr. B. Acc. 122.
[For fetching] ane just leyd stane out of Lanerk 1555 Acts II. 499/1.
That na goldsmyth mak … siluer under the iust fynance of elleuin penny fyne 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 66.
Ane vthir parpall wall … in langis the breid of the said kirk be just lyne to the southe sydwall of the samyn 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 38.
Anentis wechtis, mesouris [etc.] … to be sychtit and considerit that thai beis just in thame selfis 1587 Acts III. 521/2.
The heip in proportione is the iust thrid of the firlot or peck 1624 Conv. Burghs III. 157.
Such yairne … that does not contein the iust number of threids in euerie cutt thairof 1655 Ib. 411.
The elne of Pearth … they alledg is ane inch longer nor the just elne 1657 Edinb. B. Rec. IX. 57.
The abuse committed be Robert Weir … in justing the weights … upon the great balk … for want of a just small balk 1704 Hunter Fam. P. 69.
The ane just and equall half of the insight and plenishing of his hous(b) 1637 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 381.
Throw the vsing and wenting of herring barrellis quhilkis ar not the juist jadge 1668 Kirkcudbr. Test. MS. 29 July.
The juist thrid pert of the frie geir and the twa perts of the said frie geir

5. Of a copy, inventory, list: Exact, accurate. 1552 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. in Fife Sheriff Ct. 394.
The frehaldaris [etc.] … to comper … for makin of ane just roll of taxatione of euery manis land 1562-3 Winȝet I. 60/13.
We set furth this iust copie, without altering or eiking ony thing 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 31.
This is the trew and just copie of the heids of the contract above wrettin 1589 Misc. Spald. C. II. 279.
We … hes delyuerit the just dwbill heirof ilk ane to vther 1625 Conv. Burghs III. 200.
The skippers sall caus the clarkis of thair schippis tak vp ane iust nott of the hard guides schippit