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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Lade, Laid, n.¹ Also: lad, layd, led, lede, leid, leyd, lead(e. [North. ME. (1384–5) lad(e, (Cath. Angl.) layde load, midl. and south. ME. lod(e, loode load, burden, also loading, carriage, returning (like Lade n.² and Lade n.³) to OE. lád way, course, journey, conveyance, carriage. The leid, leyd etc. form is no doubt due to Lede v. 6. Cf. also Lod.]In the plur. freq. uninflected as a collective.

1. A load, pack or burden, espec. one carried by a horse; a horse-load.Also cairt-laid, Cart n. 3, and Hors-lade.Not usually the same as birding, birthing, burding a burden carried by a man, or draucht a load drawn by animals.(a) 1375 Barb. viii. 450.
Quhen thai of the castell saw So feill ladis gang on raw … thai … yschit to get that vittale Ib. 467.
Thai kest thair ladis doun in hy 1462 Peebles B. Rec. I. 148.
The poyndyng of quhitis and ladis of skinnis or hidis 1494 Dunferm. B. Rec. 55.
Caggeris … sall present the mercat … witht the sade fische … and falyeing herof … the thrid tym thar ladis to be eschetit 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 84.
Personis … with hors corne to be sald … sall nocht stryk vp nane of thair ladis afoir ix houris be strykyn(b) 1472 (c 1580) Ib. I. 25.
That the fermoraris sall tak the hors and the laid passand fra the mylns, … and the corne and sek escheit to the saidis fermoraris a1500 Henr. Fab. 2161.
With that the cadgear … Come rydand on the laid, for it wes licht a1500 Rauf C. 323.
Agane the morne airly He ordanit him ane laid 1509 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 124.
The said clengers of the gait to haif thair dewteis of the victualle merkats vsit and wont viz. of ilk laid thair dischefull 1546 Ib. II. 121.
Na … persoun … to cary away furth of the towne in laids the meill that cumis to the merkett 1552 Ib. 172.
We sall mak … ane corne mercate that the laidis and personis that cumis thairto sall stand dry 1580–1 Lanark B. Rec. 78.
To mak ane gait … to gang with laidis to the myln in Badrannald 1589 Conv. Burghs I. 300.
[To] vplift of euery laid on horsbak … four pennies, and of euery mannis burding … twa penneis 1593 Ib. 398.
The complaynt of Lanerk aganis Glasquow, for vplifting of ane laidill full of euery laid victuall 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 114.
The said Alexander leidand the first laid of his bear … thow … drew ane acher furth of the laid 1598 Conv. Burghs II. 34.
For ilk ladinet hors with laid or drawchts passand alangis the said brig … iiij d. 1600 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 510.
Duodecim equi onera wulgo laidis glebarum 1607 Glasg. B. Rec. I. 272.
The said Gabriell hes niddrit the passage fra the burne sa that laidis and slaidis cannocht pas by vthiris 1610 Peebles B. Rec. 359.
That nane raid [= ride] abone nor behind na laid 1620 Urie Baron Ct. 33.
[Persons stealing peats] sall pey … for ilk laid of peits on hors with creillis xl s., for ilk kairt full of peitts thrie pundis 1629 Elgin Rec. II. 211.
Nicoll Jamesone [censured] for laying on laids upon Sonday last(c) 1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 83.
Ane mark Orkneis to be paytt … for ilk leyd or buirdyng takyne awa withowt gwyd will … of the said Jhone 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 240.
The saidis souldiouris convoyaris thairof sould purpouslie cast doun the saids leids in the middis of the port a1578 Pitsc. II. 105/17.
Sum gentilmen dissagysed thame into the husband menis claithis and come with the said leiddis of wictuall to the castell Ib./22.
Ilk ane man tuik on his awin leid vpone his bak as thay had beine bot husband men 1584 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 54.
Certane nychtbouris … , regrataris … , awayting upone the leiddis of victuall cuming out of the contray to this burght 1597 St. A. Kirk S. 835.
Patrik Arthour baxter … ressaving of ane leid of flour on the last Sabboth 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 4 b.
To horsmen for leyin one good leids 5 li. 17 s.coll. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 176.
Ane Douglass, who come in to Edinburgh with tuo leid of quheit(d) 1596 Elgin Rec. II. 44.
That na persoun … trawell on the Sabboth day with any leads, burdeins or ony other cariage a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1747.
Ye are fallin away fra a horse burden to a horse lead 1622 Elgin Rec. II. 168.
That the carriouris that bringis in stanes … cum first to Robert Hardie that he may sie the leads

b. With trans. verb in the sense ‘convey’, espec. to leid (so many) laid(is. Also with ellipsis of the verb.(1) a1500 Rauf C. 508.
As ane lauchfull man my laidis to leid 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 162.
Ane hundreth laid sand, led fra be-west Sanct Nicolus Chapell 1563 Inchaffray Reg. 86.
Peitsleiding lxxx creilis, lymeleiding vj laidis, sklaitleiding vlaidis 1614 Stirling B. Rec. I. 136.
For mending of the kingis gaitt … that all inhabitants … leid ilk ane xx laidis of red and chinnell 1615 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 366.
To the wattermen for leiding fiftie laid of watter at ii s. vi d. the lead 1656 Boyd Fam. P. 15 Jan.
The leading and inlaying of sextein leads of coalls yeirlie to the place of Pinkill(2) 1501–2 Treas. Acc. II. 139.
Payit to James Dog … for carying of iiij laid of bent fra Dirltoun, viij s. 1504–5 Ib. III. 130.
To ane man hed his hors ded bringand ane laid of stuf fra Leith to Lochmabane 1621 Black Bk. Taymouth 354.
That ewirie tennent … draw yeirly … to thair middingis for guiding of ilk merkland possest be thame … thrie scoir leadis of earth 1624 Ib. 365.
Aucht penneyis at the brig of Killin for every lead of salt that they carey athrocht the bridges 1628 Elgin Rec. II. 203.
Comperit Robert Chalmber for calling leadis to the mill on the Sabbath day c1650 Spalding II. 235.
Not a lead of peites or vther commoditeis durst be brocht in to sell(3) 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 225.
For x laid clay and tyld fra the Castell and Potteraw to the werk 1561 Inverness Rec. I. 58.
For ewyrre laid or sayk the [sc. hire-] horse hes fra the stane to … the portis j d.;. .for ewyrre lad fra the hek end [of the mill] to the towne j d.

c. A turn of conveying a load. 1549 Banff Ann. I. 26.
Quhilk tovnsmen sall geve hyme [the smith] ȝeirlie ane laid with thair howrs [= horses] in symmer for the supple and helpe of his coillis 1633 M. Works Acc. MS. XXVIII. 9 b.
To the caryers … for carying of fyftie ane laides of lyme at four schillingis the laid

2. A horse-load (of a commodity) regarded as a more or less fixed measure of quantity. Also burges lade. sing., plur. and coll.(1) 1559 Inverness Rec. I. 38.
That nane … by the lade of turris derrer nor fyf pennis the lade(b) 1482 Edinb. Chart. 168.
Of ilk layd of vnyeons, apillis, corne, buttir, cheis or vthir gudis met and sald in Leith to vnfremen to be had away i d. and of ilk laid vnmet i obl. Ib.
Item of ilk laid of quhitefisch or hering … i d. a1500 Rauf C. 245.
And thow will cum to the court … Thow sall haue for thy fewaill … Worth ane laid or twa 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 14.
For an laid off lym xij d. 1532 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 59.
The maltmen … to sell thair malt … for xxxij s. the laid, and the laid to contene nyne fyrlottis 1545 Ib. 119.
That thai gif the laid of malt with siclyke mesour and heippis as the awld vse hes bene 1589 Conv. Burghs I. 301.
The vplifting be … Pettinweme of the fourth pairtt of ane pek of euery laid or sekful of wictuall mett within thair said burgh 1669 Glasg. B. Rec. III. 123.
Importouris of oysters does … buy the smalest of the oysters, to the effect thei may mak many hundreths in the laid(c) 1494 Acta Conc. I. 364/1.
He haid takin for his males … fra … Thomas Cowper a led of malt 1555 Prot. Bk. G. Grote (S.R.S.) 10.
[To pay] ane led of beir or ane leid of malt 1617 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 250.
That quhen my executouris levis labouring in Scone, thay be repossessed [in Orkney] for the payment of thair led of malt 1619 Wedderburn Compt. Bk. 75.
Johne Beton coft in the mercat … ane led of ill meill(d) 1512 Dunferm. B. Rec. 186.
The wranguus takyne of a leid fra him of collis 1556 Crim. Trials I. i. 390*.
The threafe of fodder viij d., … the leid of peittis ij d. ob. 1603 Stirling B. Rec. I. 104.
Of schoir maill … ilk leid of bark, ae penny; ilk chalder of lyme, tuelf penneis 1675 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 24 March.
Of corne two leade at £10 a lead(2) 1504 Dunferm. B. Rec. 138.
The vrangvis withaldyn fra thaim of … xl ladis of eldyng pettis and turffis 1510 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 130.
[Each baxter] sall grynd at anes bot viij ladis of quheitt 1590 Glasg. B. Rec. I. 150.
Fyftie markis money togidder with foure dousane burges ladis coilis(b) 1490 Acta Aud. 132/2.
Convell sall restore … to the said maister Robert fourtj dosane laiddis of colis 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 77.
ij dosan laidis colis to the Gray Freris of Strivelin 1556 Glasg. Bakers 59.
Nane travellour … to sell the samyn [bread] to nayne outtintowneis men in laidis creillis nor half creillis nor junt the gidder 1559–60 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 332.
For v^xx iij laidis of Stratoun lyme, ilk laid iij bollis 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 168.
The pittie customes … , the laids of quheit, malt, meill, beynes, beir, aitts, breid, salt, rye, hering, fruitt, bark, pitchers, osteris, tymmer, aill [etc.] … twa penneis; … ane laid woll, hyddes [etc.] … foure penneis; … all laids nocht namet … twa penneis, the burding nocht namet, ane penny 1624 Peebles Gleanings 75.
Elspeth Threipland … grantit scho ventit and ran four laidis wyne, pairtlie wyne seck and pairtlie French wyne(c) 1513 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 189.
The wrangus wyththaldin fra him of x ledis of fulye 1557 Reg. Cupar. A. II. 141.
Thai payand … five ledis of paittis(d) 1546–7 Stirling B. Rec. I. 46.
As many colis burges leidis as tua hors may leid … for xvj d. the leid 1588 Reg. Great S. 516/2.
Reddendo … 280 lie creillis glebarum (vel 1 den. pro quolibet), 20 lie leidis glebarum (vel 3 den. pro quolibet) 1595 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 321.
To pey to him vj leidis peitis(e) c1575 Balfour Pract. 88.
Twentie leadis of hering, ilk ane of thame contenand fyve hundreth, is ane last(3) 1468 Peebles B. Rec. I. 158.
That ilk nychtbur suld lay vj laid of stanis at the Kow furd 1482 Acta Aud. 109/1.
Certane petis and colys extendand to j^c layd 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 281.
For cutting of sevin skoire tuelf laid byrne wode 1554 Reg. Privy S. IV. 497/1.
Payand … to oure soverane lady … tuentie scoir of laid of collis at the hill of the said colheuch allanerlie 1583–4 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 315.
By and attowre … the fyve penneis … of ilk laid quheit … the said baxters … sall pay … ane leippie … of ilk foure laid of quheitt 1659 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 10.
Ane bushell of corne twa laid quheroff is to be given presentlie and the other twa laid at the sawing of the nixt cropt(b) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 343.
To ane kegger at turst to the Lord Dakirris 1½ leid sture and pellok fische of Edinburgh to Carlile 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 264.
Thair come xl leid of meill to the burgh of Edinburgh(c) 1561 Reg. Dunferm. 457.
Out of Inneresk cxvi thraffis stray, x^c lead of pittis of Carberry 1616 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 377.
For upbringing the daillis and sparris being 54 lead at 3s. 4d. the lead is 9 li. 1638–9 Misc. Spald. C. V. 152.
Four lead and ane burding of peatts, … four leads of stray 1650–1 Stirling B. Rec. II. 305.
For 6 lead coillis … for the use of the tolbuith, £3. 0. 0.

3. fig. A load or burden. a1568 Kennedy Bann. MS. 281 a/15.
Woluptous lyfe quhy thinkis tho so sueit … Repent in tyme devoyd thé of this laid 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 312.
The bodie … is ane lead layit on the back of the saull

b. To lay on gud lede, to deal heavy blows, fight vigorously: cf. Lay v.¹ 41. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1633.
With swordis tha laid on sa gud lede That nane mycht wit quhilk of thame better haid