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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.

Las, n. Also: lass(e, lase, lais, laes. [ME. (north.) and e.m.E. lasse, north. ME. lasce (Cursor M.), of uncertain etymology.Conjectured (H. Bradley, OED.) to be f. prehistoric ON. *laskw-: cf. MSwed. and mod. Swed. lösker free, idle, vagrant, unattached, unmarried, as lösk kona unmarried woman, lösker karl unmarried man (Icel. lösk-r idle, weak); with -s for -sk as in As n. ash, and v. ask, and Bus n. bush.]

1. A girl; a little girl or a young woman. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 544.
Herrod … did sa gret il A lassis ȝarnyng til fulfil Ib. 632.
Til a lurdan las a1500 K. Hart 359.
Pietie … that ilk prettie las c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 465 (Ch. & M.).
Hutit be the halok lase Ib. 503.
Ladyis leir thir lessonis & be no lassis fundin 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 395.
To the Italien las that dansit 1511 Ib. IV. 179.
To the litil las 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4520.
[He] is of age fourscoir of ȝeir, And taks ane lasse to be his peir, Quhilk is nocht fourteine ȝeir of age 1590 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 29.
To mak ane separatioun in the lector scholes betuix the lads and lassis 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 161.
Thrie huidis of welvet for lassis 1603 Philotus 117.
Ane bairnelie lasse lyke mee, Mair meit his oy nor wyfe to be 1604 Perth Kirk S. 282.
There was a number of young women and lasses … found … dancing 1642 Strathbogie Presb. 31.
A foolish litle on within tuell yeiris of age … .Ordayned … to mak search … for the said litle lasse ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 33.
Et bobbare bene & lassas kissare bonæas 1667 Bk. Old Edinb. C. V. 137.
Aught hoors and a lasse sent to the corectiouen hous 1681 Cloud of Witnesses (1714) 78.
That was better debated already than a poor lass could debate it Ib. 82.
Why did he not debate these things with men and not with lasses? 1681 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 10.
Frieing the … high streets of many boyes and lasses whoe constantly molests … the leidges by begging upon the same

b. Applied to a woman of any age.As an affectionate, familiar, jocular or ironical usage. c1500 Crying of Play 52.
My grantschir … had a wyf was lang of clift, … The las was no thing sklender 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 239.
I knaw ane maid in Fyfe, Ane of the lusteast wantoun lassis 1567 G. Ball. 205.
The blind bischop, he culd nocht preiche For playing with the lassis a1585 Maitl. Q. lxx. 98.
Thair gartenis knottit with a rois Puttis all the lassis in thair chois a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 569.
Glassis and lassis are brukill wairs Ib. No. 1088.
Love beginnis with a louse, lass, come luke my head 1686 Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 32.
Gin we chance through humane frailty, To meet a lass and give her kelty 1690 A. Shields Grievances and Sufferings 23.
They required every poor lad and lais in the country to give their opinion of the government

c. A sweetheart. c1590 Fowler I. 192. lv. 14.
O joyles, ielous man, That feares to loss the lass I never wan!

2. A female child, a daughter Also attrib. in lass-bairn, lass-chyld. 1562 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 152.
His last barne, being ane las, to be baptisit in his awin hous 1570 Breadalbane Lett. (Reg. H.) 26 July.
Ane litill ȝoung las of myne wes seik 1576 Edinb. Test. IV. 208.
To Thome Diksouns twa lasis a1578 Pitsc. I. 407/12.
Adew, fair weill, it come witht ane lase, it will pase witht ane lase 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII. 136.
To my bastard las 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 361.
To Jon Rentoun pure, … for ane winding scheit to his las 1600-1610 Melvill 323.
In place of a sarie las that never leuche, God gave me of my wyff … a pleasand boy 1665 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 6 Sept.
I restrick hir to … ane thousand pund … to be taken aff tuelff hundreth merks therof aff the lasses and three hundreth merks aff Adameattrib. 1614 Crim. Trials III. 270.
The bairne deit schortlie efter the beiring, being ane lass-bairne 1693 Argyll Justic. Rec. I. 146.
Being conceived with chyld she did bear ane lass chyld

3. A maid-servant, servant-girl. Also comb. in servant-lass, work-lass.(1) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 448.
Heir I protest for Hamelynes, ȝour las a1568 Bann. MS. 217 b/34.
Oft tyme hes bene hard and sene Ane loird hes luvit ane las full weill And eik a laid ane lady scheyne 1571 Sat. P. xxix. 29.
[He] nethir wyth othir mannis wyffe nor maid, bot wyth his awin las lay 1614 Lanark B. Rec. 121.
And the las of the hous sine scho gavis me the kie til opin the dore ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 79.
Saevas … lassas, Magaeam magis doctam milkare cowæas Et doctam sweeppare fleuras [etc.] … , Nansæam claves bene quæ keepaverat omnes 1698 Foulis Acc. Bk. 222.
To the lass came up with the bowit to let us see home(b) 1620 Grant Chart. 323.
To the laisses of drinksiluer(2) 1632 Perth Kirk S. 310.
Janet Gibson, a servant lass, … is accused of indecent wantonness 1650 Brechin Presb. 38.
A servant lass being com in seik from her wark 1673 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 12 Sept.
To ane servant laes called Jannet 1674 Cunningham Diary 2.
Boarding of myself and my wife, her gentlewoman and servant lasse, and my man 1677 Ib. 91.(3) 1663 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp 2 b.
To Helen the work lase 02, 18, 00