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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1599, 1663
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List, n.1 Also: liste, lyst. [ME. (a 1300) list, lyst, OE. líste wk. fem. rendering L. lembum hem, selvage, also OF. liste (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
1. The hem or edging of a garment or the like; a selvage or edging strip of a piece of cloth. b. The edge of a chess-board. a1400 Legends of the Saints vii. 48.
The puple … stryfe wald quha mycht fyrst Of his kirtil mycht nycht the liste a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 179.
His garmound … With golden listis gilt on euerie gair c1500 Makculloch MS xiii. 41.
Hec fimbria, a list 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 38.
The nycht furthspred hir cloke with sabill lyst 1565 Protocol Book of Gilbert Grote 96.
Ane small towell witht thre lystis of silk 1574 Edinburgh Testaments III. 143 b.
Fyftene rowis of blak braid pasmentis with ane grene list 1591 Ib. XXIII. 50 b.
Ane pece of wareant taffatie with sum listis of satinb. ?1438 Alex. ii. 3703.
The listis [F. listes] of gold war, fare and fyne
2. plur. ? The palisade in front of a beleaguered town, or ? the bounds or limits (of a town). (Rendering OF. liches pl.: see Lis(si)s n. pl.) ?1438 Alex. ii. 1319.
Before the listis at the entre [of the city] Gat thay the Indeans menȝe ?1438 Ib. 1668.
Quha had than sene Betys [etc.] … Pas the listis of the toun
3. plur. Palisades surrounding a space set apart for jousting; hence, the palisaded area in which jousts were held. Rarely sing.ME. has this sense (chiefly in pl.) from c 1386 (Chaucer): cf. also Lis(si)s n. pl.(1) 1456 Hay I. 219/34.
Monye kingis … haldand … before thame bataillis in barrieris clos, as bataillis in listis 1456 Ib. 251/6.
Quhethir gif bataill in listis may be lefully haldyn before the ladyes 1456 Ib. 265/1, etc. 14.. Acts I. 189 (red).
The Maneir of Batall within Lists 1494 Loutfut MS. 2 a.
And the listes suld be maid eftir the state of the fechtaris that is to say til a prince of ane hundreth passes [etc.] 1494 Ib. 109 a.
As to thair batellis in special quhilk is within listis man for man other be slaw batall or batell of plesaunce 1496 Treasurer's Accounts I. 302.
To ij men to cast the sand at the listis 1503 Ib. II. 390.
For vij mennis wages ij dayis on the hingyngis of dames for hyding of the listis of [= with] thaim 1513 Doug. viii. x. 92.
Sittand into ane holl valle … Within the lystis for the triumphe mak, War Sabyne virgynys revyst by Romanys 1527 Treasurer's Accounts V. 326.
To by tymmer to mak listis in the abbay [sc. Holyroodhouse] 1534 Ib. VI. 225, etc. 1537–8 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 221.
The expensis maid upone the listis and compter listis in Sanctandrois aganis the Quenis grace entray thairto 1538 Lynd. Justing 48.
He mist the man & dang vpon the lystis1539–41 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 288, etc. 15.. Clariodus ii. 1362.
This forsaid knicht … fetchit … Carvors, painters and subtillest devysers, To make the listis to the interprisers a1568 Scott i. 182.
Enarmit knychtis at listis with scheild and speir a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xvi. 11.
Go dres ȝour hors, ȝour harnes and ȝour geiris, To rin at listis to just and to turnay a1578 Pitsc. II. 17/7.
Justing and rinning of great horse at the listis(2) sing. 1663 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 63.
In this moneth deceased King Henry of France, of the stroak of a spear running at the list
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"List n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/list_n_1>
