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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.

Los, Lose, Lois, v.³ Also: losse, loise. P.t. and p.p. los(s)it, -ed, lois(s)it, -ed, etc., also lost, loist. [MDu. lossen to loose, free, redeem, also, to unload a ship, and, only in the latter sense, MLG. lossen (Germ. löschen), Da. losse, Sw. lossa. Cf. also Lows v.²]For further examples see brek bou(l)k Bouk n.² 1, Lade v., Ladin v.

1. intr. Of a ship or other vessel: To discharge cargo, have its cargo unloaded. Latterly also b. tr. To discharge (its cargo). 1402 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 56.
Ony ship or schippis … that lykis to losse at thair havyn 1468 Smit Bronnen I. ii. 1019.
Thai haff proclamyt … at all the schypis pas to Scelande and los with ȝow in Medylburch 1471 Edinb. Chart. 134.
Of ilk stane bot lossand in the havin a penny 1572 Inverness Rec. I. 222.
Thair to loise and delywer hir laidnyng 1591 Reg. Privy C. IV. 652.
We … commandis na schip to lois till they have deliverit thair cokquet … to the conservatour 1616 Reg. Great S. 517/1.
Ex omnibus navibus et naviculis exonerantibus lie lossing infra dictum portumb. 1587 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 498.
To trye quhat schips is thair and quhat thai lose and laids 1602 Conv. Burghs II. 140.
Giff the schip cumis thither quhair sche sould lois hir guidis 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI. 440 [see Ladining vbl. n. 2 (a)].

2. tr. Of persons. a. To discharge the cargo from, unload (a ship). b. To unship (goods), unload (cargo) from (furth of or out of) a vessel; also, to discharge or bring off (the goods in a ship). c. absol. Chiefly or only coupled with lade.a. 1499 Halyb. 161.
Paid for xij dayis that the schout lay in Zelland or he coutht be lossit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 581.
Thay … Doun drew thair saills and thair gude schippis loist [: coist] 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 332.
That nane … mak marchandice quhill the tyme that thair gudis be housit, and the schip lost 1593 Crim. Trials I. ii. 302.
To addresse thame selffis with the said [infected] schip to Sanct Colmis Inche, and thair loise, handle and remane with the said schip and guidis 1602 Decreet in Muses Thr. ii. 39.
That no ship coming within the water of Tay … should be loised or break bulk while the same come to the bridge of the said burgh 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 10.
To tuelff men that lossit the twa littill schippisb (a) 1497 Acta Conc. II. 88.
The sade Georg is cummyn to … Leith with the sade schip … and loissis the saidis gudis and howsis at his aun hand 1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 263.
To certane werkmen losane the said tymmer and tyring of the samyn 1543 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 115.
Ordanis the said nychtboures to gar lose thair guids furth of the said schip agane 1548 Treas. Acc. IX. 172.
To vj warkmen to help to lois, sellar and cairt this wyne 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 227, 228, 278, etc. 1586 Conv. Burghs I. 227.
His Hienes awin sercheouris … sall … lois the guidis being in bodum als oft as thai sall think expedient 1597 Acts (1814) 137 (Jam.).
Gif thai los onie gudis … cumand frome Scotlande befoir the geving of the said aithe 1602 Conv. Burghs II. 142.
Gif ane skipper cumis vpoun ground … giff he can cum be ony … lichter to lois afe the guidis in the schip [etc.] 1600-1610 Melvill 168. 1625 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 168.(b, c) 1482 Edinb. Chart. 169.
That na … gudis … remane or be housit langare in Leith eftir it be dischargit and losit than it may be cartit … to the tovn 1514 Acta Conc. Public Aff. 19.
Losyt 1529–30 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 26.
For the careage of the samyn [trees, etc.] … fra the hyll end quhar thai wer losit to the werk 1537 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 86.
Jhone Sleith grantit … that he loissit the pok of forest woll pertening to Mungo Tennend efter that the samyn wes schippit and stowit in his schip 1545 Stirling Ant. IV. 204, 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 281.
Loissit 1572 Canongate B. Ct. 373.
For xxxviii^s grit ilk sek of gudis that wer losit thair [in Campvere] 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 133. 1595 Old Dundee I. 63, Conv. Burghs I. 486.
Loissit 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 155.
Loseit 1602 Conv. Burghs II. 140.
Gif the merchand chop cheyis vpoun ane bin or puntioun quhairin his wyne … is, and commandis the samyn to be heissit and loissit 1609 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 302.
Lossit 1609 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 137.
[To] cause intimation be maid … that thaire is such coalles to be losed and sold to the furneisching of neighbouris 1600-1610 Melvill 168.
We lossit our skleattes, and tuk in vivers 1618 Glasgow Chart. I. ii. 301.
Loissed 1622-6 Bisset II. 244/2.
Or evir the gudis be loissed out of the schip 1632 Justiciary Cases I. 200. 1641 Acts V. (1817) 614/1.
Losed c1650 Spalding I. 269.
The English schippis beginis to tak our merchand schippis and haue thame to Bervick … quhair thair goodis war loissit and inuentarit that none suld be loist(b) 1552 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 169.
All vther gudis being in the said schip … to be lost incontynent furth of the said schip 1571 Reg. Privy C. II. 129.
The lordis … ordanis the same [wines] to be loist and the said David to mell and intromet thairwith 1579 Crail B. Ct. MS. 5th Oct.
The skippar and maistar of the schippis and boittis quha hes loist thair laiddyngis and schippit thair laiddyngis within the porte … of [Crail] … to mak payment [etc.] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 331.
The said Inglis artailȝarie wes lost and stockit vpoun the schoir of Leith 1610 Conv. Burghs II. 295. 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 53.
To aucht men that lost thrie boitfull of sklait Ib.
Loistc. 1462 Cal. Chart., Suppl. (Reg. H.) 9 Nov. (see Lade v. 1 c (1)). 1512 Reg. Privy S. I. 367/2, etc. (see Lade v. 1 c (1)). 1599 Acts IV. 185/1. 1621 Ib. 613/1.

3. absol. or intr. To lighten ship by throwing goods overboard.Cf. Lowsing vbl. n.² b. 1622-6 Bisset II. 235/31.
Nor na sic persones may leif the schip … albeit they be drevin be storme to loise or drivin in ony porte to recover there necessaris