A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1616
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Meke, Meik, a. Also: mek, meike, meyk(e, meak. [ME. meke, meek, midl. meoke, muke, early meoc, mec (Orm), ON. mjúk-r soft, pliant, gentle.]
1. Meek, mild, submissive; modest, humble; gentle, kind, gracious.Of persons and their attributes; freq. of Christ, the Virgin or a saint. b. transf.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xii. 232.
Jhesu … That kethit wele that he wes mek a1400 Ib. xl. 1175. a1400 Ib. xli. 118.
Than the prefet … gluthryt hir with wordis mek c1420 Wynt. vii. 1152. c1460 Wisdom of Solomon (S.T.S.) 331.
Mar is [prayer] lowabile to God with a mek man na a pridfull 1456 Hay II. 33/1.
A knycht suld be meke and full of clemence c1460 Thewis Wysmen 227. 1513 Doug. vii. i. 98. 1531 Bell. Boece I. lviii.
Richt humane and meke pepil 1596 Dalr. I. 133 marg.compar. a1500 Golagros and Gawane 120.
I rede ye mak furth ane man mekar of mude c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 250.
That my preching may … mak yow mekar to mensuperl. a1400 Legends of the Saints iii. 2.
Off sanct Andrew … That bar the mekest hart in breste(b) 1375 Barb. i. 390.
He wes … meyk and sweyt in cumpany c1420 Ratis Raving 606. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 6/8.
The meik and hummyll lady and virgin 1490 Ib. 26/27. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xi. 12, lxii. 21, etc. 1533 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 4 Nov.
That … all the officears be meik in thair office c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i. 604. a1568 Scott ii. 142.
Than every man … said he wes our meik a1568 Id. xxvii. 37.
Quhen schow growis meik and tame 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 163. 1568 Q. Mary in Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lviii.
Thai mak thame to be meik in maner 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 10.
This natione cannot be dantoned be babisnes or meik behaviour c1578 Reid Swire 37.
Sir George was gentile meik & dowce 1610 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs II. 303.
Judges arbritattors [sic] and meik compositors chosencompar. 1616 Mure Misc. P. xvii. 17.
Nane humbler, meiker, modester, more graue(c) 1596–1600 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) II. 437.
As he sould be a gude justicier and a meak prence unto them(2) absol. c1460 Wisdom of Solomon (S.T.S.) 217.
The rich and the pwre, the glorius & mek 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 96.(3) proverbs a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS xlv. 7.
Ane woman thocht scho seme meik scho is ewill to knaw 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 213.
Ane meik answer slokins melancolieb. a1450 Fifteen Ois 61.
Thy tender body meik a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow iii. 156.
Throw meik mirreitis of His only sone c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 26.
Off ferliful fyne favour war thair faceis meik c1500-c1512 Ib. 513.
The morow myld wes & meik. the mavis did sing c1500-c1512 Id. xxv. 23.
Ane dergy devoit and meik 1513 Doug. x. x. 122. 1570 Satirical Poems x. 149.
2. Of animals: Mild, gentle, friendly; submissive, docile, tame. a1400 Legends of the Saints xlvii. 18.
God thai bestis mad sa mek [etc.] a1400 Ib. ii. 600, etc. c1450-2 Howlat 240.
Thir ar na fowlis of reif … Bot mansweit … manerit and meike a1500 Henr. Fab. 2625.
The selie lamb wes meik and innocent c1515 Asloan MS I. 251/4.
Cothody … was … to his liegis a meke lamb c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 111.
And lat no bowgle … The meik pluch ox oppres 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 69.
The meyk hartis 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxix.
Thoucht thay [bulls] semit meik and tame
3. Freq. in certain proverbial comparisons.(1) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 1937.
In tym off pes mek as a maid was he a1500 Golagros and Gawane 350.
He is maid on mold meik as ane child(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 1433.
That lyone as lame ryicht meke a1400 Ib. xliii. 103. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 236.
Meik in chalmer lyk ane lame Bot, in the feild, ane campioun c1610 Melville Mem. 257.
He [Kirkcaldy of Grange] wes humble, gentill and meak lyk a lamb in the house [etc.] — 15.. Christis Kirk 203.
Thay wer als meik as ony mvlis [etc.]
4. In the plant-name meik galanga (= galingale) (in 15.. Herbarius Latinus Annot. (Bot.) s.v. Aristologia rotunda).
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"Meke adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/meke_adj>
