Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Methe, Meith, Mith, v. Also: meth, meithe, mieth, meath, myth, and Mooth. P.t. and p.p. methit, meithit etc., also metht. [ON. miða to mark the position of anything, whence also Myth v. The vowel of the common form (spelt e, ei etc.) appar. shows the usual change of ĭ > ē as in Leve v.⁴ etc. Only Sc.] tr. To settle, or to mark with boundary markers, or to settle and also mark, the boundary of (landed property); also, to fix and mark (a boundary). = March v.²Also const. aff, fra and out of (adjacent lands, a piece of land).Chiefly coupled with synonyms, esp. March v.², qq.v. for further examples. 1550 Prot. Bk. R. Rollok (S.R.S.) 20.
[They] diwidit, merchit and meithit ane part of the merchis of the saidis tounis and landis 1578 Aberd. Chart. 337.
To proppe meithe and merche the boundis and limitis of propirte of [etc.] 1607 Glasgow Prot. X. 133.
Meith 1629 Cramond Ch. Boyndie 11.
Meathed 1659-60 A. Hay Diary 42.
And did set pit-stons and merch and meith all the propertie of Locarthill wher it is contiguous with Symontoun 1672 Inverness Presb. 27. 1684 Strathendrick 135.
To design and cause meth as much arable ground near adjacent to the said kirk as will make a sufficient gleib 1695 Glasgow B. Rec. IV. 153.
Meithp.p. (a) 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 308.
Resignacione … of the nethir part of thair yard discendand doune to the commoune vennel as it is markyt and methit 1519 Reg. Panmure II. 292.
The comonte of the said landis … salbe devidit be us and thairefter propit, methit and merchit 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 72.
Siclyk as it is methit and merchit be ws the said abbot —1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 313 (see Met v. 2 b). — 1590 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 18 July.
All metht & marchit 1607 Inverurie B. Ct. 20 May.
[Lands] merchit and methit as thai ly 1613 Cramond Cullen Ann. 27. 1615 Reid Auchterarder 62.
Tuelf persones … quha … haif … lynit, methit and merchit the samyn [holdings](b) 1552 Grey Friars II. 230.
The said ground merchit and meithit and boundit as is contenit in thair few chartour c1575 Balfour Pract. 438. 1600 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 205. 1602 Ayr Chart. 137.
Ane aikir of land … presentlie laid af, designit, merchit and meithit round about 1603 Lanark B. Rec. 113. 1633 Cullen B. Rec. 22 Feb.
My croft of land callit Brounscroft … marchit and meithed as followes 1633 Inverness Rec. II. 170.
Markit, meithit and merchit quhairby ilk persone knew … his owin proper pairt 1638 Bamff Chart. 250.
The samyne is specially merchit and meithit in the infeftmentis … maid to me 1679 Banff Ann. I. 158. 1687 Culross I. 371.
Ordering the piece of moore land to be marched and meithed to the said John:?(c) 1595 Bamff Chart. 140.
As the samyn lyis merchit and mithit fra that pairt of the saides landes … callit the Schallvallis 1636 Misc. Spald. C. V. 226. 1650 Strathbogie Presb. 140.
Vith ane vther litle hauch vpon the south syd of the said water, mithit and merched as followes 1666 Strathendrick 27.
Appointed three of their number to see the land designed marched and mithed out of the ewest and nearest lands lying contigue to the manse(d) 1616 Reg. Great S. 566/2.
And fra that furth liniallie to the Guisloch as it is miethit and merchit be wmquhill Jhone Hay [etc.](e) 1634 Contract, Memor. Dr. Wilson of Falkirk v. Forbes of Callendar p. 2 (Jam. (1825) s.v. Cognosce).
The saids lands being cognossit, meathit, merchit and acceptit [etc.]

b. P.p. Having its common boundary fixed with an adjacent piece of land. 1605 Ellon Presb. 54.
[A new glebe] mairchit and meithit on the west with the auld gleib