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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.

Myte, Mite, n.¹ Also: myt, mytt(e, myit, mit. [ME. (14th c.) and e.m.E. mite, myte, MDu., MLG. mîte.]

1. A Flemish copper coin of very small value.1469 Acts II. 97/1 (see Cort n.¹). — c 1400 Sc. Merchandise (N.L.S.) 17.
The stic at 1 g. 1 mitis 1498 Halyb. 165.
Send Thomas … matis 20 fut lang and 20 fut bred, ilk fut cost 20 myttis

b. The lowest denomination of English money of account.(So in Eng. text-books of arithmetic of the 16th-17th c.) 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 16.
2 m. & 5 c. & 60 myttis is ane marke

c. A small weight, one twentyfourth of a penny weight. — 1641 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. lxviii.
Everie ounce [subdivided] into 20 penny weight, everie pennie weight into 24 myttes

2. Put for: A very small unit of money value.(Paid) to ane mite, = to the last farthing. c1420 Wynt. viii. 6686.
Gyf thow slayne in the bargane be Thi ransone sall I gif thé quhyte I sall noucht ask thareof a myte a1500 Colk. Sow iii. 42.
Quhair a myte Failis thairof manis wit bringis agane A thowsand pundis fynit out of vris plane 1502 Halyb. 269.
He was iiii syndry tymys in this contre, yet he neuer paid myt for his costis 1567 G. Ball. 176.
Bot quhen he had payit all to ane myit He mon be absoluit than

b. With allusion to Mark xii. 42, the weidois myte, one's myte, (as an expression of modesty) one's very small contribution to anything. 1591-2 Rob Stene 19.
Heir I present the weidois myt 1611-57 Mure Misc. P. xx. 16.
Ȝit (gratiows prince,) my myt to thee I owe c1616 Hume Orthog. 3. 1618-60 Lithgow Poet. Remains 5.
Most mightie monarch … Vouchsafe to looke on this small mite I bring 1623 Lett. Eccl. Affairs II. 724.
To offer up my old mit new stampt unto your heighnesse graue consideratioun 1635 Justiciary Cases I. 236.
Taxatioun … voluntarlie … offered to ws be our loveing … subiectis as the myte of thair humble affectioun 1655 Johnston Diary III. 6.
I arose and wrot my myte to further the covenant

3. a. (Not) worth ane mite (thre mytis), (not) worth even a very small amount, (not) worth a jot, (not) worth anything at all.Only in verse. 1375 Barb. iii. 198.
And fra the hart be discumfyt, The body is nocht worth a myt c1420 Wynt. v. 1336.
A lorde borne wyth-owte meryte Is noucht worth, he sayd, a myte Ib. viii. 594.
That custwme is noucht worth thre mytis ?1438 Alex. i. 1775.
Thay prysit nocht worth ane myte Thair strenth nor ȝit thair cheualry c1450-2 Howlat 72.
Quha sall mak me ane mendis of hir worth a myte 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. Direct. 25.
Thow art bot stouth, thift louis, licht bot lite, Not worth ane mite Ib. ii. 498. Id. Æn. i. Prol. 430.
Hys twelf ȝheris laubouris war nocht worth a myte 15.. Dunb. App. iv. 28. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 977. 1535 Stewart 29487. Ib. 5790, 44767.
He wald nocht mend of all that worth ane mytte a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxix. 75. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xiii. 23.
But love — vha culd indyt? No — nothing worth a myte

b. (Not) a jot, tittle, whit.Appar. only in verse. c1420 Wynt. v. 1144.
And his awyn det to qwyt May noucht mend thi mede a myt Ib. vii. 152.
He set nowcht by thare mane a myte a1500 Henr. Fab. 208 (Bann.).
Thy fals excus … Sall nocht awaill a myt Id. III. 174/53. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1069. a1500 Bk. Chess 1707.
Hir fairnes avalit nocht a myte 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 19.
Incays thai bark, I compt it nevir a myte 1530 Lynd. Test Pap. 556. 1531 Bell. Boece I. vii.
Quhat hart micht wis, thay wantit nocht ane mit 1535 Stewart 35763. Ib. 7555; etc.
Tha culd nocht les him of his pane ane myte 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5337.
Gredynes of gold … Quhilk at his deid ane myte micht not him mend Ib. 8309.
And the father ane myte not war he was Ib. 3534. 1567 G. Ball. 128. c1590 J. Stewart 30/10. 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xx.
Thay for meit caird not ane myte 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 2175.
Neuer a myte the more Did he avert his mynd