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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Outfeild, n. Also: outfield, -feald, owtfeild, ottfield, out-feidle. [Orig. only Sc.: cf. Amer. Eng. out-field (1676) an outlying field.] 1. The outlying ‘field’ or part of a farm, in the infield and outfield system, in contrast to the Infeild, q.v. for further examples.Only part of the outfield was cropped each year, the remainder being either occasionally manured by folding of cattle on it (see Fald n.¹ and v.²) or merely left fallow (see Fauch a.² and v. and Ley a.): see further esp. S.N.D. s.v. Outfield and A. Fenton in E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. IX. (1963) 4 ff., also Id. in Agric. Hist. Rev. XI. (1963) 70 ff. 1548 Red Bk. Menteith II. 334 (see Infeild n. (1)).
Outfeildis 1552 Prot. Bk. Sir A. Gaw 24.
A boll of atis sawin in ebraik land of the outfeild 1556 Prot. Bk. T. Dalrymple 29 b.
The rygis lyand in the clay bauk … and the said half aicker in the outfeild 1567–8 Reg. Privy S. VI. 39/2.
The thrid pece of kirkland foirsaid quhilk is merchit about the outfeild of Lochend 1572 Canongate Ct. Bk. 408. 1590 Reg. Privy C. IV. 503. 1613 Reg. Great S. 301/1. 1616 Inverurie 200.
Likewise the buchts ordainted to be biggit at the outfields for milking 1620 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 297. 1627 Rep. Parishes 48.
Bot it wantis a great mure callit Dalhoussie outfield quhilk it had of auld 1632 Lanark B. Rec. 323. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 221. a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
Owtfeild 1674 Forbes Baron Ct. Bk. 297.
That … they doe not raiff thair ky in out feidle 1679 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 311.
[An ox] draving in his plouch in hes ottfield 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 105.
Our outfields when they have been grass four or five years, are ploughed up 1698 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 824 (14 Feb.).
[The half of toune of Apperthstoune,] both outfeild and croftland

b. comb. and attrib.(1) 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 203 (see Infeild n. (2)).
Owtfeild land 1546 Ib. 234. 1575 Glasgow Prot. VII. 118.
[The 30 d. land called] owtfeild land 1598 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. (Reg. H.) 182.
Laboring and teilling of outfeild land in the toun of Tullich 1607 Glasgow Trades House i i.
Na mentioun maid of ony thing for the outfield landis of the said hospitall 1608 Murray Early B. Organ. II. 20.
The outfield land of a thirty penny land lying discontiguously in Eastfield quarter, extending to six acres of land 1631 Auchtermuchty Chart. 26.
All and whole the outfield lands of Buist's pound-land called Pitmunȝies 1634 Contract, Memor. Dr. Wilson of Falkirk v. Forbes of Callendar App. 2 (Jam. (1825) s.v. Meith).
The foirsaid outfeald arrable lands a1699 Skene Agric. MS.; etc.
The owtfeild land is land that is never muckitt. For the most pairt it lyis lie for two yeires and is falded the thrid yeir and then sowne for thrie yeirs together 1675 Glasgow Trades House 495. 1699 Belhaven Rudiments 3.
In East Lothian the farm-rooms … are divided … in infield and outfield land: that is to say, in these lands where they lay their dung yearly, and these upon which they never lay any dung — 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVIa. 95 b.
Fiftie bollis aitts, the half being sawin on outfeild ground 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 106. 1692 Stitchill Baron Ct. 110.
And lykewyse no person to have the fourth cropt in the outfield or infield grounds 1698 Fountainhall Decis. II. 19.
In dunging and bringing in this outfield-ground 1699 Belhaven Rudiments 26.
Since these dry outfield grounds cannot be a fit pasture for your oxen(2) 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 3 b.
Sex scoir of bollis of outfeild aittis 1570 Ib. II. 89. 1582 Ib. XI. 332. 1584 Ib. XIV. 142 b.
Sawin on the grund … xlviij bollis small outfeild aittis 1584 St. A. Test. MS. II. 47 b. 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI. 220. 1627 Rep. Parishes 22.
The teynd of the Nether toune ten bollis beire fourteine bollis fatt land aeitis thrie bollis outfield aeitis 1641 Falkirk Baron Ct. 19 Oct.
Thrie furlottis outfield aittis quhilk was eitten be the said James his hors 1663 Stitchill Baron Ct. 26. — 1672 Bamff Chart. 323.
Untill it come to the north end of the three owtfeild buttis — 1606 Acts IV. 286/1.
And the outfeild corne [to be teinded] at the thrid tyme 1659 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 243.
Who be thair bestiall … eatts and destroyes his haill hill and outfield cornes 1680 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 109.
That [his] gray horse did eit … the nighbors croft victualls and outfeild cornes — 1566 Reg. Privy S. V. ii. 105/2.
The landis of Ovir Bogsyde, outfeild faldis and certane uthiris landis

c. fig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 502.
I thought also of a sleeping devil that would pass by the like of me, lying in muirs and outfields 1637 Ib. 511.
We children think the earth a fair garden, but it is but God's outfield, and wild, cold barren ground 1637 Ib. (1862) I. 361.

2. attrib. = Outlying and in the country. 1670 Statutes Lodge Aberd. in Murray Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. 425.
In our antient outfield lodge, in the Mearnes in the parish of Negg