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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Tech(e, Teich(e, v.¹ Also: teitch(e, teycht, tea(t)ch(e, thech. P.t. tech(i)t, -e(i)t, -yd, teichit(t, -ed, teychit, teache(i)d, teatched, twechit, tauch(t, -ght, tawcht, -ght, thaucht, tacht. P.p. tech(i)t, -e(i)t, -yd, tetched, thechyt, teichit, -eit, teachit, -id, tea(t)ched, ta(u)cht, taught, tawcht. [ME and e.m.E. tæchenn (Orm), teach(en (Layamon), tech(en (c1325), te(i)che (both Cursor M.), teatche (1536). P.t. tehte (c1175), tahte, tachte (both a1200), tahhte (Orm), taute (Layamon), teched, -id (both Cursor M.), teached (1608). P.p. tahht (Orm), tagh(t, teched, -id (all Cursor M.), taught (Chaucer), teached (1544), OE tǽc(e)an.]

I. 1. tr. To teche (something) to a person; to teche a person (something), to show by way of instruction, illustration, example, etc., to impart (knowledge) in this way.pres. a1400 Leg. S. i 70.
The appostolis scalyt ware … Jhesus … worde to preche To quham that myster had, and teche a1400 Leg. S. vi 470.
Syne … he can preche, & forsit hym thame to teche Four resonis, quhy [etc.] c1420 Ratis R. 300.
It is in rutis fals and fell As I sal tech thé and tell 1456 Hay II 9/12.
Thai poyntis, techingis, and documentis, to teche thame to the vassall 1513 Doug. xii iv 80.
The wirschipyng of goddis in sacryfice I sal thame lern and tech 1533 Gau 34/10.
Thay suld first tech thayme the bibil in the quhilk al bwikis ar contenit 1550 Dundee B. Ct. II 26b (9 Dec.).
All [necesisus] concerning ane servand as meit & drinck bedding and theching hym his craft a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 120/4.
Christis death … be separacione of His saull fra His body, as the scriptoure plainlye techis ws(b) 1490 Irland Mir. I 135/21.
The haly spreit … sall teiche and schaw thé be the werray experiens this mater 1602 Davidson in Three Reformers 135.
Whom sall he teich knawledge and whome sall he make to understand the things that he heareth? 1622-6 Bisset I 45/33.
They sall leif on the samin maner, as they teich the peopill 1622-6 Bisset II 345/36.
Adamnan … sailled to Hibernia to teich the Erismen thair the lauchfull Eistir 1631 Peebles Gleanings 94.
He sall … teitche thame thair Sondayis lessounes of scriptur and catecheism 1631 Peebles Gleanings 94.
He sall daylie … teitche the lessounes to the bairnes, baith leirning Latine and Scottisp.t. a1400 Leg. S. i 76.
To thame of that cite Cristis lare techit he 1456 Hay I 38/23.
He techit thaim new lyfing 1460 Hay Alex. 410.
Than techit he him … the practik of the palmastrie 1600-1610 Melvill 30.
Our regent … teatched us the A, B, C, of the Greik(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxi 526.
Symon Magus … al thai folkis dyssawyt il With the fals layre he taucht tham til c1460 Consail Vys Man 455.
Al thus the wysman taucht his sonep.p. 1490 Irland Mir. I 18/12.
Of his … grace and curtasy he has teichit ws hevinly doctrine 1533 Boece 58b.
The sonnys of King Fergus, aucht … to be teichit sic disciplinis as accordis princelie estate 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III 66.
Experience … hes techit us that thing quhilk we receuit nocht as dowtsum 1605 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 71.
Your hienes hes teatched to all the rest thair dewtie(b) 1628 Edinb. Univ. Chart. 111.
They repeitt perqueirr all that hes bein taucht unto theme the whole weik preceiding

b. To teche (something), to impart (knowledge, beliefs, etc.), to communicate (a lesson, etc.) by way of instruction, passing into to put over (a point of view, attitude, etc.).pres. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 165/13.
Thow that hes lang done Venus lawis teiche Sall now be freir 1554 Knox III 184.
The prophetis of God sumtymes may teache treasone aganis kingis 1579 Acts III 180/1.
The first regent in the first ȝeir of the cours sall teache the preceptis of the Greik toung 1579 Misc. Bann. C. II 85.
I hard the comissar, Mr. Wilyeam Skein, teatche Cicero 1597 Old Ross-shire I 28.
Robert Munro sall … visite the kirk … and teitche the word off God 1655 Peebles B. Rec. II 31.
He shall … enter to the said scool at sex houres in the morning … teach the lessones … until nyne houres therafter [etc.]p.t. 1513 Doug. ix iv 83.
My fader … nevir … tawcht sik cowardy a1538 Abell 4b.
Ysis … techit litteris … and … Minarf … techit lauboring in wow 1558-66 Knox I 248.
The Jewes … war offended at him be reassone … that he tawght defectioun from Moses c1650 Spalding II 23.
Mr. Jhone Ross, minister at Brass, teichit … ane penetentiall sermonp.p. 1490 Irland Mir. I 20/7.
In … the pater noster … is teichit the luf … of oure nychtbouris 1549 Compl. 13/13.
Thir tua princis be chance entrit in the achademya, to heir ane lesson of philosophie techit 1551 Hamilton Cat. 27.
The second techit fayth to be gevin to the word of God 1559 Misc. Spald. C. IV 89.
[The queen has no power] to command onye wther thing nor Christ hes techeit 1559–60 St. A. Kirk S. 11.
Affirmes the doctryne presentlie techet in this cietie 1563 Reg. Privy S. V i 396/2.
That thairin the liberale sciences may be plainlie techit 1563 Acts II 544/1.
The toungis and humanitie ar in ane part not teicheit … to the greit detriment of the haill liegis a1578 Pitsc. II 70/22.
That thay sould … follow that way quhich was teached be our … Sawiour 1599 Burnett of Leys 331.
Fortitude is most power onto man A vertue techt and stillt in equitie 1600-1610 Melvill 255.
[The King] calles for Mr. Andro, saying he was com … to haiff a lessone. Mr. Andro answeres that he haid teatched his ordinar that day in the fornoone 1600-1610 Melvill 255.
His lessone was a tichted upe abregment of all he haid tetched the yeir bypast 1633 Acts V 48/2.
The short and facile grammer drawn vp be him … to be taucht vniuersallie through all the skooles … of Scotland

2. To teche (a person), to instruct, to impart knowledge to by instruction, example, etc. Also const. to the pupil.(1) pres. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 209/58.
Sum givis parrochynnis … To teiche, to rewill and to ouirsie 1531 Vaus (1566).
Teitche me c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 12.
Teache 1549 Compl. 14/5.
As quhen ane ydiot, distitute of knaulage, presumis to teche or to leyrne ane man that hes baytht speculatione ande experiens 1567 G. Ball. 15.
Be figure and be word, Christ did vs teiche a1578 Pitsc. I 147/18 (see Techement n.¹ 1 a (b)).
Teiche 1588 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 120.
The said Mr. Johne … to teiche and instruct the haill youth and bairnis … samony as sall be send to the scoill 1598 Aberd. B. Rec. II 171.
Johne Thomesone and Margrat Forbes [etc.] … sall only teycht be thame selfis maidyne bairnis 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 40.
That he did not flae hir; nor gaue hir na wound, of the quhilk sche died: bot gaue hir ane blow with his hand to teach and correct hir 1635 Dunferm. Hammermen MS 40.
Obleissis my self to teatch, instruk, learne the said Donald in all the poyntis & practeis of the hammer man craft a1651 Calderwood VII 547.
If I doe wrong, ye have beene teaching me wrongp.t. c1420 Wynt. i 1094.
Thare Paule the apostyle prechyde Tyll Crystyne trewth, quhen he men techyd c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 166/40.
I past … Throw Piccardy and thair the peple teichit [M. teychit](b) c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 350.
He twechit the fals apostilis and defendis his auctorite and callyngep.p. a1500 Henr. Fab. 643.
But astrolab, quadrant, or almanak, Teichit off nature be instructioun The mouing of the heuin this tod can tak a1500 Seven S. 46.
Gif me the child to leire He sall be techit in five ȝere 1546–7 Elgin Rec. I 89.
Sir Thomas Rag to desist fra ony fordir instructing of barnis … bot that all tha he hed ma cum to the prencepall gramer schoill to be thechyt be the master admittit be the provest and baillies 1567 Sat. P. iv 114.
Teichit be experience, sa may I testifie 1611 Fife Synod 41.
Ilk bairne tawcht … 6 s. 8 d.(2) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1316.
Noye … to the peple daylie precheit To cry for grace he to thame techeit

b. To teche (a person) to do something.Also ellipt. and with omission of the indirect object.pres. a1400 Leg. S. xxx 310.
I sal do as thu thechis me 1490 Irland Mir. I 32/17.
Now thou may wndirstand thir foure wourdis: … qui es in celis. The fyrst teichis thé to honour God 1490 Irland Mir. II 20/17.
This artikle teichis & oblisis ws to trow in a God 1513 Doug. vii i 34.
Sweit goddes … Convoy and tech thy poet to say ryghtp.t. a1400 Leg. S. i 19.
Thaucht a1400 Leg. S. i 504.
Myn master … me taucht For to do gud a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 96.
Syndry epistolis of Sancte Paule, That tacht men to kepe the saule 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 55.
Thy fury, luf, moderis taucht, for dispyte, Fyle handis in blude of thar ȝong chyldering 1513 Doug. vi i 47.
Dedalus cawcht piete Of the gret luf of … Ariadne … tawght [L. ambagesque resolvit] ful rycht Of this quent hows fortil omdo the slycht 1533 Boece 322b.
Ferquhard & Donald glaidlie gaif cure to lere letteris as the bischop techit 1535 Stewart 19501.
As he thame teichit … Onto the sone … to turne thair bak a1578 Pitsc. I 379/14.
Certane wriesouns and exortatiouns [were] maid … into the quens grace … quhilk teichit hir to serue her God, obey hir husband [etc.]p.p. a1400 Leg. S. l 977.
Thane lurdannis … harlyt hir furth as thai war tacht, & of hir clething mad hire bare c1420 Ratis R. 207.
As our elderis has techit ws To tak kep our speking till ws a1500 K. Hart 50.
Seruituris … That teichit war … tressoun to espy c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 60/22.
Lo, fresche Flora hes flurest every spray As Natur hes hir taucht 1513 Doug. vii xi 26.
This Lawsus was weil taucht at all degreis To dant grete hors 1533 Boece 253.
Be thir intollerabill dammagis fynalie we war teichit to ken almychty God 1565 Reg. Privy S. V i 687/1.
Sex bairnis … to be upbrocht … within the said Chapell Ryall and teichit to sing 1600-1610 Melvill 17.
Be our maister war teached to handle … the glub for goff [etc.] 16… Descr. Dumfries in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 191.
Jay … taught to speak as exactly as any parrot

c. Const. in, of, etc. a subject, etc. a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 104.
He wes tacht In the lare of nygramancy c1460 Thewis Wysmen 22.
Thir men that has knawleg Suld tech that ware of tendir age For quha conselys wysdome … And nocht delitis to tech of it … offendis God a1508 Want of Wyse Men 29 (Ch. & M.).
Lerit folk suld tech the peple of the best a1500 Seven S. 40.
I Sall teche him in astronomy a1500 Bk. Chess 635.
Octoviane … began To teche his barnis in to litteratur 1533 Gau 3/6.
Fals doctrine vith the quhilk the pepil hes ben … euil and ongodlie techit 1596 Dalr. I 227/11.
Nathir he teiched nor beleiued eftir the richte vse and consuetude of the Kirk 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 171/532.
Skolleris euen of the fonde metempsichosis strange Teachid by that Samien learnde

d. With clause object. a1400 Leg. S. iii 357.
To tech vs that he Wald thole sic ded of wil fre, [He] sad till vs [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xlvii 87.
He … be a takine tacht As thai suld torment vith al macht c1450 Cr. Deyng (STS) 49.
Ilk temporall man suld trow … that his curat techis hyme 1533 Gau 25/26.
It is manifestlie schauine and techit in thir forsaid x commandis quhat [etc.] 1533 Gau 29/11.
I sal be in thy muth and I sal tech ye quhat thou sal say c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 354.
He teacheid him how he sall behawe him self in [etc.] 1551 Hamilton Cat. 78.
The thre commandis of the first tabil ordanis us to do our dewtie to almychty God … techand us how we suld serve him 15.. Clar. ii 745.
He teichit hir parqueir What scho sould say 1596 Dalr. I 46/23.
In the kirk … ar keipit the banes of … litle Johne, … quhais … gretnes teiches that he was xiiii fute lang 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 157.
For the matter of Christs purchase by his death, we teatch that [etc.]

3. To teche a school or class. 1582 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 22.
Prowyding thar be na vther scoill teachit in this toun bot sang onlie 1612 Lorimer St. Cuthbert's 161.
Permission to Samuel West to teiche ane grammar schoole at the West Port 1620 Aberd. B. Rec. II 370.
Thair salbe a fourt regent prowyidit to teache the hie class 1626 Banff Ann. II 25.
That the said … micht be tryit as toutching his qualification to teitch ane grammer schoole 1659 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 186.
[Judith Craig granted £3] to encourage her to remane at Kinchapell for teaching a school ther 1676 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 296.
Mr. John Findlater … to have the charge of the clas befor taucht be the principall master 1688 Lorimer St. Cuthbert's 165.
James Kilpatrick is tolerated to teach ane English school at Kirkbraehead provided he teach no Latine

4. Wele (better) taucht, techyd well.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxi 312.
Als hyre sonnis sat to layre, Wel tacht in artis ?1438 Alex. i 1285.
Pyrrvs … was weill taucht in deid and saw ?1438 Alex. ii 1407.
[Bauderane] was courtes, weill taucht and keynd ?1438 Alex. ii 1996.
He hopit ane better bachlere Na better taucht in all manere Was nocht in warld ?1438 Alex. ii 5122.
Folk weill taucht and nurist c1475 Wall. i 294.
He was … weille taucht and debonayr 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xlii 20.
Ane cunning clerk … His toung weill taucht 1596 Dalr. II 110/6.
A wyfe … weil taucht and brocht vp(2) c1420 Wynt. v 1348.
For-thi suld men in thare yhowthede Be techyd well, swa prove in dede, And the effect oys off thare lare

5. absol. or intr. To impart knowledge or information, instruct.pres. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xi 1.
He comandit to His xii disciplis, and past fra thine, to teche and preche in the citeis of tham 1546 Mill Mediæv. Plays 155.
Salang as he remanis continevaly and techis in the said skuilhill 1562 Bk. Univ. Kirk I 18.
Mr. Patrick Cockburn … appointed to teach in the unplanted kirks of the Merce 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 398.
And ȝit can thay nouther teiche, nor preiche 1573-1600 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. 168/32.
Thay teache be instinctione of Sathan a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 173 (W).
To lait I hard the swallow preich, To lait experience dois teich—The school-maister of fooles 1602 Colville Paraenese 17.
So heady ferss idiots … tak on and teche befor thai be instructedp.t. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 16.
Jhesu Crist in the ewangele … Quhen at he techit, sad [etc.] 1558 Knox IV 464.
The said John, the same day of the summons, taught in Edinburgh 1562-3 Winȝet I 53/20.
At Pasche … thai techeit with grete … zele and ministrate the sacramentis til ws a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 53.
Thir personnis efter writtin teichitt in the kyrk, quha haid desyrit to haife beine maister of the gramer skwill 1600-1610 Melvill 17.
He teatched grammaticallie 1611 Fife Synod 28.
Being asked, How oft he teached in the weik 1641 Dumfries Treas. Acc. 10b.
That Soonday he taught in the kirk 1650 Rec. Old Aberd. II 43.
Mr. William Douglas Professore of Divinity tauch, his text was [etc.] 1663 Craven Ch. in Orkney 16.
Mr. William Annand taught before nune, and the Bischop of Edinburgh in the efter nune

6. In reduced sense: To inform (a person) of something. ?1438 Alex. ii 7966.
Caneus, as the man me thaucht, Sall haue the thrid 1513 Doug. i vi 48.
Vndir quhat art of this hevyn … Or at quhat cost … Sal we arrive, thou tech ws by and by 1567 Sat. P. iii 67.
Ane culuering they leit crak, To teiche thair feiris to knaw the appoint tyme

II. 7. To hand over, deliver, consign, give, entrust (someone or something) (to a person). 1375 Barb. ii 130.
He taucht him siluer to dispend & syne gaiff him gud day 1375 Barb. x 43.
And till the gud lord off Dowglas … He taucht the archerys 1375 Barb. x 253 (C).
Bwnnok … The peill tuk … Syne taucht it to the kyng a1400 Leg. S. xxii 84.
He tuk his fadir gret tresoure, & to Sancte Syxt thane tacht [he] it, … To gyf to pure a1400 Leg. S. xxxix 333.
We are Cosimus and Damyane, To quhame thi husband tacht thé, Quhene he went of this cunctre ?1438 Alex. i 2307.
He can him take, And he taucht him thair to the king ?1438 Alex. ii 1312.
Hir lufe sho taucht me with ane ring c1420 Wynt. ix 289.
Thai tuk thare leve hym fra, Qwhen thai had taucht hym till his men 1460 Hay Alex. 9092.
And taucht his bridill till Caulon in keping a1500 Rauf C. 772.
Ane chalmer with armour the king gart richt than Betaucht to ane squyar, and maid him keipeir a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 95.
He wes vnder schaddew of syn, … Heir to thoile reist, syne techit be to hell 1519 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 53.
The hors the quhilk was techit in his hand be Thome of Dalgles