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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tit(e, Tyt(e, adv. and adj. Compar. tit(t)ar, titter, titur, tyt(t)ar. Superl. tittest, tytest. [ME and e.m.E. tite (Cursor M.), tit (Manning), tyt (Piers Plowman), tyte (15th c.), tittest (?17th c.), ON títt.]

A. adv. 1. Straightaway, forthwith, immediately; quickly; soon; at that same time.Also const. all, full, weill, als (so) and als … als.Freq. used as padding or as a rhyme word in early verse.(1) 1375 Barb. ii 4.
He callit his marschall till hym tyt a1400 Leg. S. ii 884.
Her this fleschely delyt Mon cesse, men wat nocht how tyt a1400 Leg. S. xiv 6.
Fra he come to rype eld, tyt To the apostolis he hyme band a1400 Leg. S. xxx 459. a1400 Leg. S. xlii 166. ?1438 Alex. i 1453.
With spurris tit straik he the steid c1420 Wynt. iv 658.
Darius … fled till his schippys tyte, And wytht his nawyne … echapyd c1420 Wynt. viii 2480 (W).
Thai … wend at thai had bene all quyte Off ma batallis. Bot eftir tyte Or thai had partit this and done Ane other batall come on thaim sone c1420 Wynt. viii 4685.
He brak aray, And cryid, ‘Hey! apone thame tyte, For thai ar welle nere dyscumffyte’ a1500 Rauf C. 908.
Tyte tell me thy name c1475 Wall. x 377. a1500 Seven S. 1367.
Scho … to the lufit tre passit tyte And bad the gardinar it dovne smyte 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2141.
Delite thé tite me quite of site to dicht c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 131/87. 1513 Doug. i ix 13.
The clowd … vanyst tyte away amang the ayr 1513 Doug. vi vi 9.
For quhat caus come thou hyddir? Tell me tyte 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 5.
As gone neir was the day and supper doyn, I walkyt furth abowt the feildis tyte 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 171.
Sone our the feildis schynys the lycht cleir … Tyte on hys hynys gaif the greif a cry, ‘Awaik’ 1573 Davidson in Sat. P. xlii 710.
The Clerk said ‘wyte thame hes the wyte, That did not mak prouisioun tyte’ a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii 26.
Sho [sc. Fortune] … Turnis ay the best men tittest on thair bakis(2) a1400 Leg. S. l 10.
He … gert sone awfull lettris wryt, & seile thaim with his seile all tyt ?1438 Alex. i 165.
Than, fra that lord was dede, all tyte The remanand was discumfit quyte c1420 Wynt. viii 5282.
He bare hym throw the body qwhit And he deyt off the dynt welle tyte c1420 Wynt. viii 6244.
Thai that held hale, sped thame full tyte To the Kyng a1450 Fifteen Ois 254.
Now I beseik thé, Lord, that Thou writ Thy woundis in my hert full tit With Thi precius blude a1500 Henr. Prayer 69.
Our syte, full tyte, wer we contryt, wald blin a1500 Prestis of Peblis 985.
And sho forgaue him … this ful tyte That he had done a1500 K. Hart 882.
Quhen that thay saw na bute wes to defend Than in the Lent Decrepitus full tyte He socht King Hart 1535 Stewart 10071.
This fals tratour with drawin knyfe … reddie for to smyte And sone in hand thai haif him tane full tyte(3) 1375 Barb. iv 758.
The Phitones … Raysyt throw hyr mekill slycht Samuelis spyrite als tite c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2092.
Als-tyte As hir forsaid fader was deid c1460 Regim. Princ. 12 (Fairf.).
Be thai ontrew pul out & mak all qwyt & vtherris treu putt in thair steddis als tyt a1500 Bk. Chess 608.
Quhar in a woman schame is tynt ȝe se Als tyte is tynt hir werraye chastite 1513 Doug. iv viii 75.
The hyast branchys, al atanys, Thar croppys bowis towart the erth als tyte, Quhen with the dynt the maister schank is smyte a1568 Bann. MS 239a/3.
I windir quhy so fremmitly ȝour say Frome me away ȝe do attray so tyte(4) a1400 Leg. S. xxii 734.
The hermyt thane hyme coniuryt sone That, als-a tyt as thai had done, He til hyme … Suld cume 1513 Doug. vi ix 79.
Condampnyt wightis als tyte As thai cum in that dolly pyte of syte Tysyphone … fast hir spedis Thame to assail

2. Readily, willingly. Chiefly const. as (sa) … as. b. compar. Rather, sooner; more willingly. c. superl. Soonest, most readily. 1513 Doug. viii x 84 (Sm.).
About hir palpis, but feyr … The tua twynnis, small men childring … Sportand full tyte 1528–9 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 303.
And dois na justice and punyssis leile men als tyte as thevis 1542 Adamson Muses Thr. II 69.
To elect ane gude … man … and as tyte John Chrystisone as any others 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 301.
Ther is nane levand in erd I wald sa tit spend my dayeis with as with your lordship a1568 Bann. MS 256b/3.
My hart is quhyt and no delyte I haif of ladeis … Tit but respyte I clene the quyteb. 1375 Barb. ii 521.
Thai chesyt tyttar with thaim to ta Angyr and payn na be thaim fra ?1438 Alex. ii 3899.
Dam … Ȝe haue ane nuke … That weill titar mycht mak me mait Than [etc.] 1430 Reg. Maj. c. 46.
A preist forsuth may aw to serwe his lord in Goddis office tyttar than he sal serff ony other 1494 Loutfut MS 140a.
The praer of a gud gentil man is sonar & tittar herd in hevin than the praeris of ane evil carll 14… Edinb. Univ. MS La.ii.318.
Na sal a monk quhat sa he war Rycht sa Gode heris tytar thar beid 1532 Linlithgow B. Ct. 18 June.
Gif that the said Schir Willyam Dauison chapellan plesis to tak the said alter that wakis titur than Sanct Johne alter c1530-40 Stewart in Bann. MS 216a/13.
Wa wirthi wycht suld set his appetyt To reid sic rollis of reprobatioun Bot titar mak plane proclamatioun To gaddir all sic bybillis [etc.] 1546 St. P. Henry VIII IV ii 567.
Ȝour lordschip nor I wald have thame mair tittar punist, than his lordschip 1549 Lamb Resonyng 63/9.
It apperis thair wes litill, or titter na literatour befor that tymc. 15.. Clar. iv 2219.
Into this warld of everie leving man, Whom wald ȝe tytest hade me to his wyfe? a1586 Lindsay MS 42.
That is the cheif point of all folie and tittest garris men of that office failȝie 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III 67.
We beleif it to be … meritable to mak iust witnessing to the werite that the werite be nocht hide nor smurit down … that verite tittest [L. presertim], throw laik of the quhilk, prejudice ma be ganerit contrar ane innocent

3. Easily, with little difficulty. Only compar. and superl. 1375 Barb. v 531.
In gret perell than was the king … For he that he traistit maist of ane His dede falsly has wndertane And nane may betreys tyttar than he That man in trowis leawte 1375 Barb. xi 232.
Awantage thai sall tittar se For to stonay thar fayis mycht Than men that wsis nocht to fycht a1500 MS Rawl. Q. b. 4 1.
Principal tempir he may be cald And the flesch & the warldis sectis His seruandis … Throu quham he may men tytest bring To fleschly lust

B. adj. 1. Quick, swift. 1460 Hay Alex. 233.
Ane staitlie luke … his steping quike and tite 1535 Stewart 27859.
Tytest that tyme he wes of ony vther Agane Modred 1535 Stewart 29269.
Oswald, that tyme tytest of other

2. Ready, prepared. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 280.
Therefore I say, dres your hearts … to do this; for surely ye had never better occasion than ye have at this time. All men, I know, are not alike disposed, and yet all men were never more a tit