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 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wage, Waige, v. Also: vage, wayge, wa(i)dge, vadge, (wagis). [ME and e.m.E. wage(n (c1320), wadge (1530).]

1. To wage bataill, to undertake judicial combat, to engage in trial by combat. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 183.
The defendour may wagis batal & first to swer. It is statut at the deffendor aw to wagis batal & first to swer for he may haf in his chose quhether he wil tak him til his deffence of batail or til assise of the court & tharfor ony man first he may o law tak his chose … & syn wagis batail & swer 1456 Hay I 255/34.
Gif it be leufull and laufull to vage bataill in lissis as quhen a man appellis ane othir of bataill in lissis … I will sett me till enquere all the cas that law levis gage of bataill in 1456 Hay I 257/23.
It is forbodyn be the lawe, that ony man suld be witnes in his awin cause, the quhilk he ingeris him to be that wagis bataill, sen his awin persone is a pruf 1456 Hay I 276/11.
For the gage of that bataill is a libell … And than may it nocht be left but leve of the juge, … and rycht sa suld it be in bataill wagit c1575 Balfour Pract. 506.
Gif he choosis battel and the samin is lauchfullie waigit 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 82b.
It is statute, that the defender sall first wage the battell, and thereafter sweare 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 84b.
Quha hes waged, and enacted battell betwixt them, may not be reconcealed without the Kings licence

b. To fight (a war), to engage in (warfare). 1626 Garden Worthies 68.
For ther king … They meant to march & vadge a worthie warr 1659-60 A. Hay Diary 133.
To wadge a warfare

2. To employ for wages, to hire (soldiers).(a) 1456 Hay I 146/31.
And he had bene hyrit and wagit for every moneth severaly … quhill he war in his service in his weris 1519 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 144.
For supportatioun in his weris … the said ambassadour desiris to conduct and wage certene personis 1531 Bell. Boece II 61.
He wagit ane huge multitude of weirmen 1531 Bell. Boece II 469.
Ane of thir clannis wantit ane man to perfurnis furth the nowmer, and wagit ane carll for money to debait thair actioun 1535 Stewart 17569.
All his oist … That he had wagit … for sic thing 1544 Douglas Chart. 239.
That the lieutennent may haue thre scoir of culuerinaris to be wageit to remane witht him 1545 Douglas Corr. 154.
Sax thowsant men vagit and vittelit for sax moneht c1590 Fowler II 105/17.
King Loyes, abolishing the bands off fut men, began to wage and hire the Suissars 1627 Bk. Carlaverock II 85.
The wolenteris ar alreddie all waged a1651 Calderwood I 461.
Scotishmen, but waged by France to dantoun the toun(b) 1542 St. P. Henry VIII V 208.
Thair wes bot … 300 fute men waigit for defense of the samyn 1557–8 Crim. Trials I 401.
The quene hes said planelie that the king of Franche will nocht waige Scottismenne bot lat thame vse the auld maner a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 68.
He waygeit a hundreth soldiors, under the conduct of Capten James Melvill(c) c1630 Scot Narr. 246.
He was then a pensioner, that is, a souldier waidged to maintaine the present course 16.. Herries Mem. 13.
Wadged

b. Of persons other than soldiers. 1519 Edinb. Hammermen (ed.) 70.
To vj men wagit gangand at the provest bak four dais & then dischairgit … xxxiij s. iij d. 1519 Edinb. Hammermen 100a.
Item tane fu[r]tht of the box … to pay the men wagit be the craft ten pundis a1599 Rollock Wks. II 430.
They could testify no better … if the high priests had hired and waged them to be witnesses

3. To pledge, give as a pledge for something in return. b. To grant or agree (that something is the case). a1500 Prestis of Peblis 325.
That ȝe for gold and gud baith wed & wage Ȝe sell ȝour sonnis and aris mariage To carllis of kynd and bot for thair riches a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1453 (Wr.)
Hope and Courage … Impleadging, and waidging, Both two their lives for mineb. 1561 Inverness Rec. I 67.
Thai … proponit that I was the grund and modyr of all the dissentioun and put the nychtbouris in discord and rycht so said that I wagyt