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

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

Wattir mett, Wat(t)er met(t, n. Also: vattir met, watter mete, vatter met(t. [Wat(t)ir n. and Met n.]

1. A measurement for goods, chiefly grain and salt, transported by ship. Cf. Land-met(t n. 1425 Acts II 10/2 (see Wat(t)ir n. 8).
Watter met 1425 Acts II 10/2.
That the watter mettis that now ar sal remayn & be vsit throu the realme 1453 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 14.
The watter mett of Leyth sett to Jhone Dow for ij merks 1519 Wigtown B. Ct. 80a.
The vrangus occuping of his buyth with iii firlotis of vatter met 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 163b.
The alderman & bailȝeis has coft ane schip of salt frome France … for xvi crounis vi d. for the boll of vattir met 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 30.
That na ry be sauld dearer nor xxv s. the boll, and the quhete for xl s. the boll watter mete 1548 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. 1 (Martyne v. Halliburton & Lawson.)
Ten bollis of greit salt watter mett 1551 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 155.
That Jhone Dalmahoy thair seriand and officer of the port and heavin of Leyth in all tymes cuming keip the mesouris callit the watter metts of salt, rye, quheitt and beir and siclyke 1563 Edinb. B. Deeds 104a.
Water mett c1575 Balfour Pract. 87.
The hundreth salt browage, contenand nine score bollis, Scottis watter met 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 300.
Wattir mett 1587 Dundee B. Laws 477.
Gif ony off thame … caus be delivrit ony smiddy collis … with the vatter mett [etc.] 1596 Conv. Burghs I 477.
Anent the watter mett of vittuall and salt tane fra forane cuntreyis it is … ordanit that the mesour of the boll thairof salbe … auchtene pekis of the land mesour of Lynlythquow 1613 Conv. Burghs II 418.
That all victuall cummand to onye sieport … from forain pairts … sall be mett … with na uther mett than the watter mett 1655 Conv. Burghs III 401.
That ane equall proportione of all sortis of measures and mettis, both water mett and land mett, baith of salt … and of all sortes of corns … be keiped

2. A vessel for measuring by this standard. 1570 (16 … ) Dundee B. Laws 111.
Two watter-mettis for gryte salt one of them iron girded 1576 (16 … ) Dundee B. Laws 118.
The wine stouppis the watter mettis and all wther measuris 1582 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 235.
Fyndis the watter mettis and land mettis … to be awld, worn, and decayet … to caus renew and mak ower the same to the awld just mesour of the realme 1601–02 Misc. Spald. C. V 129.
To Gilbert Blak, coupar, for tuentie twa firlottis girdit with irne … and mending of the watter mettis 1614 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 116.
Ane water met for peise and rye contening twenty thrie pynts