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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.

Worth, n. Also: vorth, worthe, wortth, wortht, worcht, vortht, vorcht, wourth, wourcht, wirth, virth, wyrth(t, wurth(e, warth, wrth, wrocht. [ME and e.m.E. wurð (c1175), worth (Cursor M.), worthe (1377), woorthe (c1481), woorth (1546), OE weorþ, ON verð.]

1. The financial value (of something). An instance of this, something having monetary value.(1) 1501 Oliphants 48.
For nonentre of ane sutour to the samyn for his saidis landis of Inverpeffray and prisit the saidis gudis within the wourth and wil nocht restore the samyn agane 1608 Crim. Trials II 544.
Ony vther jowallis of worth 1610 Laing MSS 123.
Yowe haue declairit to me the number of your aikeris and wirth therof 1627 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 13.
The coyne of forraine princes is currant thair [sc. in Scotland] both abone thair worth in anie pairt abroad and thair value in regaird of our coyne there 1627 Rep. Parishes 37.
The worth of the haill land of that rowme is fyftie twa bollis victuell quhilk in regaird of the entrie they payet and becaus they hyre the gressing of thair oxin in summer as also the libertie of hethir and muir for thair scheip without quhilk they could bruik nane we compt it the full worth 1676 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 16 Nov.
Inrespect that thair chairges in keiping this winter will exceid thar warth(2) 1576 Orkney Oppress. 65.
That quhair thai wount of auld use and custome to pay for thair corne teynt, equivalent thairoff in fresche fische or hard butter, ulie, or sic vther mony wourthis … because of the scarsitie of cornis

b. With the financial or equivalent value specified, esp. applied to land. Also (in) penne (money) and penne worthys, (in) cash or its equivalent. See Penny n. 5 and Penny-worth n. 3 (3) for further examples.(1) 1375 Barb. v 521.
He suld haiff for hys seruice … Weill fourty pundis worth off land Till him & till hys ayris ay lestand 1398 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 5.
For gyffyng of sesyne & heritabill possession of the four ma[r]kys worth of land of Jargburach 1400 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 7.
Fourti markis worth of rent 1447 Rec. Earld. Orkney 189.
Fowr markis wortht off lande … with all pertynance thar till langande 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 2.
For the confirmacione of ten pundis worth of annuell a1500 Rauf C. 245.
Onwart to thy trauaill, Worth ane laid or twa 1506–7 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. II 161.
The twa merkis worth of land … the quhilkis George of Park inhabitis 1508 Reg. Privy S. I 258/1.
The malis … of the vi merkis worth of land of the Redecastell 1529 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 100.
And pay the said Jhone xxviii s. worth of bere 1532 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 127.
That Thome of Bullarueill tuk fyv lib. vortht of mailling 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 136.
Ane gulyeon worth [MS wortht] of larat fra Magnus Nicolsoun 1636 Dumbarton B. Rec. 51.
Johne Mitchell commanded to pay twentie-four punds, the worth of the hall sevin spoons 1674 Cunningham Diary 39.
To my uncle's son, to his fairing, I bought the worth of in sweeties, 6 s. c1686 Depred. Clan Campbell 37.
Of pleugh irons and inspreght plenishing the worth of fiftie-sex marks 1694 Peebles B. Rec. II 149.
The magistrats … discharges the thesaurer to lend the great ladder … without a pand of tuelve shilling in worth or wair(b) 1393 Reg. Morton II 190.
Fourty markys wrth of land within the Barony of Bwtyll(c) 1484 Grant Chart. 36.
Twenty markis wourth of land 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I 206.
viij s. wourth of quhite breid(d) 1511 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 13a.
iii lib. worcht of land 1520 Stirling B. Rec. I 6.
Gilbart Johensoun hais deliverit ane croune of worcht of xviij s. to the provest and ballies 1527 Selkirk B. Ct. MS 125b.
The fore said x merkis vorcht of land to be peciablie browkit and josit be thaim 1553 Prot. Bk. Sir A. Gaw 31.
[His whole] ten s. vorcht [of the north quarter of Ouchtermukty](e) 1526 Stirling B. Rec. I 28.
He sall have ane offisar rady to pas with him to pund ony of the said craft that falis … tuechin the kipin of vj s. wourcht of bred(f) 1549 Prot. Bk. J. Crawford 53b.
The thre s. vij d. wyrtht of landis at the sayd Maister James hes 1614 Orkney Rentals ii 140.
Kirbister … in land maill of ane merk 3 pt. kowis wirth … 8 st. 22 mk. ½ mk. ordei [etc.] … inde heirof the 3 pt. of the kows wirth was never fund nor na land thairfor to pay dewtie(g) 1559 Knox VI 34.
They have never as yet medlit with a penny wurthe of that which pertenis to the kyrk(h) 1587–8 Aberd. Council Lett. I 22.
And … [they] spoilȝeit fra him his haill silver and pak extending to fyve hundreth merks money and als mekill worthe in merchandice ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 87.
The small copper farthings wer cryed downe to half worthe(i) 1506–7 Crim. Trials I i 107.
Four merkis wrocht of land, lyand in Strawrochille(2) 1580 Rec. Earld. Orkney 298.
Resavit fra my brodir Magnys Luttit … in penne and penne wortthys, compleyt payment … of my part baitht of landis and howses, gowddis and geir 1603 Inverness Rec. II 15.
Vpliftinge of all and quhatsumeuir deuetie or pennie or pennie virth perteininge to the samyn

2. Value with respect to the esteem in which something or someone is held, merit, high standing. Applied to a. An action. b. A person. c. A thing. d. With a noun used attributively: Claith worth, well-dressed. Meit worth, well supplied with food. e. To take in good worth, to value, to take in good part, to be content or happy with.a. 14… Edinb. Univ. MS La.ii.318.
Al clerkis may se that wil it luke That richtiusnes prayeris in skil Is mekle worth that Gode here wil 1685-8 Renwick Serm. 249.
Ye talk meikle of your fasting … as if ye had done something of worthb. c1590 Fowler I 43/166.
So warlye went he in his lowe, so far by reason furth, That he more maid him so estemed of one and other wurth 1604-9 Grahame Anat. Hum. 20b.
If thou haue to doe with a man of greater worth then thy selfe, then be sure he will minas thee 1610 Southesk MSS 14.
That quhilk hais maid my affection so demesurit is the consideration of ȝour wirth 1633 Lithgow Poet. Remains 112.
So also is Lord Lyon grauely lorded, Who more for worth than stile is here recordedc. 1576 Waus Corr. 130.
Geif your lordschip be myndit to by thai landis, your plak sall [? have] wyrth mair nor ane wthir mans babbe, becaus I haif gottin of your siluer of befoir a1585 Maitl. Q. 254/47.
A pray thow gat a prys of wourthd. 1576 Crim. Trials I ii 53.
Seis thow nocht me, baith meit-worth, claith-worth, and gude aneuch lyke in persoun?e. a1651 Calderwood VI 708.
[Mr. James Law will not] take in good worth to be contemned by them, and so ludified

3. To be na (lytill) worth, to be of no or little use, to be useless. Also with negative const. in wirth ane hair, worte ane penny, (not) as much as a hair or a penny. Cf. Devil n. 1 e in similar usage.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvi 234.
Ydolis that thai honowryt had, That war na makaris, bot war mad With mannis crafte … & ware na worth in til assure 1456 Hay I 100/22.
This argument is na worth 1460 Hay Alex. 1415.
Busefall With hornis and tuskis sa woundit his destrall That fra thine furth was no worth to ryde, Bot thair lay doun his maister him besyde 1490 Irland Mir. II 82/29.
The argumentis that Arestotill and philosophouris makis that ar in contrar to the faith ar na wourth 1494 Loutfut MS 30a.
Quhen he did ony man evil and wald heill him he helit him with filth that is to say of gudis na worth 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 5.
Thai sall preif that his dyk vas na vorth & nocht sufficient 1535 Stewart 1952.
Sic hundis thai said for hunting ar na worth a1538 Abell 124b.
He answert … 'Lowit be God I had neuir women by my marit wife.' He answert ‘Fy apone ȝow man ȝe ar na worth'(2) 1456 Hay II 87/3.
Quhen realmes and citeis and lawis and man ar destroyit, the royale magestee of princis is bot lytill worth a1568 Bann. MS 135a/32.
A man may be of grit kin And rycht littill worth(3) 1535 Stewart 10191.
For aw or dreid, for schame or ȝit for lak, … He culd nocht brek wirth ane hair of thair will 1562–3 Reg. Privy C. I 228.
He … intromittis with the hale frutis of the said abbay, and sensyne wald nevir gif thame worth ane penny to leif on