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 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Putting, vbl. n. Also: put(e)-; pwt-, puitt- and -in, -yn(e, -eine; -eyng. [ME and e.m.E. putting(ge (c1300), -ynge, also pottyng (Manning), late OE putung: cf. also Pitting vbl. n.]

I. 1. The action of putting, in various senses of Put v. I.(1) 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V 41.
And for putting him ower the watter 1597 Crim. Trials II 28.
To haill seik persones be putting of thame throw ane girth of wodbind thryis thre tymes [etc.] 1617 Ellon Presb. 101.
For putting ydill briggens out of the paroche 1630 Elgin Rec. II 215.
Becaus all the town was at the puting of the centries of the bridge 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 341.
For the fraucht of the saides dailles … for losseing and putting them aschoir, iii lib. 1636 Kirkcaldy Presb. 103.
For ane midcuple and putting ane cuppell in the hall 1641 Baillie I 293.
Bishop Hall could not remember his shamefull putting to the barre for the lousenesse of his tongue upon my Lord Sey the last Parliament 1643 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 7b.
Peyitt for in aburd putting of … small collis(2) 1535–6 Reg. Privy S. II 285/2.
The … violent putting of handis on umquhile William Cuming(3) 1491 Kennedy Aberd. Ann. II 4.
Under the payne of puttyne in the stokks 1498 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 75.
Vnder the payne of putting in the netherhole incontinent 1571 Leslie in Misc. Bann. C. III 122.
For the putting of thais two erles in vairde(4) 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 47.
For the wrangus violent putting and pasturing apone the … landis of Ester Petcorthy … of xxv oxin 1659 Stewart Mem. 134.
For putting the gudes catell and bestiall to and fra the mounth(5) 1561 Crim. Trials I i 416.
The tyme of the putting of ane string to ane penner and yncorne quhilk [etc.] 1583 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 179.
For putting of ane new boull to the key of the ile dure 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 237.
Item, fylitt and convict, for putting of mwildis, or powder maid of menis joyntis and memberis in Natoun kirk 1680 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 11 April.
For puteing of a scafold over the wattermens heid(6) 1538–9 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS XI 197.
To desist ces fra all putting of maisterschippis and maryinaris in the schip callit the Paule(7) 1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 149.
In putting [your] grace landes and tennandis in rest and peis 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (S.T.S.) 27/4.
They may conueene, either to the adoring of their master, or to the putting in practice any seruice of his(8) 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 4.
For the putting of him in fee of his faderis landis 1492 Acta Conc. I 244/2. 1512 Reg. Privy S. I 365/2.(9) 1532 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 79.
Vnder the payne of rebellion and putteyng of thaim to the horn 1616 Reg. Privy C. X 556.
For putting of thame to the knawledge of ane assyse 1629 Justiciary Cases I 127.
For nocht puting of the said Findlay M‘Grymmen befoir his maiesties justice and his depuittis(10) 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 243.
I have not lighted upon the right gate of putting Christ to the bank(11) 1493 Acta Conc. I 315/1.
Allegeand thaim to haf fortifyit maister Dauid Harvy in the putting to the Court of Rome of the prebend of the maister hospitale(12) 1576 Glasgow B. Rec. I 50.
For remeid putting to the diminisyng of the commoune lonis(13) 1565 Edinb. Univ. MS La. iii 388a fol. 28b.
The putting of ane act in the buikis(14) 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 50.
Putting feir to the regent that he could not re[turne] in Scotland with his lyff without the dukis fauour

2. The action of propelling (a stone) through the air from the shoulder; the exercise of ‘putting the stone’.Also, once, putting at the stone.See also Put(t)ar n. 1 (1) (and Put v. 1 d).(1) 15.. Clar. i 1408.
The king … causit them to gone To pastyme, and to putting of the stone 1570 Leslie 238.
Thair was gret bonespellis … betuix the Scottismen and the Inglismen … alsweill with the croce bow, putting of the stane [etc.] 1654 Dunferm. Ann. 329.
Accused … for casting and putting the stone with the English soldiers … in tyme of sermon 1659 Cramond Ch. Alves 37. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 165.
With manly exercises of arching, football, putting of the stone [etc.] Ib. 255.(2) 1659 Cramond Ch. Alves 36.
Some lads in Monaghtie censured for profaning the Lord's Day by putting at the stone

II. In prep. verbs. 3. Cf. Put v. 35 c. a1658 Durham Clavis Cantici 67.
An actual putting at him (so to speak) and making use of him by faith

4. In the records of coal-mines: The action of forcing one's way, i.e. by cutting a drift or mine, through or over (an obstruction or fault).But on the available evidence, interpretation as trans. phrasal verbs is also possible. 1672 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 5 July.
For putting throw ane hich in the new holl erse 1674 Ib. 21 Feb.
For puting throw 2 trubles 1678 Ib.
For a pick's layeing for putting over a truble in his rowme 1679 Ib.
For puting throw ane sit on the west syde of the combe 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 58.
For putting over the 2^d hitch 1683 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 30 June.
For putting throw the mynd of the jowall coall

III. In phrasal verbs. 5. In various senses of Put v. III.(1) 1478 Acta Aud. 77/1.
Anent the abstracting and putting away of a lettre … direct to him — a1538 Abell 78a.
Bot this Herald wes wincust & slane be Wilȝem … for the putting awa and mutulatioun of his sister 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 68.
The bairneis … maid some speitche concernyng the putting away of the mes — c1490 Irland Asl. MS 17/26.
A persone is oblist … to laubour for his saluacon, delicioun, and away putting of syn 1569 Rec. Earld. Orkney 128.
Cleirlye ofhenteine and away putteine off the half off the land(2) 1673 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 12 July.
For aill to the workmen for putting by the watter in a greit storme(3) 1515 Treas. Acc. V 46.
Lettrez … for putting doun of Jedwart stavis and for using of speris, axis, halbertis [etc.] — 1571 Sempill Sat. P. xxviii 139.
His putting doun I publictly deny 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V 52.
And execut to the deid … for putting doun of hir awin bairne — 1529–30 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 28.
For … puttand downe stanis for the hurlis(4) 1482–3 Acta Conc. II xxiii.
In the outcasting and puttin furth of the said Thomas … out of the said … tenement 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 27.
For putting and laying of men furth of thair takkis and stedingis — 1482–3 Acta Conc. II cxiii.
The spoliatioun of certane oxin and puttin furth of thair ene — 1562-3 Winȝet I 26/11.
That I may be clein fra … blame in the putting furth of priuat wryttingis without subscription(5) 1546 Treas. Acc. VIII 486.
Quhilk he debursit upoun the calfating, dok casting, putting in of the underlute of the said Lyoun 1552–3 Ib. X 163.
For putting in of ane furring of martrikkis of my lorde governoures awyn — 1673 Edinb. B. Rec. X 151.
That we have proceded orderly in giving in our leat by putting in sex qualified persones 1674 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 185 (3 Jan.).
From the cornes pwting in in barn and barne yeard [until the 15th April](6) 1527 Edinb. Hammermen 121.
For puttin on of ane mullor on the sylour 1530 Ib. 130b.
For puttin one of the heid of the swas(b) c1640 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B 55b.
And puittin one sellver buittins vpone cloik & clais(7) 1649 Banks Sc. Cal. Customs III 27.
Accusit for putting on ane midsummer fyre(8) a1599 Rollock Wks. I 394.
The secund cause is excecatioun, blindfalding, putting out of the eies — 1525 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. V 30.
Under the pane … of puttyn owt of the candill of ȝow and ȝour namys to be put owt of the book of lyff 1588 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson MS 171b.
Be putting owt thair kendillit ingill 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 50.
These of the committie appoyntit … how the instructiones for putting out of horss may be best effectit … hath … ordainit that everie man … shall send out ane sufficient and able horss and man, appointit with jack and lance [etc.] 1650 Dumfries Treas. Acc.
For aille … when we mett for putting out suldiers 1651 Causes of God's Wrath in Testimony-bearing Exemplified (1791) 87.
And besides the putting out of the foot, and the burden thereof, sometimes the burden of putting out the horse(9) 1635 Dickson Wr. 145.
Through God's putting to of his hand — 1635 Glasgow B. Rec. II 30.
And to mend the samynn be putting to of latchitis quhair it wantis 1639 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 392.
For putting to of thrie bittes to thrie double keyes(10) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 190.
For putting up of ane grete kwe in the Unicorne 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 146.
Be biging and puting vpe wpone the land of Cragtoun … of carines of stane 1639 Elgin Rec. II 236. c1639 Sc. Lore I 162.
To James Blair wricht … being thair at the glas puting upe for taking doun & puting upe the caisis 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 5b.
To 4 men for taking doun & puting vp the ludge(11) 1623–4 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 155.
For … taking sindrie of ane mekill ark kist and putting of it togidder againe

IV. Attrib.: see Putting-club n.