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.

Quhit(e) silver, -ir. Also: qwhit(e, quhyt(e, qwhyte, whyte; quheit; quhet and sylver, sylwyre. [Early ME hwit seoluer (Ancr. R.), late north. ME quyte siluyre (a1450), OE hwít seolfor.] a. = Quhit(e) money n. b. Silver, espec. either ungilt or unalloyed silver. Cf. Quhite adj. 1 c.Cf. F. argent blanc, an alloy containing a legal minimum of silver. Also clene silwer.For further examples see Index to Treas. Acc.Also attrib., in sense b.a. c1420 Wynt. iv 2527.
[To] pay his trewage or his tolle Off quhyt sylver [C. qwhite siluir, W. gud siluer], a denere 1464–5 Acts XII 31/1.
The kingis liegis sal by … gudis for twa part penny worthis and thrid part quhit siluir 1489 Treas. Acc. I 122.
And of quhyt siluer, xv s. 1502–3 Ib. II 357.
xx li. of gold and v li. quhit silver 1540 Acts II 373/2.
And becaus sindry personis havand quhite siluir will nocht change for gold bot takkis thairfor xij d. or mair for wissilling of the samin 1560 Stirling B. Rec. I 75. 1567 Inverness Rec. I 158.
And nayt ony gold rassauit be him … bot it that he gat for quheit sylver in changeing maner 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 275. 1640 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 87.
Sextene punds of whyte silverb. (1) c1420 Wynt. i 1613.
And He the warlde made … Off qwhyte [C. qwhit] sylwyre that wes were Metalle than the gold beffere 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 83.
Ane coit of blak velvott with ane walting tres of gold cuttit out all our upoun claith of quhyt silver 15.. Crawford Mun. Invent. II 59.
And als wit gif I will get ony testanis for quhyt silver for … I haif nother testane grot plak nor balbe at this tyme(2) attrib. 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 532.
Quhet silvir cheargeour … gilt cheargeouris 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII 269.
Tua greit quhyte siluer flekounnis of markit fyne siluer 1611 Ib. XLVI 274.
Ane quhyt siluir flas cowpe