A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1699
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Quite, Quyt(e, adv. Also: qwyt(e, quytt(e, qwytte, quhite, quhyt, qwhite, qwhyte; quyite; quit(t, quitte, qwhit. [ME (once) quite (Manning), late ME and e.m.E. quyte, quite, f. Quite adj. Cf. Quight adv.The recorded rhymes and the majority of the spellings appar. represent only the form with the original long vowel.] Completely, wholly, altogether, entirely; to the fullest extent or degree.Variously const. Also intensifying other adverbs of similar application. Also quyte and clene, quyte and fre, completely, utterly. Quyte out, also ? outright: cf. Quhortout adv.(1) 1375 Barb. ix 651 (E).
That he wane qwyt that countre Till his broderys pes the king a1400 Legends of the Saints xix 131.
I wil rycht now lewe thé quyt, & pase myn way c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2526.
That five hundreth ware drowned quyte [: smyte] Of my fallowis ?1438 Alex. i 166. c1420 Wynt. iv 1340 heading.
Now qwhen Hanyball qwhyte [C. qwhit] Wes in Cyzell discomffite c1420 Ib. v 3012.
And fals mawmentys qwyte forsuke c1420 Wynt. iv 1277 (C).
Qwhit c1420 Wynt. v 999.
Qwyt [C. qwhite] c1420 Ib. vi 1479, etc. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2167.
And quyte forȝettis the foxe and all his wrinkis a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow iii 153.
With correctioun quhite now I thus conclud a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 283, etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 39/14.
Or throucht the warld quyte losit is ȝour name c1500-c1512 Ib. 121/74. 1513 Doug. i Prol. 45.
Forto disteyn thé quyte 1513 Ib. 175.
That is ourhippit quyte and left behynd 1513 Ib. iv Prol. 199.
Quyte schent 1513 Ib. i Prol. 224, 486. 1535 Stewart 29214. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 200. a1570-86 Scott Maitland Folio MS 294/12.
To reif ȝour rasoun quyte [: delyte, appetyte, imperfyte] a1568 Bannatyne MS 64a/13.
That all this pryd of silk war quyt laid doun a1568 Ib. 80b/8. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 6861.
Quyte auld freindschip thay let faw a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS 238/18.
Than will thay say I flatter quyt [: wryt] 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 58/72.
For urayth & spyt He lichlyid all his sonnes & dauchteris quyt & said My face from those nou uill I hyde 1596 Dalr. I 216/4.
The rest of the people outher quyte he destroyes or [etc.] c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxix 76.
And myn offences manifold, Throw Him releiffitt quytt [: delytt] a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xviii 45. 1611 Mure Early Misc. P. v 13.
Quyt 1639 Baillie I 218.
This our peremptoriness … made … the demands to be quyte miskennit 1651 Rothiemay Kirk S. in J. Gordon Hist. App. to Pref. lvii.
The meeting quytte brocken upp this day by reasone that [etc.] 1661 Dumbarton B. Rec. 79.
Quyt spoyled(b) 1450–1 Ayr B. Ct. 23 Jan.
That he was quite escheyit fra the chalance of Newin Chepman a1627 Craig v 24.
Yee will bee quite mistane(c) c1420 Wynt. v 4051.
And banysyde qwyte [C. qwhit, W. quyte] 1531 Bell. Boece I xxxiv.
All maner of gret fische is quit evanist out of it 1635 Hist. Fragm. III 2.
I founde the work off reformation quitte obstructed 1667 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 644.
Whose interest … will at length predomine and quit jusle out all other pittie 1684-9 Glamis Bk. Record 39.
But the lofting … was quitt rotten(2) ?1438 Alex. i 2265.
He gart him ly, Woundit throw-out the body quite c1420 Wynt. iii 9.
And off hys fyngrys [etc.] … The utmast endys be the lyth Qwyt [C. qwhit] was strekyn off c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 220.
Quhite wawill-eit in oure leid c1460 Ib. 3182. a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 106.
And quyt brocht till ane end a1500 King Hart 552. c1508 Chepman and Myllar Prints iiib 8.
And gentrise is put quite out of seruice c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 157/204.
Evin quyte frome nek till heill 1513 Doug. v ix 39.
Netheles, ȝyt quyte The bandis and lyamys in twa dyd he smyte 1513 Ib. xii Prol. 207.
Quyte owt of grace 1513 Ib. v xii 36. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 5762.
That scho had went Quyte out of minde 1560 Ib. 6097.
Quyte of his realme fra thame he did him dres a1568 Allanis Subdert Bannatyne MS 145a/7.
Bot quytt to hell that scho may sink a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii 64.
As sho ran by him quyt 16.. Herries Mem. 120.
He pearced him uith one ball … quitt through c1641–54 J. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 516.
A great hole quyt throch ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 87.
The small copper farthings … praescrybed and went out of fashione qwytte ( … they came as it wer by a tacite consent of all the people to be rejected qwytte) 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 2.
Quit(3) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxix 404.
Bot thane suld ȝe be tynt al quyt [: wyt (= blame)] c1420 Wynt. iv 493. a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1988. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1788.
Amaist the hound al quyte had loist his maucht —c1420 Wynt. ii 1189.
Hys fays qwyte Fullyly Josue [W. quyt Iosue halyly] discomfyte c1420 Ib. v 1011.
And wyth tha quyte The Perseys hale he discumfyte c1420 Ib. vii 3041.
Efftyr that his landys qwyt Wes … all heryit —1513 Doug. vi v 119.
Thi schip quhom that I knew ful quyte Spulȝeit of hir graith 1535 Stewart 29217.
The faith of Christ he hes forȝet full quyte(4) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxvi 832.
For the dekine … Fra me quyt is passit away c1420 Wynt. v 2952.
Quhill sex thousand … Throwch pestilens qwyt dede away c1420 Ib. 3407.
In swilk erroure That he away kest fra hym qwyte The mwnkys rewle c1420 Ib. 4536, vi 1288. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 1912.
For quhare it [the sword] hit, it bare all quyte away 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 3903. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 288.
Thus ar the husbandis … heryit quyte away all round abovt a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 359. 1513 Doug. xi xiv 48.
And bair hym quyte away 1535 Stewart 44641. a1585 Maitland Maitland Quarto MS 81/13.
Thairfoir put quyite away All hevines of thocht a1570-86 Id. Maitland Folio MS 316/58. a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS 437/14.(5) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 428 (C).
And ay it [sc. the fire] ȝheid qwyt out away a1500 King Hart 887.
He gaif ane cry, than Comfort fled out quyte a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2004.
Quhill quyte owt chapit was the knycht 1511 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 14.
That Jok of Caverhill and Wolle Dalglesch suor quyt out the hors thairis(6) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxi 92.
& quhen scho sykyrly has sene That thai [sc. her sons] away [war] quhyt & clene Scho goulyt ?1438 Alex. i 2637.
Heidis fra bodyis quyte and clene War strukin, tumbland on the grene ?1438 Ib. ii 10417. a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS 34/15.
All cair and cummar banist quyt and clein —a1400 Leg. xl 1336.
For blynd I ame quhyt & fre ?1438 Alex. i 2678.
Ane knicht … straik he Throw out the body quyte and fre
