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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.

Rek(e, Reik, v.2 Also: reyk; reak; reeke; raik(e; (reck). P.t. and p.p. raucht, rawcht; racht; roucht; rocht; rotht; also reik-, reckit; reaked; raik-, rakit. [North. ME reke; p.t. and p.p. raght, also reked (all Cursor M.), raught(e, raȝt, rauht, rought; OE rǽcan, p.t. ráhte (north.), MDu. reiken, MLG reiken, reken. See also Reche v.]

I. tr. 1. To extend (one's hand, also the foot) (to, till, onto a person or thing, also const. dat. pron.); to stretch out (furth).(1) a1400 Leg. S. vi 654.
Or ony man may hand thé reke [: brake]
Ib. xxxii 716.
Tha ne ma speke, Na handis na fet ma thai reke
Ib. xxxvi 124.
Na hand til his lord to reke As ȝarnande til hailis hyme
a1500 Lanc. 1651.
For qwho … not his hond in ther support furth rekith
1513 Doug. vi v 150.
Reke thy rycht hand onto this wrechit wight
(2) 1513 Doug. xi viii 92.
Lat ws … reke hym furth our ryght hand bair of armys

b. reflex. To stretch (oneself) out; to lie outstretched. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2160.
The volff … Syne raucht [Ch. straucht] him in the gait or he come nar

2. To hand (a thing) (to a person, also const. dat. pron.); to proffer; to hold out and give to.pres. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 214.
Quhare nan mycht … , Na met na drink na cleth [hir] rek
c1450-2 Howlat 797 (B).
Reke [A. Raike] hir a rug of the rost
1513 Doug. iv Prol. 49.
Thou techit Hercules … Reke Dyomeir hys mays and lyoun skyn
c1520-c1535 Nisbet John xiii 26.
He it is to quham I sal reke a sop of brede
(b) a1500 K. Hart 916.
Reik
1513 Doug. v vii 42.
‘Reyk to the man the pryce promyst,’ all cryis
1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1152.
Tak thow one half, and reik to me ane vther
p.t., p.p. c1420 Wynt. vi 2030 (W).
The spensare A laif him raucht till his suppere
1513 Doug. vi vi 78.
Swith swellyand that morsel raucht had sche
(b) 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I 175.
The said Agnes rotht to me ane nop seke on hir defalt
(c) 1567 Sat. P. iii 230.
With that he rais and reikit me this bill
(d) a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 964.
A spowng … intill wynakar thai soupit … Syne till Jesu thai raikit it

b. To pass round (round about) (a cup of wine).Cf. 10 below. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 148.
Than all thai … raucht the cop round about full of riche wynis

c. To reke furth, to proffer. 1513 Doug. xi vii 86.
And in thar handis [to] reke furth the paceabill tre

d. With non-material obj.: To grant, bestow on. a1500 Henr. Fab. 725.
I reik thé full remissioun
Ib. 1467.
I worthie am to suffer deid Bot gif thy kinglie mercie reik remeid
a1582 Sir Colling 73.
Scho … raucht him kises thrie
1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. fol. 4b.
The cownsell of trew freindis reikis Sweitnes to the sawll that is meitt

3. To deal (a blow). b. To give (a wound).Const. to, till, unto (a person) or with double obj.Only in verse.pres. ?1438 Alex. ii 6987.
Ȝe can … reik great routis with mekill mane
1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 3765.
And till ane wther with swerde ane strake he rekis
p.t., p.p. 1375 Barb. ii 420.
To Philip sic rout he raucht, … He gert him galay disyly
Ib. vii 623.
Clyffurd and Waus maid a melle Quhar Cliffurd raucht him a cole
?1438 Alex. i 1235.
Seuyne knychtis he saw vpon him dyng, That grete rowtis vnto him raucht
c1450-2 Howlat 842 (A).
Quhen thai had remelis raucht [etc.]
a1500 Henr. Fab. 2086.
The cadgear wald haue raucht the foxe ane rout
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 164/100.
The egill strong at him did stryke, And rawcht him mony a rowt
1538 Lynd. Justing 45.
James … ran til Johne, til haif raucht him ane rout
a1570-86 Maitl. F. 245/33.
With that scho raucht me sic ane rout Quhill [etc.]
(b) a1400 Leg. S. xl 453.
A bule … in the wame racht hym sic a rout, Til [etc.]
(c) 1375 Barb. xv 188.
He … roucht him sic a swyng That [etc.]
(d) ?1438 Alex. ii 8991.
And sa vndemous rout is rocht That [etc.]
(e) 1574 Davidson Three Reformers 111.
Of whome ane … reaked him a rebegeastor
b. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1061.
Ȝone reid bonat scho raucht him with hir heill

4. To seize or grasp in the hand or arms. a1400 Leg. S. xxi 453.
He … hyre in armys racht, & hyre enbrasit
?1438 Alex. ii 1446.
And hes in hand his reinȝeis raucht

b. lit. and fig. To draw or pluck (a person) away from something or towards a place. a1568 Bann. MS 26b/58.
And he the riche hes rawcht frome thair riches
1596 Spottiswoode Misc. II 371.
The advansement of ane small pece of money … may reik fordwart his cumpaniys towardis the Ilis

5. To extend (one's attention) to (an additional matter). 1622-6 Bisset I 84/9.
The saidis lordis thocht it maist expedient … to reik and extend thair cuir to the … publicatioun of the precedand

II. intr. 6. To extend in length, size, etc.; to stretch out continuously; to reach or stretch (from, fra one place to, till, intill another).Also, to reke up, doun or langis.(1) 1375 Barb. x 23.
A schoir crag … Raucht till the se doun fra the [pas]
a1400 Leg. S. x 138.
To gere a toure say he be mad That the hicht of it suld … rek to the hewyne
Ib. xviii 226.
Hayre scho had … Rekand na forthire na hir neke
Ib. 1320.
The sone cane fare bemys strek, That fra the heuine til erd can rek
c1515 Asl. MS I 314/2.
Jacob … saw a ledder … reking fra hevin to erd
1513 Doug. x xiv 14.
Hys weil kemmyt berd, … onto hys gyrdill raucht
1590 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 251.
The bigging of thair hie poirt callit the Mekill Yet … the heicht thairof being that himself and his gray hors ryding thairon may bot reik in hand to the pend thairof
(2) pres. c1420 Wynt. i 528.
All the landis of Asy, That fra the northt throucht est out-strekys In tyll the sowth quhyll that it rekys
1462 Peebles B. Rec. I 144.
The … akeris of land … on the northt half of the gat rekand to the Wenlaw
1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 178.
Als fer as thar bundys rekys
1498 Acta Conc. II 274.
The tenement … rekand to the north loch on the north syde
1514 Prot. Bk. J. Foular III 3. 1557 Grey Friars 144.
And rekand fra the said watter to the north
p.t. (a) 1466 (1471) Reg. Great S. 214/1.
The auld merchis … on ilkside quhare evir his landis reckit
(b) a1538 Abell 42a.
He schure it [sc. an ox hide] ay rownd abowt in sa lang a twhang that it rakit about a gret montane
(3) c1420 Wynt. i 646.
Thar woddys fayr Rekys on hycht wp tyll the ayre
1513 Doug. iii ix 12.
Hys berd Rekand doun the lenth neir of a ȝerd
Ib. vi ix 44.
Ane irne towr … Quhilk semyt forto reke vp in the skye
1572 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 11 July.
And iiij treis to reik langis

b. transf. Of non-material things, in various applications. c1420 Ratis R. 651.
The sevyne giftis of the Haly Gaist … rek vp rycht to the hevyne
14.. Reg. Maj. c. 34.
The strynth of cunandis rekis on till other personis
1587 Waus Corr. 410.
Sa far as my power may reik

7. Of money or property: To suffice, be adequate. Also in fig. context. 1446 Aberd. B. Rec. MS IV p. 438 (17 June).
Ilkane of thaim to fynd boroweis til othir als forr [? farr [as]] the gudes rekis
1456 Hay I 168/3.
He aw till allow thai gudis as payment of his costis … in alsferr as thai mycht reke
1488 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 55.
That … sic a burges … marrow him with ane maister of substance, and lay his penny to his, and sua far as it will reik, the pennyvorthis to be bocht betwixt them
1560 Stirling B. Rec. I 72.
To pay the samyn insafer as it reikis to the creditouris
fig. 1600-1610 Melvill 44.
Sa far as his small moyen might reak

8. To run or flow (in-till a sea, to a place, our a surface). c1420 Wynt. i 554.
Fra north on sowth the streme it strekys In tyll the Rede Se quhille it rekys
c1515 Asl. MS I 156/12.
Than Tyrenus to Ytale rekis and to the havin of Sticilia and passis to Crota
1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 237.
Be the samin blude, that reikit owre the ruithfull rwid

9. fig. and lit. To extend, or reach, as far as; to attain to. Also proverb. 1375 Barb. xvii 419 (C).
So neir That thair fall-brig mycht reik thar-till
a1400 Leg. S. xiii Prol. 82.
Sa Sancte Johnne … To Godis godhed rycheste rekis
1551 Prot. Bk. W. Corbet 14.
Bot he sould nocht remayn on that grond als fer as thair bondis rekit to taik a pow of gers
proverb. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3196.
Bot se that ȝe put not ȝour sleif Farther nor hand may reik
a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 686.
Put your hand na farder nor your sleive may reeke
a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1178.
Manie puts their hand farther nor their sleif may reik

10. Of a ‘cup’ (of wine, etc.) or drink: To pass round, circulate. Cf. 2 b above. a1500 Rauf C. 212.
Lat the cop raik for my bennysoun
a1540 Freiris Berw. 419 (B).
For ay the wyne was rakand thame amang
a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1086.
Let the cap raik on the kirk gude

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"Rek v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/reke_v_2>

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