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: 1375-1610
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Rek, Ra(c)k, v.4 Also: reck; reke, reick; rake, raik. P.t. roucht, rocht, racht; also rek-, rak-, rakkit. [ME and e.m.E. rekkenn (Orm), re(c)k, also reake (1599), beside rec(c)he(n, etc., p.t. roȝte (1297),roght (Cursor M.), late ME also reckid, e.m.E. also raught (Caxton), roughte, OE reccan (? also récan), p.t. róhte, ON rœ́kja.For the forms with lengthened vowel in the pres. t. and p.t., cf. the etymological note to Mak v.1]Chiefly, as in English, in neg., but also (in quhat reckis) in interrog. and, rarely, affirmative constructions.
1. intr. To take heed or care of a person or thing; to have regard for; to think (little or nothing of); to care or be concerned about; to give thought or consideration to (of).pres. (a) a1400 Legends of the Saints v 216.
Fore riches, … Thai rekis nocht of the saule hele a1400 Legends of the Saints xvi 309.
Thi wame … thu farcis with met … Bot reke of powre thu na liste That peryse in hungyre c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2256.
That of thaim-self thai haf na thocht Of mete and drink rekand richt nocht 1456 Hay I 189/35.
Bot be caus thai may nocht to us harme … , men rekkis nocht of thame a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 895.
Schir Rolland, I rek nocht of thy rauingis a1500 Ib. 934. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace viii 558.
Off your souerance he rekis nocht adeill c1520-c1535 Nisbet Mark xii 14.
Maister, we wate that thou … reckis nocht of ony man(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xlii 154.
Do one as thu has thocht, For of thi panys rak I nocht a1500 Henr. Fab. 2165.
He lay, as he wer verray deid, Rakkand na thing off the carlis fauour nor feid a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 1838.
He rakith no thing bot of cheuelry c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv 332.
Bot want thai meit thai rak nocht of the laiff 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 149.
Callys thou that reutht, quhilk of thar self ne rakkis? 1535 Stewart 7691.
Off that honour I rak nocht worth ane fliep.t. (a) 1375 Barb. vii 24 (E).
For war ȝone deuillis hund away I roucht nocht off the lave perfay 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 3374.
On the chais of futemen thai wald nocht Follow richt far, for of thame thai na roucht 1460 Ib. 3483.
I traist nocht That ȝe of myne honoure sa litil roucht c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii 188.
For off my lyff ellys no thing I roucht c1475 Ib. iv 275.(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints ii 907.
Sanct Paule … , That rocht of na wardly thinge Ellis that he mycht Criste inbringe a1400 Ib. xvi 71.
[He] lytil rocht Of landis or of riches ocht a1400 Ib. xxviii 82.
For scho Cristine was, Hyre fadyre rocht of hir the les a1400 Ib. xxxiii 468.
God … confort hyme sa wondir wele That he of payne rocht na dele c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace xi 576.
Off him selff litill as than he rocht 1513 Doug. x xi 150.
And of hys lyfe salvyng na thyng he rocht [: wrocht] c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i 233.
In lufes seruice, thairof nathing I rocht(c) a1400 Legends of the Saints xliii 394.
A murtherere & of a kyd houlloure, That racht nothire of mensk na honoure(d) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 322.
The mair he loutit for my luf, the les of him I rakit 1535 Stewart 39912.
Of all thair vowis tha rakit bot rycht nocht(e) 1535 Stewart 26889.
Ilk man said he rakkit nocht of gold No moir … than muldis 1535 Stewart 36985.
Stone still tha faucht and thairof [flight of comrades] rakkit nocht(f) 15.. Clariodus ii 1168.
Rekit
2. With other preps. a. To rek to, to pay heed or attention to. b. To rek on, to set store by. c. To rek for, to care for.a. a1400 Legends of the Saints xv 43.
Vthir sere thing … As in the ewangel ȝe se ma. Quhare-to for now me lest nocht rek c1420 Wynt. v 2146 (W).
Deuillis within thaim … spekis, Thame to dissaue that to thame rekisb. 1456 Hay I 79/35.
Nocht rekand, na comptand on quhat title of rycht, bot on forcec. a1500 Bk. Chess 127.
Bot nocht I rek for this in myne entent So that I de for iustice innocent
3. With negative (or implied negative) and infin.: Not to be unwilling or reluctant (to do something).(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints Prol. 105.
For his luf to de thai ne rocht a1400 Ib. xviii 194. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi 596 (McD).
In-to that tyme he rocht nocht for to de c1475 Ib. viii 172.
Freynd Hay, in this caus that I wend Sa that we wyn I rek nocht for till end a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1283 (Asl.).
O saull congelit in syn … Quhilk rakles rut rakkis nocht to ryn Vnto the fende a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1632.
And sayis to his fallows I rak bot litill To strik this ymage(2) a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS 47/13.
To reif thair nychtbour few now rakis For feir of God
4. With negative and dependent clause, chiefly in concessive constructions: Not to care or concern oneself. Also (once), without negative.(1) c1420 Ratis Raving 1532.
[They] … rakis nocht, thocht al war schent a1500 Quare of Jelusy 175.
Thouch all suich war wode in thair entent … Ne rek I not a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 1829.
Suppos his larges sumquhat pas mysour, Ne rak he nat 1535 Stewart 39141.
And rakkit nocht, suppois it wes nocht trew(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiv 102.
We … rekis nocht … Hou foule ore vnfaire we be c1490 Porteous Noblenes 61/5 (Ch. & M.).
Ane man … that … rekis not nor takis na compt how all thing pas quhat be wonnyn or quhat be tynt 1513 Doug. Direct. 71.
I rak nocht quhidder fulys hald me devill or sanct 1535 Stewart 38264.
He rakkit nocht quhat way he mycht proceid 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1274.
I reck nathing how sone that I be deid 1573 Davidson Satirical Poems xl 101.
I rak nathing quhat rebalds heir record c1575 Annandale Corr. 273.
We rak nowcht how mony honest men kene [etc.](3) 1456 Hay II 34/16.
Mony princis … rekkis nocht quhat maner of … lyf his knichtis be, sa that he have … knychtis in his company c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vii 36.
Sa I be quytt I rek nocht quhat yhe wrocht(4) 1587-99 Hume 79/356.
Swa I be free, quhat rak I what befall?
5. ellipt., in one or other of the above senses.?1438 Alex. ii 2634.
Scho lattis of me, as sho na rocht! c1490 Porteous Noblenes 180/5 (Asl.).
Ydilnes is … vnprovidit, nocht rekand and vnsekire a1500 Quare of Jelusy 175.
Ne rek I not nor geve I of thame charge 1535 Stewart 22956.
Tha rakit nocht than other quhen or quhair a1605 Montg. Misc. P. liii 13.
Than chus ȝow ane of thais, I rek not ader
6. quasi-impers. (It) matters, is of concern.Cf. 1 and 4 above. Also quhat reckis interrog. phr. What does it matter? It does not matter. b. Why not? = quhat rek interrog. phr. (see Rek n.3 2). Also quhat raikes it, id. Only Sc.; also in the later dial. as whatrecks etc. (Cf. Quhat pron. 4 a (3).)(1)1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 6033.
Suppois I wrett nocht all thing that I se … It rekkis nocht, for men that knawis it wele 1551 Hamilton Catechism 192.
Quhilk of thir usis be done, it rakkis nocht (2) a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 892.
Whatrax of the feed, when the friendship dow nought a1599 Rollock Wks. I 346.
Quhat reckis of man in this warld? Quhat reckis of mannis ruine and decay, gif God be glorified a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxviii 43.
Quhat reks then of the reid? Or of the trees vhat reks? The rok remanes a rok indeid, Quhilk nather bouis nor breks(3) a1599 Rollock Wks. I 399.
Quhat reck of words and they want the hart and they have no life - quhat reckis suppois thou spak ane thousand ȝeiris of … glorie, gif [etc.] 1600-1610 Melvill 740.
Quhat reickis iff they get your pairt of the burdein herein also(4) a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1706) 289.
Whatrax, my jo, I ken your captain(5) 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 518.
What raikes it what life I lead, seeing there is no condemnation to meb. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1540 (B).
Now quhill the king is sound sleipand Quhattrax [Ch. quhat rack] to steill his box 1600 Criminal Trials II 177.
And the king said, ‘Quhat rakis, albeit ȝe tak of your hat!’ 1610 Douglas Corr. 246.
And quhat rackes suppose ye give some of your geir mair nor it is worthe, to put your house in peace and quyetnes
7. tr. To heed, regard, care about.(a) 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 21.
He rakkis nowder the rycht nor rakles report 1513 Ib. xiii v 81.
O haitfull deth … Quhilk gret and small doun thryngis and nane rakkis c1520-c1535 Nisbet II 86 marg.
The luf toward God, quhilk requiris the haill hart … and rakkis nocht the outwart deid 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2940 (Ch.).
Quhat devil raks thé of our preiching vndocht? a1585 Maitland Maitland Quarto MS 62/49.
Neirnes of kin nathing thay rak(b) 1587-99 Hume 42/27.
Lust, luxurie, nor deintie fair, they raik not by a leik
