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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.

Rest, v.¹ Also: reste; reist; rist. [ME and e.m.E. reste(n, resstenn (Orm), also rast (c1420), ryste (north., 1422), OE ræstan, restan.]See the note to Rest v.³ 1 and Rest n.³

I. intr. 1. To rest the body by putting it in a relaxed posture, or by going to sleep. 1375 Barb. ii 279.
That thai may this nycht … Gang herbery thaim and slep and rest a1400 Leg. S. xviii 206.
One the ȝerd … Euire-ilke nycht reste he wald Scho …
lad thame in a bed to reste, & bad thame slepe Ib. xxv 304. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 690 (C).
And persaved Troyiens slepand Inne thare innes & thare restand a1500 Rauf C. 778.
Vpon the morne airly, Schir Rauf wald not rest a1500 Henr. Fab. 758.
Quhair he did rest, Straikand his wame aganis the sonis heit c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. viii 11.
That mony sal cum fra the eest and west, and sal rest [L. recumbent] with Abraham a1568 Scott xxx 19.
Thay ma nowthir rest nor rufe Till thay mischeif thair sellis

2. To take repose by ceasing to exert oneself; to rest from activity. a1400 Leg. S. xxx 523.
Be-twene the ton & the abbay He restit & tuk bydyng Ful oft Ib. xl 564.
Rist tha cane, for it wes hate, & fand a faire place, & set don c1420 Wynt. viii 5626.
The wardane syne till his cuntre Fure, and a qwhille restyd [W. him restit] he a1500 Henr. Fab. 1406.
Ane lyoun … To recreat his limmis and to rest … Vnder ane tre lay a1500 Rauf C. 404.
Vpon solempnit ȝule day quhen ilk man suld rest 1494 Loutfut MS 4a.
Lat thaim go thris & rest a litil quhile betuen a1568 Scott xx 45.
Thow wald nocht rest bot raik, And lair thé in the myre 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 119.
To the barrowmen to beir up the sparis fra the nether baillie quhen they sould haif restit at ther od houris 1657 Wemyss Corr. 102.
I am uirie with hacking, uhich meacks me rest this day 1692 Presb. Eloq. (1693) 76.
Beware of the drunkenness of the goose, for it never rests, but constantly dips the gobb of it in the water

b. To cease fra something. 1456 Hay II 97/4.
For … musik … gerris his spiritis naturale rest fra all vexacioun of mynde Ib. 125/21.
Bot restis fra all vexacioun corporale and mentale

c. To cease to do (also, doing) something. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 79.
Byrdis … thé to prise … neuer restis 1584–5 Laing MSS I 44.
So resting to truble your lordship with longer a1599 Rollock Wks. I 399.
Christ … never restis mounting up quhill he cum to that divinity

d. Of a ship: To be motionless; to come to a standstill. c1515 Asl. MS I 303/13.
In the vij moneth the erth apperit dry and the ark restit on the mont of Armeny coresponding that God restit the vij day 1596 Dalr. I 17/13.
A … seyporte, quhairin litle schipis ten myles frome the sey restis besyde the brig

e. To make a (measured) pause in performing a piece of music. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 72/19.
Ȝour lyne … wilbe drawin sa lang in the singing, as ȝe man rest in the middes of it

3. To be, or to continue, in a state of peace or tranquillity; to remain undisturbed or free from trouble, molestation, etc. a. After death. b. In life (the quot. from Hay Alex. may properly belong to 1 above).a. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 24.
God mad hym to rest syn in France Ib. xxix 1012.
Quhare thai sanctis restis ay, & sal do to domyse-day a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 317.
Thy elderis banis ilk nycht rysis …: Thou art the cause thay may not rest nor ly 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 274.
Umquhill my lord regentis grace that restis with God a1578 Pitsc. I 277/3.
I traist to Chryst thy saull restis in ioyb. 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 2977.
The oist that nycht restit in rufe c1500-c1512 Dunb. (S.T.S.) lxxxviii 13.
Pryncesse of townes …, A richer restith under no Christen roy 1513 Doug. iii vi 76.
Thar … Is the richt place … for ȝour cite And of ȝour travell ferm hald to rest in le

4. To remain (in, within, intill) a place, situation or state of mind, or with (amang) persons); to stay, reside; to be present.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 242.
For in hyme restis the haly gast Ib. xxvii 1198.
Thai … had gane … to the hill & thar abad to reste in will c1400 Troy-bk. i 334.
The quhylis thai restyt in hys land c1475 Wall. xi 699.
All that day our in gud liking thai rest a1500 Seven S. 2270.
In quhat cuntre scho couth rest He had na wittering c1515 Asl. MS I 309/10.
Euer the floure of chevalry restit most in Ewrope c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 25/4.
I me commend … In till hir bandoun for to rest c1610 Melville Mem. 11.
Ther we rested a thre weekis — 1570 Sat. P. x 35.
He sall with vs rest, And we with him, sa lang as warld may lest(2) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 336.
Ire restis ay in the fulis brest c1475 Wall. iii 274.
Gentrys and trewtht ay restis him within a1570-86 Maitl. F. 252/3.
Lat comfort cleinlie in thé rest — ?1438 Alex. ii 6381.
That in fyne lufe the lele ȝarning Growis, restis and takis roting 1456 Hay II 26/14.
For quhare na wisdome na discrecioun restis how suld thare be knaulage of honoure a1500 Bk. Chess 948.
Quhar discord amang knychtis restis Seildyn … the victor with thaim lestis(3) 1567–8 Inverness Rec. I 161.
[He] offeris him to preiff that he requerit … William to leid the said turfe and that thai ar restan in the montht as yit

b. specif. In the construction of a building, etc.: To be situated; also, to be supported (on something underneath). Also with quasi-personal subject. 1520 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 174.
The said dene … sall big furtht his land … als hie as he ples and Villiem Cristisone sal rest in the sydwal of pane and first and ane sufficient rest to his ribbis in the sydwal … the said Villiem haffand na vthir aisiamentis 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 42.
For the down taking of … the chapel ruyf … quhar the southeist round of the tour restis Ib. 43.
For iii gestis … for ane brandry to the north round that restis in the chapell

5. a. To lean on (a person) for repose or support. b. To depend on (a person); to rely on or trust to (a non-material thing).a. c1520-c1535 Nisbet John xiii 25.
Quhen he had restit agane on the breest of Jesus [etc.]b. 1558 Admir. Ct. Bk. (St. S.) 98.
The said Alexander renuncis all ferthir probatioun, restand him to [ed. to him] the said George Padeis aith a1585 Maitl. Q. 142/8.
Quhais bontie neuer dois abandoun those That restis on him 1589 Lett. Jas. VI to Bruce 279.
Sua resting in this to your wounted cair and diligence 1599 James VI in Conv. Burghs II 49.
Nocht doutting of ȝour conformite … and resting to ȝour ansuer quhat may be lieket thairanent a1658 Durham Commandments (1675) 26.
Formal hypocrites who rest on the out-side of duties

II. reflex. 6. To give (oneself) rest; to rest, in senses 1 and 2 above. 1375 Barb. vii 7.
The king … begouth for to rest him thar, & said he mycht no forthermar a1400 Leg. S. ii 1004.
God hym restit on the vii day Ib. xviii 610.
I restyt me & myn aynd tuke c1400 Troy-bk. i 14.
That, while Jasone & Hercules In Symonent thame restand wes c1420 Ratis R. 1799.
Now pene, I pray thé, rest thé here 1456 Hay II 7/24.
He … gert him sytt doune … and rest him a1500 Henr. Fab. 838.
This tod to rest him carit to ane craig a1500 Seven S. 446.
The grewhound … lay to rest him wery yneuch c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 3.
I raise, and by a rosere did me rest a1578 Pitsc. I 274/17.
Quhairfor he wald faine haue restit him 1665 S. Ronaldshay 49.
Quhen schoe was coming home with her peatis and resting her neir to Agnes Windweek's houss [etc.]

7. To establish (oneself); to take up one's residence. Cf. Rest n.¹ 4. a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 979.
In euery part ded can his palice spy Him for to reist within a littill space

III. tr. 8. a. To lay (the head) on something, for support. a1400 Leg. S. xiii Prol. 84.
Restand his hed one Cristis kne

b. To lay (the body) to rest; to give rest to. 1513 Doug. x v 4. Ib. v xiv 18.
Eneas … mycht na wys hys membris rest

c. To settle (a person) in a place. 1513 Doug. v i 52.
Nor quhar me lyst sa weil and profitabill Our wery folkis to restyng and estabill

d. To trust (that something will be the case). Cf. 5 b above. 1589–90 James VI in Waus Corr. 449.
Sua resting that in this ye wilbe laith to disapoint our expectatioun, we commit yow to God

9. In p.p., in the phr. to be restit: (To be) rested or refreshed. 1494 Loutfut MS 22a.
And gif that be tirit … ane othir cumis onder that beris him on him quhill he be restit 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7707.
Fra he was warmit and restit thair ane space [etc.]