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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

S(c)hout, Schowt(e, n. Also: schoute, s(c)houtt. [Late ME showte (c1450), shout (1513), perhaps of the same ulterior origin as S(c)hute v. Cf. ON skúta, skúte a taunt.]

1. A loud or vehement cry; a shout; a shouted word or phrase. Freq., with (mony) (a) schout(is.(1) 1375 Barb. xvi 410.
Than with a schout on thaim schot thai And criyt on hycht Douglas Douglas ?1438 Alex. i 1587.
His menȝe Ar ruschit on thame with ane schout c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 169/78.
To the Feind … Thay gaif thame with ane schowt on hie 1513 Doug. v iv 92.
The maryneris start on fut with a schout, Cryand, ‘Byde, how’ Ib. ix x 36.
Our childir ȝyng exercis bissely Huntyng with hundis, hornys, schowt and cry Ib. x xii 66.
The huntmen … the beste assays With felloun schowtis Ib. xi x 72. 1535 Stewart 36172.
He ran … Fra place to place … With mony schout ay squeilland like a kid c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 652.
Thay set vpon thame with ane schout c1578 Reid Swire 112.
Then over the know … They went with many a shoutt & yell 1622 Crim. Trials III 510.
With pitiefull screiches, schoutis and cryis, lying in that horrible payne(2) 1375 Barb. vi 160.
With that all haile a schoute thai geve a1500 Peblis to Play 161.
His wyf come out and gaif ane schout a1500 Henr. Fab. 485.
Scho … gaif ane schout, ‘How, murther, reylok!’ with ane hiddeous beir Ib. 847.
He … gaif ane schout, And ‘Oyas! Oyas!’ … did cry a1500 Seven S. 244.
With hir nalis [she] raif hir face And gaf a schout and cryit allace a1500 K. Hart 859.
Thai within gaif mony hiddowus schout c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 136/55.
Welcum, our quein, the commones gaif ane schout 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1285.(3) 1513 Doug. ii viii 2.
Onto the palyce … The schowtis and the cryis callys ws Ib. iii x 33.
A fellon bray and huge schowt vp he kest 1533 Boece 384b.
Scottis preparing to batell … rais terribil schoutis quharethrow thay think inemyis ar fleyit 15.. Wyf Awcht. 91 (K).
Vpon the goodwife he cryed mony good shout a1585 Maitl. Q. 206/155.
The wofull werye schout That scho all tyme and houris did bewray

b. Taken as the type of minor irritation or provocation. c1420 Wynt. viii 2661.
He wanted na mare than a schowt, For till hawe made hym brayne-wode owt

c. With a (also, mony) schout, also, once, schoutis, modifying a verb or verb phr. of uttering, singing, also (of an instrument) playing: With a loud voice or sound; loudly.(1) c1420 Wynt. iii 363.
Scho … cryit syne lowde, wytht a schowt, ‘Now all thi fays ar thé abowt' 1460 Hay Alex. 3687.
‘Massedoun,’ thai cryit all with ane schout a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 661.
The Jowis all cryit with a schowt … ‘Tollie, tollie; him on the croce crucify’ c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 146/183.
Than all the birdis song with sic a schout That I annone awoilk 1535 Stewart 11820.
For blythnes than thai sang all with ane schout Ib. 26483.
All the kirkmen … Alluleya! with ane schout tha sang Ib. 30191.
Quhairfoir thair rais greit murmour in that steid, With sic ane schout [etc.] a1568 Scott ii 45.
Trumpettis and schalmis with a schowt Playid or the rink began c1578 Reid Swire 97.
Than rais'd the slogan with ane shout, ‘Fy, Tindaill [etc.]’(2) a1500 Henr. Orph. 115.
Hir madin wepit … , Cryand with mony schout and voce terrible 1535 Stewart 11832.
Thus thai sang … With greit laser, and mony rycht loud schout(3) a1578 Pitsc. I 405/30.
The Inglischemen … cryit witht hiedieous schoutis and cryis

d. An alarm raised by shouting from person to person; hue and cry. Also fig.Also coupled with Cry n. 4 or Hoyes n.(1) 1551 (1576) Reg. Privy C. II 551.
Lyke as we wald do for the defense and reskew of our awin propir gudis, in caise thay wer in the samyn dangeare, we being warnit be the schowte, baillis in the cuntre, or utherwayis 1565 Black Bk. Taymouth 211.
Sall with ane woce concur togidder and rais the schoutt aganis thame a1568 Bann. MS 140a/13.
Thay fallowit thé with cry and schowt Ha, hald thé, theif that stall the claith c1575 Balfour Pract. 511.
The crime of reif … sould be followit with recent shout and cry 1595 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 324.
In cais of ony tumoult or vproir in the toun, ilk persoun to be in redines at ane schout or clink of the commoun bell to ryis and cum to the gait boidint with vapponis 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Schireff.
Gif ony trespassor be fugitiue for ony crime, the schireff suld persew & follow him: And ilk gentle-man not followand the schowte or out-horne sal pay xl s. Id. Reg. Maj. i 69b.
Gif ane man steilles cattell [etc.] … and the shout and cry of neighbours follow him Ib. ii 32b.
They sall raise the schout and hoyes vpon him Ib.
Gif the debtour … be force takes … them [sc. the poinds] away, the lord of the land or the creditour with schout and hoyes may follow him(2) c1575 Balfour Pract. 510.
Gif it be sufficientlie provin that scho [sc. a raped woman] delayit … ane nicht to mak shout in maner abone expremit Ib. 511.
He sall in all possibill haist mak shout fra ane town or village unto ane uther(3) fig. 1587 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 187 (19 Feb.).
The schowttis of Montkene to be raisit at Willie Wolffis taill will furneis mony michtie peremptoris aganis the bar of Innermark

e. Without shout and cry (frome of a place), out of earshot. 1649 Berw. Nat. C. XV 348.
Not above 100 comunicants will be without shout and cry frome of the stipleheid

2. Uproar; din; noisy shouting. b. A noisy disturbance. a1500 Peblis to Play 47.
Lord sic ane schout wes thame amang Quhen thai wer our the wald c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 164/125.
I walknit with the noyis and schowte [of birds]b. 1573–4 Inverness Rec. I 234.
For the wrangus trubling of this burcht and raising of schouttis and cummerse thairin