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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ete, Eit, Eat(e, v. Also: et, het, ett-, eete, eyt, eitt, eatt, eait. P.t. ete, et, eit(e, eyt(e, eat, eait; eit(t)it, eated. P.p. etyn(e, etin(e, eting(e, etene, eteyne; ettyn(e, ettin; eittin, eitten, eitne; eatin(g, aittin, aiting. [ME. eat(e, ete, ette, eyt(e, OE. etan (eotan, eata).]

1. tr. To consume as food.(a) 1375 Barb. xiv. 348.
Thai … mycht get No thing that worth war for to et c 1420 Liber Calchou 449.
[In] that tym … et lytyll … garlek or ony slyk metis c1460 Wisd. Sol. 550.
The full suere man … ettis his pure met c1475 Wall. x. 536.
Behald, ȝon Scot ettis his awn blud (a1570-86 Dunb.) Maitl. F. iv. 22.
Husbandis that grangis hed full gret, Cattell and corne to sell and et 1579 Black Bk. Taymouth 142.
Gyff ony … ettis ony gwys fles in ony of thir t[h]re dais(b) 1375 Barb. ii. 581.
To get And purches thaim that thai mycht ete a1400 Leg. S. xvii. 37.
He vald … sla and ete al that had lyfe Ib. xxxvi. 1099.
To payre ane apil & til eete c1420 Wynt. i. 785.
He oysys mekyll for tyll ete All mannys fleyhs that he may get 1456 Hay II. 131/27.
Than suld men ete all thing that war gude to purge … melancoly 1490 Irland Mir. I. 84/17.
He brak the commandment of God etand the apill(c) c1420 Wynt. ii. 1020.
Scho … gert hys fadyr eyt hym alle c1475 Wall. ii. 313.
And that be suth, my self sall neuir eit breid 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 71.
I saw that cruel fend … Thar lymmys ryfe and eyt 1549 Compl. 26/18.
Ȝe sal eyt ȝour breyde in suficiens a1568 Scott xvi. 48.
Ane vthir eitis the berry doun That suld be myn 1590 Reg. Privy C. IV. 477.
The same personis … putt thame in his mouth, and compellit him to eit and swallie thame 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 162.
Anent hirding and keiping of swyne quha castis vp, eittis, and destrois thair nichtbouris cornis 1622-6 Bisset I. 44/15.
Ane swyne or ony uther beist that eittis … thair birth sall be slane(d) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3986.
Ryche men behuffit tyll eait thare gold a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxvii. 96.
Nor bett the bus that vthairis eattis the bereis 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. ii. 162.
Gif heirefter ony nichtbours swyne sall … eatt or destroy his nichtbouris cornis(b) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 98.
Hundis ete hym to thare fud c1420 Wynt. v. 158.
Datys scho pullyd and ete hyr fyll 1456 Hay I. 295/1.
A lyoun … slew him and ete him a1500 Seven S. 2427.
He ete litill meit or nane(b) 1375 Barb. ii. 495.
[Thai] Eyte flesch, and drank watir syne Ib. iii. 539.
Thai eyt it with full gud will 1490 Irland Mir. I. 86/9.
Euill inclinacioune … was causit of the wenomus morsell that thei eit 1507–8 Treas. Acc. IV. 103.
For tua ȝeris teynd hay of ane medow that the Kingis hors eit a1500 Peblis to Play 26.
That day ane byt scho eit nocht 1590 Lanark B. Rec. 96.
For the theftus steling of ane guis, quhilk scho eit in William Clarksones(c) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2238.
They … eait that meit with candell lycht a1578 Pitsc. II. 53/18.
The cardinall … gart hang thame because they eat ane rostit guse in Lentroun(d) a1578 Pitsc. II. 127/2.
Thair was nocht ane thair that eitit meikill meat eftir that bancatt 1581 Burne Disput. 23.
Quhen Adame eated the apill in paradise c1650 Spalding I. 51.
Sum thay saltit, … and sum they eitit freshe(c) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 458.
The froyt [that] wes etyne thar Ib. xxvii. 1016.
Quhy he that fische … ffor his delit had etene thane Ib. xxxvii. 371.
It suld … Be eteyne of fel bestis thare c1420 Wynt. ii. 1229.
All thai barnys … Thai gert be delyveryd … For … to be etyn 1456 Hay II. 137/16.
Tharfor suld mutoun ay be etyn hate and with gude spicis 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 119.
To the preist hes his corne etin with the Court hors 1513 Doug. iii. iv. 70.
The pray half etyn behynd thame lat thai ly 1533 Gau 66/1.
Part ar hangit and etine with the foulis(b) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 499.
That lame … luffis agane And ettyne dwellis ay elyke c1420 Wynt. v. 730.
Quhill all the flesche off hir body Wes ettyn wyth wolvys 1493 Halyb. 29.
A stek of gray that was ettin with mottis 1557 Banff Ann. I. 28.
To appris the corne ettin be ony … hors(c) 1548 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) Reidheid v. Leslie.
Thressin corne distroyit and eittin be the saidis personis hors 1566 Treas. Acc. XI. 516.
Talloune … eittin be rattonis and cattis in the said forth 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 45 b.
My flesch eitin and blude drukin in this sacrament 1596 Dalr. I. 288/26.
Nathir had the wirmes eitne his flesche 1623 Crim. Trials III. 549.
At quhose lyke-walk … the ox foirsaid … was slane and eittin(d) 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 94.
Als far as catal … Had in thar pastur eyt and knyp away(e) 1588 King Cat. 166.
I haue eattin assis, as it war bread 1590 Reg. Great S. 810/2.
With 4 pultrie … to be aittin yeirlie within the said David Youngis duelling hous 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 367.
What is eattin and drokin, is treulie fuid 1602 Colville Parænese 48.
The Mosaicall ordonnance commanding bot one lamb to be eating for the pasouer

b. To consume (grain or grass) by allowing horses or cattle to eat it. 1501 Prestwick B. Rec. 37.
He had ettin him with his hors j b[oll] of atis 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 241/1.
Divers oure liegis … pasturis and etis the gers thairof with thair catall 1537 Rec. Kinloss Mon. 145.
It sal be leisum to the said Patrick … to eit the girs of the said corn land … in commonty 1556 Crim. Trials I. 390.
That nane … tak vpone hand to eitt, distroy or stramp doune ony growand corns with thair horssis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 233.
That na personis … outher eit with thair horssis, or caus scheir vther mens cornes 1647 Misc. Spald. C. III. 199.
Twelf threiffis gryt aitis eitten be theis that cam 1674 Corshill Baron-Ct. Bk. IV. 116.
Alexander Fultoune … persued John Adame … for violent oppressing and daylie eating four grassome of grass these seaven yeers bygaine

c. In figurative senses. 1585 James VI Ess. 57.
Short syllabis … quhilkis are eatin vp in the pronouncing 1596 Dalr. I. 204/17.
The kirkes he repaired … quhilkes … throuch aldnes war corrupted and eitne vpe

2. intr. To partake of food.(a) 1375 Barb. vii. 166.
Thai rostit in hy thair met, And fell rycht frakly for till et a1400 Leg. S. v. 545.
Tym is that thu Vith me … et now One myn bwrd Ib. xii. 161.
Of thai fare happlis for to het c1420 Wynt. i. 681.
Quha that forsakys till et Off that fleyhs, he sall, but let, Be forsakyn off kyne c1460 Wisd. Sol. 782.
Va is it to the land, of the quhilk … the princis ettis tymly(b) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 969.
This day with me thu sall ete Eftyr trawel and the hete c1420 Wynt. v. 3608.
Quhen the tane wald tak the mete Than wald the tothir nevyr ete 1456 Hay I. 188/29.
Nouthir ete thai of oure metis, na drink thai of oure drynkis 1490 Irland Mir. I. 72/11.
I haue synnit in glutony etand & drinkand oure mesoure 1513 Doug. vi. iii. 70.
Behaldand … quhidder thai mark, etand, pasyng on raw(c) a1500 Bk. Chess 1610.
In thi depois haue thow gudis to kepe, Deliuer thaim or euer thow eit or sleipe 1513 Doug. viii. iii. 201.
Eneas … Dyd of perpetual oxin fillettis eyt a1540 Freiris Berw. 265.
Dame, eit with me and drink gif that ȝe may 1567 G. Ball. 6.
Quha sa euer sal eit of this breid, … vnworthely 1649 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 179.
It is thoght … necessar they eitt and bed within the hous(b) a1400 Leg. S. iii. 456.
Adame … ete of that forbodine met c1420 Wynt. iii. 148.
He tuke and ete off that huny Ib. vi. 1254.
This ilk Empryoure … Wyth this Duk he ete a day a1500 Seven S. 555.
Tharof wele plesit was the baire, And ete and leit the gnawyn be c1475 Wall. vii. 365.
Thai eit and drank, the Scottis men at mocht c1500-c1512 Dunb. v. 17.
Scho neuer eit, bot drank our mesur & mair a1540 Freiris Berw. 70.
Thay eit and drank, and satt at thair awin eis 1596 Crim. Trials I. 399.
Quha the samin nycht buik the meill in bannokis [and] eit thairof(c) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 93.
Agane that etinge had the kinge 1456 Hay II. 116/28.
Gif a man has etyn and dronkyn sufficiandly c1420 Wynt. viii. 1460 (W).
Quhen scho had etin, and rais fra meit a1500 Seven S. 2433.
Quhen he had etyn, he him sped To the castell