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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.

Fecht, Feicht, v. Also: fechtt, feght, feycht, faicht. P.t. facht, fawcht, faucht(e, faught, focht. P.p. fochtin(e, -tyn, -ten, -tne, fochtteine, foghten(e, fowchtyn, fowychtyn, fouchtin(e, -tyn, -ten, foughtin; fochin, foichin, fouchin, -en; foughin, fauchin, faughin. [ME. feghte, feȝte, feihten, fehten, OE. feohtan, fehtan (ONhb. fehta). Cf. Ficht v.]

1. intr. To fight, engage in fighting.a. (a) 1375 Barb. vi. 155.
Quhat sal we say Quhen a man fechtis aganis vs all
Ib. xii. 131.
The Erle … that fechtand was
a1400 Leg. S. i. 259.
Quhene twa fechtis, pece sal be Quhen we the tane vincust se
c1420 Wynt. v. 1454.
Scho saw quhare men ware fechtande fast
Ib. vi. 844.
To fecht wyth hym thai ware sa yherne
1459 Peebles B. Rec. 132.
Gyf euir the sayd Thom distrowbyllis or fechtis … with that party or ony other nychtburis
a1500 Bk. Chess 981.
It causis thaim to turne thair bak & fle Quhen thai suld fecht
c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 65.
Thow speiris, dastard … gif I dar with thé fecht
c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 742.
That men micht weill wit, … That shippis wer on the sey fechtand
a1578 Pitsc. I. 76/3.
Wtheris … doubting quhither they sould fecht … or flie … war cruellie slaine
1603 Moysie 14.
They wer purposit to fecht for the libertie of the King or elis to die
1622-6 Bisset II. 233/4.
Gif they gae at adventour of the seæ to fecht
fig. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1108.
Men of gude conditioun, … Fechtand with lust, presumptioun, and pryde
c1500-c1512 Dunb. xv. 44.
To fecht with fortoun is no wit
1533 Gau 11/6.
Ve suld fecht aganis our euil desiris
1573 Sat. P. xl. 344.
Quha planely fechtis aganis all vprichtnes
1609 Gardyne Garden 35.
Yow, the faithfull, that are fechtand here
(b) c1420 Wynt. viii. 2248.
The lele Scottis men, That in that feld ware feychtand then
Ib. 6708.
That thai mycht In nowmyre of thai xxx feicht
1456 Hay I. 270/4.
Sen thai ar in clos felde, and be ordynaunce of justice suld feicht
1490 Irland Mir. fol. 238 b.
It is necessare that he feicht and mak battall agane the innemeis of Ihesu
a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 453.
Mair honor is to vanquisch ane, Nor feicht with tensum and be tane
1633 Dundonald Par. Rec. 372.
Being fund tuilzeing and feychting with ane wther man wpone the Saboth day
(c) 1513 Doug. i. vii. 130.
Amyd the thowsandis egyrly feghtis sche
Ib. ii. vi. 40; etc.
We thocht maist semly in a feld To be feghtand
1558-66 Knox II. 78.
Yf we be a thousand and thei ten thousand, thei dar not feght
a1578 Pitsc. I. 332/7.
Sum to feight witht the tuo handit suord
a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxiii. 26.
Far rather had I ȝeild, Than feght and tyn the feild
1674 Highland P. II 265.
Armed men … in a posture ready to feight
b. (a) a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 714.
He sped hyme fast & with thaim facht
1470 Peebles B. Rec. 164.
Quhatsumeuir thai war that barganyt and facht … thai sal be had to the tolbuth
c1515 Asl. MS. I. 227/11.
James of Douglas … facht in the barres at Striuling
1531 Bell. Boece I. 127.
Hir dochteris wer … , brocht armit, as thay facht, to Suetonius
1571 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 91.
The barras in the quhilk Iohne Coupance and Schir Patrik Hammyltoun facht in Edinburgh
(b) 1375 Barb. i. 468.
Thai … Fawcht in-to mony stalwart stour
Ib. iii. 20. c1420 Wynt. v. 4362.
In hast he come agayne, And wytl hym fawcht
Ib. viii. 5724; etc.
Thai fawcht a qwhille rycht cruelly
c1475 Wall. viii. 968.
Twys thai fawcht, suppos thai war myschewit
a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk 51 (B).
That prince … fawcht with him … And tuke him presoneir
(c) 1375 Barb. xvii. 144.
The Ynglis men faucht cruelly
a1400 Leg. S. xl. 1219.
He … faucht & flat with Niniane
c1420 Wynt. iii. 575; etc.
That cumpany … mowyd were and faucht
1456 Hay I. 48/24.
The quhilk [dragon] that consul of Rome faucht with, and slew it
a1500 Bk. Chess 1025.
Ane duke thare was … That daylye faucht and dayly aye he wan
1531 Bell. Boece I. 153.
The bowmen … faucht with swerdis and litil buklaris
c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 50.
Sir Lancelote du Lake … Faucht neuer better with sword nor knyfe
1596 Dalr. I. 189/15.
Quhen sche first fauchte in the feild
1622-6 Bisset I. 59/21.
Alexander … faucht with his father at the said battall
(d) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 570.
Thus thai faught vpone fold, with ane fel fair
15.. Clar. v. 2325.
As two wyld boaris irouslie thay faught
a1578 Pitsc. I. 49/13.
They pullit out suordis and faught right cruellie
1625 Garden Kings 5.
This Prince … Faught contrare both his fortune and his foes
1640 4th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 512/2.
Ane stone … quhilk Sir Coline Campbell … woir quhen he faught in battell
(e) a1578 Pitsc. I. 29/16.
Johne Colquhoun … focht at Loch Lummond
1585 James VI Ess. 17.
As if they foght in skyes
c. (a) c1420 Wynt. v. 4371.
Quhen that he hade fowychtyn fast
Ib. viii. 4219.
Quhen thai thus had fowchtyn fast
1456 Hay I. 170/5.
Quhen the peple of God suld have fouchtyn with the inymyes of God
1533 Gau 99/6.
Thay fled in the day quhen thay suld haiff fouchtine
1531 Bell. Boece I. 74.
It had bene mair honest to thaim … to have fouchtin maist strangly to the deid
1649 St. A. Presb. 146.
He had foughten with him, but accidentaly
(b) c1475 Wall. v. 140.
Inglismen dempt … at the Scottis had fochtyn amang thaim sell
1531 Bell. Boece I. 104.
Thay had fochtin fra the dawing to the midday
1582 Waus Corr. I. 257.
He wald haff fochtin in deffense of that woman aganis me
(c) 1535 Stewart 38740.
Thai … fochin had als lang thair as tha mocht
1560 Rolland Seven S. 1816.
The hound werie, and fochin furth his fill
1570 Leslie 226.
Gif thay should haif fochin
1607 Dundonald Par. Rec. 149.
Symon Mvir [delated] … to haif fochin on the Trvne with John Ald
1635 Maxwell Mem. 441.
Wee heir that Colonell Hepburne hes fochin in Loren
(d) 1535 Stewart 38918.
Canutus, quhilk fouchin had so lang
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 172.
The Hamiltonis … belevit that the said erle of Mar wald haue fouchen
(e) a1578 Pitsc. I. 329/1.
Because he … had faughin so cruellie befoir

2. tr. To fight (a battle). Chiefly in p.p. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 152.
The first battall was fochtin on dreich
Id. Livy I. 161/3.
This batall was fochtin with mare cruelte than ony batall afore rehersit
1570 Leslie 23.
Thair wes fochtin ane gret battell
1596 Dalr. I. 265/21.
Quhen thir feildes war fochten
a 1600 Misc. Spald. C. III. 216.
I knaw ye are to fecht a harde batle
c1615 Chron. Kings 70.
This King also fachtt the battell of Hairlaw
1616 Crim. Trials III. 385.
He … offerit to haif fochin the singular combat with the said George
c1650 Spalding II. 230.
Kentoun battle … hes in visioun bene sein fochten sevin sindrie times sensyne

3. With it as subject or object; or in passive without it. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 163/14.
Thus was it fouchtin at the louch of Regill
1533 Boece iii. viii. 103 b.
Certane tyme be duchtines of athir partie equalie was fochtin
1570 Leslie 176.
It wes crewellie fochin … with uncertane victorie
1572 Sat. P. xxxviii. 259.
Better it is to fecht it, … Nor for to se Frenchemen deflorand our wyfis
a1578 Pitsc. I. 97/8.
It was lang fauchin and with great cruelltie
c1650 P. Gordon Brit. Dist. 129.
It was couragiously foghten on both sydes

4. To fight with or against. a1578 Pitsc. I. 227/18.
The king of Ingland hard tell … how his schipis was so foughin and taine
1596 Dalr. I. 281/3.
Quhen Gregorie … fercely had fochtne thame, and dourlie dantount
1610 Crim. Trials III. 100.
Ȝe, be way of pirracie, faucht, assailȝeit, buirdit, and … tuik the number of sax schipis

5. To lead in battle. 1597 Skene Verb S. s.v. Arreragium.
The Erls of Angus … to quhom it perteins to fecht the Kingis wantgard

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"Fecht v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fecht_v>

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