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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

He, pers. pron. Also: hee, hie; acc. and dat. him, hime, hym(m, hyme, hem; poss. his, is, hys, hysse, hes, heis, hus. [ME. hee, he, OE. hé; ME. and OE. him, hym (ME. also hime, hyme; OE. acc. hine); ME. and OE. his, hys (ME. also is, hes, hus).] He.

1. In the usual pronominal uses.(1) 1375 Barb. i. 188.
To Scotland went he than Ib. iii. 196.
Wtraly wencusyt is he a1400 Leg. S. i. 33.
Of the bate he lape belyfe … Sic ardent luf till hym had he c1420 Wynt. v. 3550.
The Saxonis … abawndonde he 1456 Hay II. 6/25.
He slepit apon his palfray 1490 Irland Mir. I. 5/18.
Thus reulis … he the waurld c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 61.
Holland & Barbour he [Death] has berevit 1531 Bell. Boece II. 298.
Als sone as he was awalkinnit, he schew his visioun 1580 Cath. Tr. 68/35.
That same flesche hie geawe ws to eatte c1616 Hume Brit. Tongue 28.
He is a fat wether(2) c1420 Ratis R. 82.
Quhat is hee For-out trespas that here can leif? Ib. 163.
He that is baith hail and feire c1475 Wall. iv. 83.
Than knew thai weille that it was he … That argownd thaim befor a1568 Scott iii. 40.
Maist witt hes hie that moniest owrsylis

b. He and he, this one and that, the one and the other; one and another. Ony he, any one. (Only in verse.)(1) c1420 Wynt. vii. 1400 (W).
For caus of consanguinite, For thrid and thrid wes he and he ?1438 Alex. i. 2959.
That thairof na thing baith he and he Suld parsonalis and lordis be a1500 Henr. III. 126/23.
In patience baith he & he Obeid and thankit God of all 1513 Doug. v. x. 75.
Sum tyme at othir threw dartis he and he 1535 Stewart 11639.
Thai raid togidder … Hand for hand rycht hamelie he and he(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xix. 18.
Ȝit will thai say, baythe he and he, Ȝon man is lyke out of his mynd 1513 Doug. v. vii. 39.
The Troianys with hym sammyu, he and he, Murmuryt Ib. ix. ii. 48.
His feris … , followand thar chyftane, he and he(3) 1535 Stewart 17332.
I sall preve my self … On ony he that the contrair will sa

c. attrib. Male. (Said of animals, and chiefly in contrast with scho- or sche-.) a1500 Seven S. 2656.
Quhen the hie ravyn vnderstud The scho ravyn wald nocht cum agane 1596 Dalr. I. 50/23.
The hie salmonte haueng castne the meltis and the sche salmonte the rounis 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. iv.
For feir the he fox left the sche

d. Applied to a boat. (Also him). - c1420 Bute MS. fol. 173.
To lade hym [the ship] c1500 Harl. MS. 4700 fol. 148 b.
Ane vthir schip cumis and strikis him he is hurt [etc.] 1499 Halyb. 161.
Or he [the scout] coutht be lossit

2. him. a. Objective with verbs. 1375 Barb. i. 293.
Wes nane … that hym ne dred Ib. ix. 465.
He hatit … hyme a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 723.
As hyme had bydine that laydy c1420 Wynt. vi. 802.
Thai kest hym downe and lete hym ly Ib. 866.
Malcolme … that slayne had hyme 1456 Hay II. 11/13.
To honoure him, love him, and dout him 1490 Irland I. 89/7.
Nane tempit him c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 947.
Scho tuik him vp and thryis … him amplext 1562-3 Winȝet I. 15/5.
To promot hym to that office

b. Governed by prepositions. 1375 Barb. i. 284.
Off him thai makyt a martyr a1400 Leg. S. i. 11.
He … sad till hyme this wourd c1420 Wynt. vi. 809.
Owth hym … thir wers ar wryttyne 1490 Irland Mir. I. 84/11.
This faut in him 1493 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 214.
The landis clamyt … to pertene tyl hyme c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 108.
The fule wyth hym thay playit 1531 Bell. Boece I. 165.
He had nane sa familiar to him 1533 Gau 12/13.
Or [= ere] ȝe desir ony thinge of hyme 1580 Cath. Tr. 64/29.
To theme quha was familiar with hyme c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxix. 80.
My trest Sell ever be in hem

c. Reflexive: = Himself. 1375 Barb. i. 142.
He buskyt hym a1400 Leg. S. i. 31.
He … hym nakyt swith 14.. Acts I. 26/2.
The burges sal clenge hym … agaynis hym at has ado with hym 1456 Hay II. 16/13.
That he … use him in armes a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 74.
The berne … blenkit hym about c1515 Asl. MS. I. 239/15.
The erle … put him … in the kingis grace 1531 Bell. Boece I. 56.
Durstus, … for he knew himself gilty, maid him to flee 1549 Compl. 118/18.
Quhon he suld vse hym touart his maister a1578 Pitsc. I. 352/24.
He kaist him … to bring [etc.]

d. As a dative. 1375 Barb. i. 253.
Giff … his wyff askyt hym hyr det a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 423.
Bryngand hyme giftis 1391 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 163.
Hym thocht his request was resounable ?1438 Alex. ii. 2791.
Him durst lytle drede ȝon great deray a1500 Rauf C. 15.
Him betyde ane tempest 1478 Lennox Mun. 116.
The lord erle … grauntys hyme justice c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxvi. 29.
He gaf hyme na succour 1515 Douglas Corr. 69.
That war to byreif hymm hys croune a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxxii. 6.
[God] Quha gaive him long ȝeiris

e. Him allane: see Allane a. 2.

3. his. a. Belonging to, connected with, him.Also, = its.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 525.
As Dares in his buk he wrate Ib. ii. 1.
The Brus went till his innys a1400 Leg. S. i. 47.
Fra that his master wes dede Ib. x. 406.
[Thay] can til hys fet fall c1420 Wynt. vi. 827.
In hys dayis Ib. 905.
Bath hys ostis 1447 Rec. Earld. Orkney 189.
To … hysse ayeris and assigneys c1475 Wall. i. 357.
Wallace hys modyr kyst Ib. x. 534.
All his wapynnys and his weid  1494 Loutfut MS. 11 a.
Al gentil men. .may bere this colour. . sua thai be garnist. .with loiaulte for that is his propir virtu 1513 Doug. i. viii. 66.
A place quham the Grekis. .Onto hys name clepis Hesperia 1513 Doug. x. xii. 59.
The bustuus swyne Grasland hys tuskis 1547 Stirling B. Rec. I. 49.
The Protectour of Ingland with his army 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 9.
The rethorikis of Cicero and hys orationis   1604 Stewart Mem. 111.
To the said vmquhill Andro. .and heis airis 1657 Balfour Ann. I. 95.
This poet … was hes [sc. Bruce's] auen prissoner(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 32.
Til that hyre mach had forȝet Is foly 1537 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. I. 110.
Landis … vacand be decesse of … is gudeschir

absol. 1375 Barb. ix. 499.
All that he fand he maid it his 14.. Burgh Laws c. 5 (A).
Giff a burges has lent of his Ib. c. 91.
Ony land that is his

b. ellipt. Those attached to or connected with a person. Freq. he and his. 1375 Barb. iv. 372.
Quhar he and his oft tholys paynys Ib. 664.
Him and his … He abandownyt till his serwice a1400 Leg. S. ii. 860.
Lestand blis That he has grathit for al his ?1438 Alex. ii. 2801.
Ane king … sone disconfit is fra his c1515 Asl. MS. I. 233/2.
The king suld cum be him selfe and his 1592 Digest Justiciary Proc. P. 34.
Albeit he and his be denudit of the saidis landis

c. Substituted for the inflection -is. 1496 Acta Conc. II. 9.
Be ressone of tak … set be the Kingis hienes his commissionaris 1596 Dalr. I. 75/1.
Gathel his people sa multiplied Ib. 120/13.
Kennedie his lawis 1606 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 56.
Ombesetting of … Johne Irwin his way 1672 Soc. Ant. XIV. 332.
For grassing of … Robert his work horse

d. His allane, al(l)one, = 2 e.1569 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 87 (see Allane a. 2 b). 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 320.
Gif I had bene ane hundreth, and he his alone [etc.] 1600 Acts IV. 206/1.
This deponar abaid half ane hour … lokkit his allane c1650 Spalding II. 184.
Then the King suld stand his allone 1659 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 417 (see Allone a. b).

e. His self, = Himself. 1466 (1471) Reg. Great S. 215/1.
Hisself and his aieris haffand [etc.]  a1500 Rauf C. 626.
Bid him seik him his self, gif thair be sic ane a1538 Abell 16 a. Ib. 24 a.
For dolor [he] pusont his seif Ib. 52 a (see *Interpret n.). 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 373.
Lat him keip still the moneyes his selff,. . and so hes tackin the charge upon himself 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 8.
He'll say to his sel, Yon's twa Tory tykes