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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Lech(e, Laich, Lach(e, n.³ Also: lecche; laitche; (lacht,) latch(e. [Early north. ME. leche (1138), north. e.m.E. letch (1598) and north. e.m.E. lache (1570), OE. *læce, *lęce or *læcc, *lęcc: cf. OE. lacu a stream and OE. lęccan v. to water, wet. Also in mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial. as letch and latch and in mod. north. Eng. dial. as laich, leach. Cf. also Lych.]In some occurrences it is not clear whether the forms lache, laich(e belong here or with Laich n.¹ 1: see Lache and Laich n.²

a. A small stream or runlet flowing through boggy land. b. A patch of marsh or bog drained by a runlet.(a) 1214 Coll. Aberd. & B. 408.
Sicut fossa concaua que dicitur Holleresky Lech iacet inter Buchangy et montem de De[reva]n c 1250 Liber Calchou 90.
Ascendendo vsque ad sicam que vocatur Witheleche 1325 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 547.
Incipiendo ad inferiorem finem de le Modirlech qui vocatur Gramos et sic ambulando [etc.] 1417 Coll. Aberd. & B. 344.
Incipiendo … ad caput unius le leche … et sic discendendo per illud le lecche et puteum rugientum usque ad riuulum de Brony … et tunc versus austrum per matricem le leche antiquum locum circumeuntem et in riuulum de Brony transeuntem et finientem Ib.
Et sic versus orientem versus le paruum lecche usque ad nigrum vadum et sic … directe ascendendo per le matricem lecche [etc.] c 1446 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 247.
Ascendand west a grete lech til it cum oure a rode to the brede of an akyr Ib.
Til it cum to the burne of Tuledesk quhar it and the lechis of Pittolly metis togidder and swa ascendand that lech til it cum til a lech laid on ilke syde with mannys handis and swa ascendand a mikil lech to the hede of it on west half the Stokynstane Ib. 248.
And swa ascendand that burne til it worth a lech and swa ascendand that lech til it cum to the Karlynden 1511–2 Wemyss Chart. 139.
Begynnand at the leche gangand fra Fothringhamys Brig to the mowtht of the Blair Bwrne 1523 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 143.
Per inferiorem partem le Lechis moss et le Schenocht ad le Boddoms(b) 1434 Liber Aberbr. 67.
And sua furth est as Dunberrow streikis as the Greyne Laich gais to the Greyne Rod on the north syidis of Fallaty c 1466 Ib. 152.
And swa passand eist downwart the Greyn Laich to Gemmylis Myr and fra that passand down owr awn landis 1598 Reg. Great S. 387/1.
Passand south the said balk to the laitch or strype callit the Bauchland laitch, and assending up and west the said laitche(c) 1499 Echt-Forbes Chart. 86.
To the furd of Strachach callit the Cow furd ascending vp the burne a litil space and syne deuidingh fra the burne vp a grene stripe and a lach Ib.
Lewand … the land lyand vp and done with al the lacht lyand apone the northt sid of the hil of Drumbrek to Coulquorsy 1569 Crail B. Ct. 17 Apr.
To concur ... with the said Dauid in defence of the latches besyd the fowll bryge 1601 Reg. Great S. 418/1.
And north the said kirk-gait to ane latch in the said kirk-gait, quhilk latche hes of auld devydit … the proper mure of Newgrange fra the landis of Collestoun and eist as the said laitche gangis [etc.] Ib. /2.
And north the said dyk to ane grene risk or latche at the north end of the said dyk and eist to ane watter stryp quhilk rynnis [etc.] 1682 Urie Baron Ct. 96.
To lead … ane leit of peates out of the latch of Glithnoe and moss of Cairntoune