Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Sext, Saxt, Sixt, adj. (n.¹). Also: sexte, saxte, sexth, sexit. [ME and e.m.E. siste (c1175), sæxte (Layamon), seste, sixte (both Ancr. R.), sexte (14th c.), sext (c1400), syxthe (1526), sixth (1611), OE sexta, sixta, syxta, etc.]

A. adj. 1. attrib. The sixth in order.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii 7161.
And I sall heir behind ȝow be, And the sext battell with me 1404 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 57.
Hauen set to thaire seales the sexte day of Juyl beforesaid c1420 Ratis R. (STS) 1570.
The sext eild … Fra fyfty to thre scor and ten 1490 Irland Mir. I 127/30.
In the sext monethe, comptand fra Sanct Johnnis concepcioune 1490 Irland Mir. III 35/1.
The sext cheptur 1562-3 Winȝet I 28/22. a1578 Pitsc. I 24/23.
This Williame was the sext beltit erle of that hous of Douglas(b) a1400 Leg. S. v 213.
The sexit scath is, for riches ay are cause of tynsale(c) c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 333.
David the first of that nayme, saxt sonne unto King Malcome 1513 Doug. i Prol. 177. a1538 Abell 1*a.
In the saxt place 1551 Hamilton Cat. 10.
The saxt command 1585 Melvill 234.
The Saxt Act 1625 Justiciary Cases I 18.
The saxt day of November(d) c1590 Fowler II 49/26.
In the sixt canon of that samin councel 1604 W. Alexander Paraenesis 499 (C).
[Englands] sixt [J: sixth] Henry 16… Nat. Lib. MS 22.2.11, last p.
And take the sixt pairt of every on of them [sc. herbs]

b. Following the name of a king or pope.(a) 1456 Hay I 22/24.
Pape Serge the first and pape Johne the sext a1578 Pitsc. I 78/24.
The Duke of Ȝork … conspayirit against King Henrie the Sext a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun vi.
In the sext yeir of Charlis the sext(b) 1549 Compl. 86/23.
Henry the saxt 1584 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson MS 113b.
Of our souerain Lord James the saxt(c) c1515 Asl. MS I 252/23.
Efter Eugeny the sixt

c. As part of a compound number.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2787.
The sext & tuenty buke c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3281.
Kyng Sardanapall Quhilk wes the saxt [v.r. sax] and threttye kyng 1596 Dalr. I 171/11.
The saxte and threttieth ȝeir of his regne(2) 1417 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 216.
The twenty sixt day of Juny

2. With pa(i)rt (proportion), = (one-)sixth. Also attrib. 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 173.
The sade toun salbe pairtyt in twa … and with lele pairtyn be cut and quavyl quhethyr it be a sext pairt or a xij pairt 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 187.
The sext pairt of xx scoris of futheris of petis 1557 Reg. Cupar A. II 160.
The tway saxt partis of our toun and landis of Bellite 1638 Baillie I 124.
The good old man was not heard by a sixt part of the beholders 1659 Retours I Inq. Spec. Forfar (376).
Comprehending ane sixt, aught, nynte, and saxtein pairtis of the lands of Craigo 1694 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 134.
Be the said rule of the fencible men the saids two burghs … would be a sexth proportion with this townattrib. 1627 Bamff Chart. 215.
The saidis landis of Mylntone and mylne of Frewchie and sext pairt landis of Pitlochrie

3. ellipt.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii 2.
A thowsand yhere and hundrys twa, Foure scor and the sext to tha 1456 Hay I 289/5.
The sext [sc. Elector] the Duc de Bavier a1500 Colk. Sow iii 113.
And Feklefaw … Was the sext 1490 Irland Mir. I 21/11.
The sext [sc. thing] is, that [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. II 17/28.
The sext [sc. article] of his ascencioun the sevint of his cummyn to the iugement a1500 Seven S. 53.
Ampustinus thai callit the sext … [: taxt] 1573 Tyrie Cath. Tr. 14/10.
Writtin at Paris the sext of December 1585 James VI Ess. 60.
Or gif your lyne be of twelf fete ȝour sectioun to be in the sext c1650 Spalding I 76.(b) 1528 Lynd. Dreme 530.
The saxt is callit Dominatioun 1608 Ellon Presb. 72.
The saxt of December last 1620 Dumbarton B. Rec. App. i 4.
Sen the saxt of Apryll 1617

B. noun. A musical interval comprising six diatonic degrees of the scale. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 54.
Quhan the barritonant and the descant procedis be ane or mair saxtis