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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Bote, Boit, Bot(t, n.² Also: boite, boitt, (boith,) boyt(t; boot(t, bowt; boat(e. [e.m.E. boat(e, bote, botte, ME. bote, boot(e, midland and southern var. of bate Bate n.¹, used in place of the Sc. form.]

1. A boat. Sometimes = ferry-boat.Also frequent with defining terms as drag, fery, fische, fischer, fischeing, flee, line, stane bote; see these words.(a) 1471 Edinb. Chart. 133.
Of ilk bot chargit in the havin … and in likewis of ilk bot chargit in the rade 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 45.
For a bot that brocht our Lyone herald in hast to the King c1475 Wall. ix. 47.
Bottis was schot, and fra the roch thaim sent 1489 Treas. Acc. I. 124.
To bryng the bott fra the Blaknes 1527 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 248.
Takis, steddeinis, bottis, quhit fischyngis of the said barony 1549 Ann. Banff I. 25.
Thir ar the personis that ar devisit for the keiping of bottis 1550 Reg. Cupar A. II. 81.
Johne Campbell of the bot of Ylay 1556 Inverness B. Rec. I. 2.
The serwandis … wsand the bot on the loch 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 48.
All the galȝeonis, schippis, and bottis of Leith 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 1072.
He … Lapp in a bott, and maid him boun 1587-99 Hume vii. 80.
Sa sall be seen the figoures of the flots, With fearfull flags, and weill calfuterd bots 1610 Conv. Burghs II. 303.
Ilk bott without ane tapmast, … ilk oppin bott 1632 Milne Home MSS. 199.
Four pennies of ilk bot [in] ankoraige silver 1641 Acts V. 418/1.
Thair being bot twa bottis to ilk schip(b) 1471 Edinb. Chart. 134.
The masteris and governouris of the saidis botis 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 247.
For a bote that careit tymmyr fra the loche 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 430/1.
To pas with his bote and bring agane lede 1533 Boece ii. vii. 71.
Rewthare … with all the folkis … passit to the botis 1539 Treas. Acc. VII. 301.
Fra the castell of Striveling to the bote at Cambuskeneth 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 241.
Na maner of personis of botis or crayaris that hapnis to cum out of the south 1557 Fam. Rose 222.
We intend, … to send certane men … quha will be caryit in botis and galais 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 771.
He had no will to fie a bote 1647 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 192.
We stood on still with our bote att our sterne(c) c1475 Wall. ix. 1178.
I … the boit sall bryng yow till 1490 Treas. Acc. I. 131.
To Dave Rudman to pass to Pittinweme for a boyt c1515 Asl. MS. I. 289/20.
His seruandis in the boite keppit him 1513 Doug. v. v. 44.
Twa syluer coppis schapyn lyke a boyt 1535 Stewart 9192.
With schip and boit, with bark and ballingair 1540 Edinb. Chart. 212.
Allegiand that thai suld have hankerage and small custome of his said boit 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 278.
For the careing … of xxiij pece of the stanis in ane small boit 1563 Grant Chart. 129.
That nane pas out of the wattyr, nowcht be schip or boyt Ib.
To laidin his schip or boytt a1578 Pitsc. II. 257/30.
The regent send in ane boit to Stirviling [etc.] 1603 Moysie 115.
To stay all boytes … and tak theare sailes … from thame 1615 Highland P. III. 216.
He persavis ane boit approtcheing 1637 Elgin Rec. I. 257.
To charge … Tammisone at the boitt of Skeirdurstan for trafficting with salt 1649 Lanark B. Rec. 139.
Severall of these boittis with the speit of water hes bene loist(d) 1600-1610 Melvill 169.
The boot [being] slaw and heavie Ib. 252.
The boott was sa heavie 1689 Melville Corr. 113.
They send out their boots and take … provisions from any ship or boott that coms up the firth 1693 Cromarty Corr. I. 94.
The drouning of the packett bowt(e) 1613 Conv. Burghs II. 390.
The magistrat … sall caus build twa or thrie boates 1615 Highland P. III. 185.
Sum … lenchit owt thair boatis

2. Attrib. with are (oar), burde, fisching, fraucht, hire, schipping (crew), stake, teind, victuall, wrak. 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. 115 b.
In the ȝaird sex bot airis of asche 1586 Ib. XV. 84.
Ane dossoun of boit burdis 1566 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 89.
The myd thrid of Arkboll … with ane botfysching 1628 M. Works Acc. XXI. 16.
Payit for bot fraucht 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 278.
For the careing and boit hyre 1538 Aberd. B. Rec. (J).
For him and his boitschipping … Ony of thaim, or ony of thair boitschipping 1601 Reg. Privy C. VI. 238.
Ane grit aik trie being the boitstaik of his boit c 1600 Soc. Ant. XVIII. 295.
[To] the Vicarage of Dunrosnes in … bot teind 1561 Stirling B. Rec. I. 79.
The bailyie … findis that girnalit victuall nor boit victuall aucht na gait dychting 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 253 b.
The twa parte of ane auld schipwrak and ane auld boit wrak