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 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Thoch(t, Thouch(t, Though, conj. Also: thochte, thoght, thowcht, thoutht, thought, thowicht, thoicht, thoche, thoth, thogh, thohe, tho(e. [ME and e.m.E. þohh (Orm), þoh (Layamon), þoȝ, þow, þo (all Cursor M.), þoght (Manning), þouȝ (Wyclif), tho (c1425), thoughe (Caxton), thow (a1529), though (a1540), ON þó. Cf. OE þéah.]See also Althoch conj.

1. Introducing a statement of fact: Despite the fact that; although.(a) 1375 Barb. ii 424.
Thocht he wes off mekill maucht He gert him galay disyly a1400 Leg. S. iv 306.
Thocht he was bath fel and bawld, Ȝet hym fore-thocht his mys-dede a1500 Henr. Fab. 1.
Thocht [Makc. thowcht] feinȝeit fabils of ald poetre Be not al grunded vpon truth, ȝit than, Thair polite termes of sweit rhetore Richt plesand ar a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 216.
He … Baptist wes thair, thocht he was cleyne of syn c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 103.
For thocht I croce me … He wil my corse all beclip 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 30.
I salbe thair … And drink ane quart in Cowpar toun … Thocht all the nolt sowld rair(b) 1375 Barb. ii 393.
Bot thocht he wes stout and hardy … Thar mycht na worschip thar awailȝe a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 166.
Thowcht God chesit Androw firste To be ane apostill … At Petir firste I wald begyne a1500 Henr. Fab. 397 (Bann.).
Thoucht brutale bestis be irrationale … Ȝit [etc.] c1515 Williamson in Doug. (Sm.) I xxvi.
Blame not me thoucht I speke playn c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 317/32.
For thoutht thow keip the law outwartly a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 62.
Thowicht my serwanttis did suer wrayng. To myne ane buklar will I be(c) a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 60.
Thoicht I did all the wardill distroy … Yet saifitt I my serwand Noy(d) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 575.
Thoght thai war astonait, in that stour stithly thai stude c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 463.
Thoght I want wit in warldlynes I wylis haif in luf a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxvi 3.
Thoght ȝe be deif, I knou ȝe ar not daft(e) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 226 (C).
None … wyt may, Thought [D. thoutht] all hys lyftyme he assaye 1572 Bann. Trans. 373.
Mr. Knox departed … to the grit ioy … of … the Balfouris … (few thought they be)(f) 1375 Barb. iii 201.
And thynk thouch we now harmys fele That God may ȝeit releve ws weill c1420 Wynt. ii 210 (C).
Thus Jacob wan the eldast gre, Thauche ȝongar in the byrthe was he c1420 Wynt. viii 117 (C).
Thawche this was wryttyn in thar buk, This walde thai nouthir rede na luyk 1456 Hay I 81/27.
God … gevis victorye till His frendis thouch thai be feble of corps(g) c1400 Troy-bk. i 113.
And thoth we come in-to this sted, We had no motyf bot of ned a1538 Abell 72b.
Thoth his sin wes on hie gre aganis God nocht with standing he traistit in the mercy of God 1584 Gray Lett. & P. 16.
Thohe they be now heare for theyr succor … They myght be at the leste ynward, sume at Yorke, sume too London(h) 1569 Sc. Hist. Rev. I 39.
For thogh lacketh so mekle that I shwld be gilty in any portion off the same a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 399 (Wr.).
Thogh Courage counsel thee to climb, Beware thou kep no skaith(i) a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1257 (Wr.).
Though(j) a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 80.
& of his modire syne sad I Sume thing, tho it be rudly a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 241.
Scho nocht dred tho he hir thret 1691 Sc. N. & Q. XII 89.
Bot tho we were resolved for that time only to have mett and adjurned, yet [etc.]

b. In parenthetic use, without a main verb. 1513 Doug. v iii 95.
Mayr sle in rowth thocht sum deil slaw was sche c1590 Fowler I 152/11.
Thought theirin lyke, yet differs here there might c1590 Fowler I 218/12.
A breist thought quhyte more cold then snaw I see 1596 Dalr. I 189/24.
Na benifite, thochte neuir sa gratious, thay wil acknowlege 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 183/662.
A foule quho thoch [v.r. though] uell uingit yett sho hie doth neuer mount 1677 Edinb. B. Rec. X 291.
That most necessary tho hitherto much neglected pairt of the naturall historie

2. Introducing a hypothetical condition, conjecture, possibility: Even if; even supposing that. 1375 Barb. i 264.
Ȝe may weile se thoucht nane ȝow tell How hard a thing that threldome is 1375 Barb. vi 474.
Thocht [C. thouch] he cum and his power all We sall abid in this countre a1400 Leg. S. xi 261.
Tho thare ene al opyne be, Thai sal na mycht haf for to se c1400 Troy-bk. i 130.
Some othire frendes … That eft may here of this iniure, May qwyt it … For ws, thoght we be hyn away 14.. Burgh Laws c. 95 (B).
Gyf sesyng be gyfyn … thoch [A. thocht] it be vtouth courte it suffyce wele inoch a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 210.
Thoght all selcought war soght fra the son to the see a1500 Rauf C. 236.
Ane chyld of hir chalmer … And thocht my self it say, maist inwart of ane a1500 Sir Eger 887.
Though ye never so fast you speed, Yet two dayes it [sc. the river] shal you lead 1490 Irland Mir. I 70/20.
Thocht Adam had noucht synnit … and the laif in likwis, … Jhesus had bene consauit and borne a1500 K. Hart 952.
He … wald nocht draw him out thocht he suld droun 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1260.
The hundreth part … I micht not schaw thocht I had toungis ten 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 55.
Thocht I had ingyne, as I haue none, I watt nocht quhat to wryt 1560 Rolland Seven S. 152.
Thocht it war mair, richt hartly I it grant a1568 Scott vi 17.
Thocht my lyking wer a leddy And I no lord 1596 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1906) 41.
Quhomto ance may gyue thair faith thoch til ane enimie it be, they keip it maist surelie 15.. Christis Kirk 28 (M).
Thocht all hir kin suld haue bein deid Sche wald haue bot sweit Willie 1638 Henderson Serm. 182.
Though all should go to all 1662 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 263.
Thoche in prayer the reader use only the Lords prayer, he shall not be censured 1681 Old Ross-shire I 174.
Thoe

3. Thocht that (at), = 1 and 2 above.There is a degree of ambiguity between 1 and 2 which is reflected in the quots. here. ?1438 Alex. ii Colophon 8.
Bot thocht that I seuin ȝeir had sittin … I micht haue failȝeit a1500 Rauf C. 164.
Thocht that I simpill be, Do as I bid thé c1475 Wall. ii 4.
Thi deidis are knawin, thocht that the warld had suorn c1475 Wall. ii 292.
And so he told, thocht at thai blis or ban a1500 K. Hart 468.
Fra thow be went, … I mak ane vow, thocht that it be nyce a1500 Quare Jel. 291.
For thouch that he be gilty in the same Full mony a lady nothing dare sche say a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 43/1.
Blind man be blythe thocht that thow be wrangit

4. In weakened senses of 2. a. If (it should happen that), in the event that. b. As thocht, as though, as if (to suggest that).a. ?1438 Alex. i 2742.
The furriours … dedely haitis vs ilkane, And thocht thay do, ferly is nane ?1438 Alex. ii 8617.
Vnder thair sheildis thay war naked, Na wonder thocht thair hartis quaked 1460 Hay Alex. 2048.
Quha euir till his men … gifis … riches with worschip and honour No wounder thocht he be a conquerour a1500 Henr. Fab. 1367.
Displeis ȝow not … thocht I Demand ȝour birth a1500 Henr. Orph. 64.
No wounder is thocht he was fair & wyse, Gentill and full of liberalite a1570-86 Maitl. F. 50/49.
Quhat mervell is thocht I murne and lament 1571 Sat. P. xxix 14.
Quhat mervell than thochte chaist forett, prouokit by the mone, Hichit on the hure so oppinly a1605 Montg. Misc. P. v 1.
No wonder thoght I waill and weip, that Womplit am in woesb. 1513 Doug. ix iii 111.
Quhill Tyberinus bakwartis dyd rebound, As thocht his curs dyd stop and step abak c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 4.
In sa mekile that we may be als bald of His deith and victorie as thocht we had done it oure selfis 1551 Hamilton Cat. 247.
As thocht God miskend our misters 1565–6 Reg. Privy C. I 426.
Puneist thairfoir as thoch thai transgressit the samyn thame selffis 1570 Leslie 209.
Maid as thocht he wald haif sayled in France 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 111.
The said captane passed fourth with his men of warre, as thocht they went to sie some men [etc.] … But it was to receiue in Glaud Hammiltoun … into the castell 1581 Hamilton Facile Tr. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 230/23.
As thocht the scriptures war al sa facil in thame selfis that euerie man and woman micht vnderstand thame 1600-1610 Melvill 43.
Mr. Andro haulds out his syde clok with his armes als thought he haid bein bearing sum thing under his oxstars

5. Introducing a correlative construction: Irrespective of (whether). c1475 Wall. i 348.
He gat a blaw, thocht he war lad or lord c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 206/6.
Ane fule, thocht he haif caus or nane, Cryis ay, Gif me, in to a drene