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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

West, Wast, adv., n. and adj. Also: uest, weste, vest(e, vast, waste, wost, weist, veist, waist, vaist, woist, weast. Superl. waistest. [ME and e.m.E. wesst (Orm), west(e (both Layamon), weast (1553), OE west, MLG, MDu. west.]

A. adv.a. To the west, westwards. Also with of.Also, a further example of Bewest adv., functioning as an alliterative tag with vague spatial implications.(1) 1458 Liber Aberbr. II 103.
Begynnand at the sowth at Carghal and passand vest to Melgone
1489 Treas. Acc. I 116.
A man to pas to Edinburgh to haist the gunnis west
1492 Reg. Episc. Morav. 244.
The landis fra that est pertene to Kildrummy and that west to Kilrawok
1533 Treas. Acc. VI 165.
To ane marinaris expens quhilk past west with Maister George Forestar
1565 Bamff Chart. 100.
West our the mercat gait to the karne of the Bank
1607 Murray Early B. Organ. II 159 n.
His offence done to the said pursuer and his said spouse in sending west of the said feigned letter
1663 Dunlop P. III 3.
The apprehension of our brother … his going west yesterday, occasioned my not wreating to you
1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. ii 8.
Alchimilla … reperitur in Calendar west-from Perth
(b) 1450 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 146.
Fra Brauchtinch wost up the wattir of Cruok to Lochty
1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 59.
Failyeing of the making of ane erexster for thair gudis eist and wost within x dayis
(c) 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 37b.
Begynnyng at the heid of the said lon passand woist abone the buithlatt gait
(d) 1588 Reg. Great S. 546/1.
Ewin upwart eist throw the mos callit the flowmos … and thairfra direct wast to the Blakburne
1600-1610 Melvill 27.
They wracked all the Bordars wast and est, and tuik the castell of Hume
1657 Misc. Hist. Soc. VII 16.
Tusday: … Craigbui goinge som fortie miles wast
(2) a1500 Peblis to Play 49.
Sic ane schout wes thame amang Quhen thai wer our the wald Thair west Off Peblis to the play
c1639 Sc. Lore 164.
Thair wes waist of the maill lands maynes land and few lands as the rentall will testifie for the foirsaid crope that soulde have payed … icl lib. ix s.
(3) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 419.
Quhare wourscip walkis be west

b. specif.Of the sun: To go west, to set. Also fig. to perish, pass on.The fig. quot. may conceivably belong in Wast(e n. 7 in quasi-adv. use. a1500 Henr. Robene & M. 51.
The sone gois west, The day is neir hand gone
fig. a1497, 15.. Gray MS vi 42.
Mony pape ar passit by … Women and mony wilsome wy As wynd or wattir ar gane west [: preist, kest, fest, drest] … nocht has life that heir ma lest

c. comb. 1579–80 (1581) Reg. Great S. 73/1.
Thairfra passand west about as the new stank braa lyis
1604 Elgin Rec. II 128 (see Over adv. 1 b).
West ouer
1628 Linlithgow B. Rec. 2 May.
Being west-hand at Farieweillis thaire dyik

B. prep.a. To the west of, = Bewest prep. 1. b. In the western part of. c. Further examples of Bewest prep.a. a1500 Seven S. 527.
In this cuntre nocht fer heir west Sumtyme thair stude a fair forest
1587 Reg. Great S. 480/2.
Insuper creavit dictum burgum de Anstruther super occidentali torrentis (west the burne)
1589 Reg. Great S. 573/1.
Strekand west the hie streit to the dyk
1606 Inverness Rec. II 48.
I being cumand west the hie Kingis gett … they set on me
1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II 371.
Ascending up and wast the said Blackmyre
c1650 Buchanan's Hist. MS Index (Edinb. Univ. Lib. *R. 20/12).
Morini, the people that ly west the coast from Calice
b. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 337.
My father … was called wast the country, and I with him
c. c1420 Wynt. i 1383.
Be west Bretane is lyand All the landys off Irlande
1525 (1527) Reg. Great S. 96/1.
Ane altar … before the pillar now foundit nixt befor Sanct Michaelis altar be west the said altar
(b) 1558-66 Knox II 373.
At the halking be-weast Kynros

C. noun.1. a. The westerly point of the compass or direction, with and without the def. art. b. The western part (of(f a place).Also in a place-name. c1202 Reg. Paisley 13.
Per unum wacellum de West de Gragmenan
a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxv 362.
Fra suth to north, fra est to weste, … of my ded sa cruele The warld sal neuire cese to tel
a1500 Henr. Fab. 1658.
The firmament payntit with sternis cleir From eist to west rolland in cirkill round
c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 184/23.
Thocht he this warld had eist and west, All wer povertie but glaidnes
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 338.
Oft haue I salit ouer the strandis, And traualit throuch diuers landis, Boith south, and north, and est, and west
(2) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 12.
Fair Venus, the bewtie of the nicht, Vprais and set vnto the west full richt Hir goldin face
15.. Clar. ii 862.
Thinking or Phebus in the wast declyne, That he sould [etc.]
1600-1610 Melvill 280.
God … send the wound in the wast
b. c1420 Wynt. i 1112.
On [the] rycht half is the west off it [sc. Asia] The left halff levys at Affrica
c1515 Asl. MS I 310/15.
Of thir partis of the erth the est & west is habitable to the ferrest end of the erth
1622-6 Bisset I 7/6.
Vespacien … appased the peopill of the wast and helped thame, beand trubled be the Germannis, and recovered thame to the Romane impyre

2. specif.In Scotland. a. In specifying location: Located towart a westerly direction or at, on, to the westerly side of (a place) or having (a place) on the westerly side of the location specified. b. A place to the west of a place or area, in the west of Scotland.a. 1540 Elgin Rec. I 50.
The landis … lyand betuyx the Gray Freir vynd at the est and the landis now Sir Jonn Williamsone at the vast
1550 Murray Early B. Organ. I 88 n.
Between the lands of John Wan on the west, a vennel called the Lone on the east … and a kilsteid on the south
1587–8 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 21 Feb.
Haifand the kyrk land at the est occupeit be Andro Chapman, at the southt the kyrkland occupeit be Andro Ogiluie, at the wost the kingis gait, & at the northt Watsonnis land occupeit be George Duffe
15… Newbattle Chart. MS (Reg. H.).
Ane pece of … land … descendand … to the land of the saidis abbot … and fray hyne ascendand towart the wost
1696 Cullen B. Rec. 76 (19 Sept.).
Ane uther croft off land … having the kings high way at the north, the ministers manse at the vast
(b) 1537 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 412.
His tenment lyand … afornent the cors of the samynge one the weist
1607 Fam. Rose 294.
The yet that passis of auld fra Knockbar downe to the toun of Daltalech at the veist
b. a1500 Peblis to Play 11.
All the wenchis of the west War vp or the cok crew
1651 Nicoll Diary 54.
Thir ministeris … held thair awin secreit meetingis in the west
(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 257/22.
The king … maid ane procliematioun … throw all the realme of Scottland batht eist, wast, south, north, allis weill in his illis as in the ferme land that [etc.]
1584–5 Laing MSS 38.
To have cum throw the waist of Lammermuir be Dalkeith to Halyruidhous
1663 Ellon Par. 125.
[The minister is gone] to the wast and south of Scotland to visit his friends
1666 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS 421/1.
Ve sal marche to the vaist, for all the forsis layes in redenes twixt Hedenton and Stirlen

D. adj.1. Situated in, or belonging to, the west; westerly. a. In place-names, also in the name of a people.(1) 1165–1214 Liber Melros 133.
Et de Westfulhope usque in Withedre
1214–49 Liber Melros 256.
Westlillisclive
1294 Highland P. II 129.
Totam terram nostram in Dunde que vocatur Westfeld
1359 Exch. R. I 586.
De firmis del Westwodd
1376 Reg. Great S. 216/1.
Terras de Westbernys, videlicet le Westfeld
1451 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 258.
Edwardus de Ramsay de Vesthall
1480 Liber Melros 694.
Adam Nesbitt de West Nesbitt
1544 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 442.
Capellanus … capellanie terrarum de Wasthall
1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II 279.
For twa dosone and twa laids Gilmertoun lyme xxxiij s. x d. … saxtene laid westhouses lyme xvij s. iiij d.
(2) c1379 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 1.
Al the landys of the Plat Westhall & the Northrav
1571 Bann. Memor. 151.
The barrese bewast the Wast Port of Edinburgh
a1578 Pitsc. II 166/30.
The pryour of Sanctandrois … past to the Waste Wemes
1584 Gray Lett. & P. 41.
I reseiuit aduertisment … that he lay at Beaucastell, on the Vest Mairtches
1636 Justiciary Cases I 274.
His heid and richt hand to be put up on the wast poirt
(3) 1606 Highland P. III 87.
Thir cuntreis of the Wast and North Iyles
1607 Denmylne MSS in Highland P. III 104.
Anent the uest Yllis, thair is ane infeftment of few ferme past to the Erll of Ergyll of the landis of Kintyre
(4) 1646 Baillie II 388.
The French are like this year to have very bad successe, both in Italie, Spaine, and West Flanders
(5) 1596 Dalr. I 232 marg.
Aidan winnis the feild vpon the Peichtis and Westsaxonis

b. With common nouns in general use. Also superl. 1387 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 11.
The durre standand in the west gavyl
c1420 Wynt. i 507.
In the west art syne anone, The kynryk ras of Sycyone
1483 Reg. Cupar A. I 236.
Lattin the half of the veste sete of Enneraredy … to Wilȝam Coly for al the dayis of his lyf
1509 Rec. Earld. Orkney 82.
As fre the wast pontt of Gruttquhy beris lyne sowith-wast to wast
1531 Reg. Dunferm. 362.
It salbe leisum to the said … abbot … to caus pas in at ony of the waist eys … and oppin the samyn
1565 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 425.
To desist … fra all forthyr … laboring of the auchtane part of the waist medowe
1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 17.
Four pownd Spanye yrin to lay the pykis of the west myll
1578 Dysart Rec. 25.
Ane evill air enterit into the main heuche, the dur beane than at the wast entrie of the toun
1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V 282.
To caus loft the wast kirk and mak the samen in ane tolbuithe as it was of auld
1610 Aberd. B. Rec. II 300.
The wast bow of the said brig
1658 Binns P. 47.
He may have libertie to bring out the wast wall for a chimnay about ten or twelve inches a litle above the louping-on-stone
1689 Acts XII 54/2.
That two friggetts be gott to cruse on the west coasts
superl. 1596 Dalr. I 84/11.
Nathir was thir of Walis compellit be force … to duell in Wales, as in the waistest, bot as in the surest parte of Ingland

c. Of the wind: Blowing from the west. 1513 Doug. i iii 64.
He callis till hym … Eurus and Zephirus, Tha est and west wyndis

2. West se or seis, see Se n.1 4 (3) for further examples. Also attrib. 1658 R. Moray Lett. 95.
Glengarry hath braw trees also … but I will not readily advise to send about to the west seas … unlesse the cheapnesse of the timber do more then compense the fraight
1659 Glasgow B. Rec. II 423.
To acquaint him with the pilacie in the wast seaes
attrib. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 28/100.
Matremony that nobill king … Chest Sklander to the west se cost
1598 Stirling Ant. III 308.
vijxx eist sie harreng, … xx west sie harreng

3. comb. 1578 Warrender P. (SHS) I 140.
I am nales willing to meit with yow, and at your next westcuming will do guidwill to speik yow
1592 Misc. Maitl. C. I 53.
That thai report testimoniall heirintill agane thair first west cuming in this cuntrey
1624 Moray Synod 6.
Vntill my l[ord] b[ischop] his west going for the planting of Innernes
1666 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 149.
In westgoeing my Lord Lithgowes ragement was quartered all within Kirkintilloch
1670 Glasgow B. Rec. III 140.
The denner was made reddie for the duk Lennox his west coming

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"West adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/west>

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