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

Buth, Buith, Both(e, n. Also: boith(t, boyth(t; butht, bwth(t; buithe, bwithe, bwyth, buitht, buyth(t, bwitht, bwight; bouth(e, bow(y)th(e, boutht, booth. [Northern ME. buthe, ME. bothe, boþe, OScand. bóþ (Dan. and Sw. bod). Hence also med. L. botha.]

1. A covered stall for the sale of merchandise, articles of food, etc.; a shop.See also dwelling, merchand, writing buth(e. ? a 1200 Acts I. 27/1.
[Mercenarius qui habuerit botham coopertam in foro c 1280 Liber Dryburgh 14.]
Illas tres bothas in villa mea de Aynestrother(a) 1337 Rotuli Sc. I. 493/1.
Robertus del Bothe [in Berwick] 1362 Ib. 865/2.
Walterus of the Bothe mercator de Scotia 14.. Acts I. 27/2.
The mersar that has his bothe coverit in the marcate on the marcate day sal geyf a halpeny … for custum Ib. 34/2.
Na fleschewar sal sla na by na beste … bot on lycht day in thair bothys 1478 Acta Aud. 63/2.
Twa bothis liand in the buthe rawis within the burgh of Edinburgh 1492 Reg. Cupar A. I. 254.
This vitale to be ȝerlie pait … for the content and payment of an boytht 1498 Dunferm. B. Rec. 90.
The westmest boitht … wnderneitht the tolbutht 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 85.
Burgessis bryngis hame the bothe to breid in thar bawkis 1518 Perth Hammermen 1.
Quha that takis ane uther mans boith over his haid 1541 Black Friars Perth 150.
The delyverance of the Lords anent the boitht gevin be William Rolle … William Rolly … resignit all and hale his land and boith 1576 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 27.
That euerie brothir of gild … sall hawe … ane halbard, dence aiks, or geweling withtin his boith 1584 Prot. Bk. A. Gibson 55.
That foir tenement of land … contenyng ane how laich boyth 1586 Edinb. Test. XV. 187 b.
Of merchandice in his both(b) c1420 Wynt. iv. 2653.
Quhare men gert a pentys ma … for chapmen as [men] buthys makis Till oppyn and schaw thare pakkys 1488 Lanark B. Rec. 1.
The mekill buth of the north syd of the tolbuth 1488 Dunferm. B. Rec. 2.
Heritabil state and possession … of the estmest butht of the said land 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 292.
For bering of a byrding of towis … fra the buth quhar tha wer bocht 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 5.
At ilk baxtar haif bot ane buth to sell his breid in allanerlie 1531 Prot. Bk. M. Fleming 16 b.
Ane forhows with ane half bwtht lyand in the Gallowgait 1538 Irvine Mun. I. 41.
Chepmen haldis plane buthis and sellis all maner of small marchandice and cramry wair and will nocht produce the samyn to the market 1558 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 26.
It sall nocht be lesum to na outland man … to sell thair bonettis … vpoun crames vtouth buthis, bot vpon merkat dayis 1577 St. A. Baxter Bks. 98.
The … silver of vpsetting of maisteris buthis of the said craft 1594 Paisley B. Rec. 155.
The custum with the northe butht set of befoir to Wm. Huchesoun 1606 Melrose R. Rec. I. 26.
The keyes of the haile fleschars buths in Melrose 1614 Rec. Earld. Orkney 381.
[xij s.] that he borrowt in my buth to drink in Claray Murayis 1639 Elgin Rec. II. 235.
To intymate that the toun people … be not found in the fisch mercat nor vse trading in the buthes til they [sc. prayers] be endit(c) 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 57 (Sm).
The burges byngis in his buith the broun and the blak 1542–3 Treas. Acc. VIII. 163.
For ane bed … For the cariage thairof fra his buith to the abbay 1550 Glasgow Protocols I. 19.
We … ordaneis the bak dure of the west bwyth to be condampnit 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 269.
The counter chargis him with the four ovir north buithis under the tolbuyth 1556 Inverness B. Rec. I. 3.
The wrangus skaling and sellin of thair geyr … in thair buyth without licence 1565 Glasgow Protocols III. 74.
The redemptioune of the saidis bwitht and chop and half yairde 1571 Sat. P. xxv. 118.
Gif thei me ony thing molest, Thair buithis salbe made bair 1576 Oppress. Orkney 63.
Gif the Duchemen lay upon ony grund, and held buyth thairon 1590 Edinb. Test. XXII. 69 b.
xvj caldrounes bowand in Robert Towartis buytht 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. V. 121.
The occupearis of the wastmost buythis under the tolbuitht 1608 St. A. Baxter Bks. 72.
That na brother … tak vpon hand till sett vp meat owtwith thair bwithe 1622 Misc. Bann. C. II. 247.
I was in vse to pay … for my ȝeirlie maill of his heich buith [etc.] 1645 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 77.
To caus the said Robert keip himselff and his wair within his owne buithe and drope 1664 St. A. Baxter Bks. 134.
That nane carie bread from thair hous or buith(d) 1521 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. 355.
Will Pay cutler to pay sex s. viij d. … for the vptakin of his bouth 1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. 209.
Ane schryn in the boutht 1559 Inverness B. Rec. I. 37.
To wyrk the same in thair bowythis 1562 Edinb. B. Deeds 25 b.
My lauch how bouthe Ib. 26.
In compleit payment of the maill … of the said bowthe

2. A booth to live in. a1384 Fordun i. xxviii. 25.
Sanctus Brandanus in ea botham, ydiomate nostro bothe, id est, cellam, construxit

3. Attrib. with gavill, halding, keiper, pres, sted, wair, window.See also Buth-dure, etc., below, and Upset n., Upsetting. 1604 Elgin Rec. II. 125.
Alexander Cumyng apprehendit at his awin buith gawill — 1572 Inverness B. Rec. 220 (see Buth-haldar).
Buytht halding — 1645 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 77.
Craveand … the saids provest … to consider that no buithe keiper aught to be ane creamer — 1590 Edinb. Test. XXI. 299 b.
Ane buytht pres and ane kist — 1597 Reg. Great S. 177/1.
Lie buithsted occupato per Tho. Kennedie 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII. 256 b.
In the buith … Ane meikell pres with schottills for keping buith wair — 1551 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 154.
It sall be lesum … to haif ane buird … to lay his geir on daylie, becaus of the want of the buith window 1585 Ib. IV. 420.
The puir young anes of v or vj yeir awld quha lyes nychtlie in the buith wyndois