Obs. Forms: α. 4–5 soude, sowde, 5 sood-, sowede; 4–5, Sc. 8–9 soud, sowd. β. 5 sawd(e. γ. 5–6 sould(e. δ. 5–7 sold, 6 solde. [a. OF. soude, soulde (more commonly soudee, souldee, etc.), = It. and Pg. soldo, Sp. sueldo:—L. solidum, acc. sing. of solidus: see SOL sb.3 and SOU. (The mod.F. solde is due to Italian influence.) Cf. MDu., MLG., MHG. solt, Du., G., Da., Sw. sold.]
1. Pay (esp. of soldiers), wages, salary.
α. c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 14234. Payen & Cristen knyght … at soud he held.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 146. Fle covetise of godis, and be payed wiþ ȝoure sowdes.
1440. Paston Lett., I. 41. My Lord Tresorer graunted the seid vij. c. marc to my Lord of Norffolk, for the arrerag of hys sowde qwyl he was in Scotland.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 31. That the said chieftein must pay his men of soude … justly.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron. (1811), 519. For the wage & sowde of the Nauaroys and Englysshemen.
β. 1402. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 94. These paroche preestes that ministren the sacramentis, for a certen sawd bi ȝeer.
c. 1450. King Ponthus & Fair Sidone, i. (1897), 1. I schal paye their sawde for thre yer.
γ. 1429. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1835), 79. Ilk preest hauyng for his sould by yeer viij mrc’.
1473. Edw. IV., in State P. Hen. VIII., VI. 8. For contentation of a yerely soulde.
1542. Paget, Ibid. IX. 198. He myndeth … to borowe the sould of 20000 men for a yere, if He canne obteyne it.
1550. T. Nicolls, Thucidides, 216. To paye the soulde or wages of the sayd armye.
δ. 1438. Bk. Alexander Gt. (Bann. Cl.), 61. Serue ȝour soldis of the King.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 209. Thi worthi kyn may nocht the saiff for sold.
1544. Harvel, in St. Papers Hen. VIII., IX. 619. For lacke of payment of his solde.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. ix. 6. Were your will, her sold to entertaine, And numbred be mongst knights of Maydenhed.
1601. Bp. Barlow, Def. Prot. Relig., 131. Lying in campe under sold and pay, fighting as souldiers.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 163. Lastly, there is the Sold, or pay of 50000 foot.
2. Sc. A sum or quantity (orig. of money or gold).
1513. Douglas, Æneid, III. i. 91. With a grete sold of gold fey Priamus Secretlie vmquhile send this Polidorus … to Polymnestor.
1710. Ruddiman, Gloss. Douglas’ Æneis, s.v. Sold, Scot. Sowd, as a sowd of money, i. e. a great sum.
1795. Statist. Acc. Scotl., XIV. 74, note. The tradesmen are paid … with a certain sum or quantity of victual annually agreed on, called soud.
1828. Moir, Mansie Wauch, ii. A sowd of toddy was swallowed.
1845. Still, Coltar’s Sunday, 172. They wha grip Great souds o’ hidden treasure.
