A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513-1614
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Main-, Man(e)-sail(l, n. Also: mayn-, mean(e)- and -sale, -seale, -sall. [e.m.E. mayne sayll (1466–7); Main a. 5.] The mainsail of a two- or three-masted ship. Also attrib. 1513 Doug. v. xiv. 4.
Heys heich the cros, he bad, … And fessyn bonnettis beneith the mayn sail down 1535 Stewart 683.
Tha salit fast that tyme befoir the wynd With fuksaill, topsaill, manesall, musall, and blynd 1535 Ib. 288.
Mansaill 1540 Acts Lords of Council MS. XIV. 152.
Tua bonatis of ane mane sale with the for bonat 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 40/30 (see Main a. 5). 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. June 30.
Ane meane saill 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 38 b.
For canwas to be bandis to our mane sall 1600-1610 Melvill 258.
The tye of the Einglisman's mean seale 1614 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries X. 224.
Main saillattrib. 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 40/32.
Hail eftir the mane sail scheit, hail out the mane sail boulene
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"Man-sail n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mane_saill>
