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: 1565-1591
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Mum-, Mwm(s)chance, n. [MLG. mummen-schanze, -kanze, a certain game of dice, a masquerade, also MDu. momme-canse, -kantse, -canche, id., ? orig. as played in silence by masked persons, f. mummen v. to act in dumb-show, to ‘mum’, and schanz f. F. chance (cf. Kinch n.1): cf. e.m.E. mom(me)- (1528), mum-cha(u)nce, the name of the dicing game, of the same origin.] (A) masquerade, mumming. b. transf. to a religious form or ritual. = Mummery n. b. — a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xciv. 72.
Vse not to skift a thort the gait, Nor mwmchances [Q. Nor na mumschancis] air nor lait, Be na dansar for this dangeir [etc.] 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 87.
At evin our soueranis maid the maskrie and mumschance, in the quhilk the Quenis grace and all hir … ladies wer all cled in men's apperrell 1577 Perth Kirk S. in Mill Mediæval Plays 277.
That vpon … Sanct Toberttis ewin he passit throche the toun … vpone ane hors gangand in mumschance 1581–2 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 229.
Jhone Gilleis, doctour in Jhone Biakis schole, oblist himself nocht to pas in mwmschance after supper to mak playes or vse siclyke vaniteis —b. 1565 Gathering of the Halie Signes 28.
[He] hes writtin that the mumchance of the messe sould begin at the richt syde of the alter 1590-1 Bruce Serm. 259 (see Mummery n. b).
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"Mwmchance n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mwmschance>
