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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pig, Pyg, n.² Also: pigg(e, pige; pik; pege, peig, peeg. [ME. pygg (c 1440), north. e.m.E. pigge (1588). In mod. use only in Sc. and north. Eng. (Northumberland) dials. Of unknown origin. SND conjectures ‘prob. orig. an extended use of Pig n.¹’ (SND, s.v. Pig n.²).] A vessel, as a jar, pot, pitcher or the like, usu. of earthenware; a crock. Also comb.Freq. with a following phrase or preceding adj. to indicate function.Also proverb. To pish in (a woman's) pig, ? to have intercourse with her.(1) 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 439.
For iij Flandrez piggis 1513 Doug. vii. xiii. 25.
Ane pantyt pig 1540 Maxwell Mem. 409.
Ane pig with wyn to the mes 1551 Elgin Rec. I. iii.
And that nayne [ale] be sauld with coggis, pigis or coppis 1566 Treas. Acc. XII. 404.
For four unce of terpentyne with ane pig a1568 Jok & Jynny 21. 1576 Orkney Oppress. 72. 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Fidelia, a pig 1589–90 Edinb. Surgeons 12.
The said Mark not to haif na signe of chirurgie in his bueth … sic as pigis buistis [etc.] 1592 Edinb. Test. XXV. 26.
Aucht paintit pigis at v s. the pece 1622 Glasgow Weavers 68 (see Cassay n. (b)). 1631 Edinb. Test. LV. 63 b.
Of reddie money in ane littell pynt pig xxij lib. 1672 J. Brown Hist. Indulgence 192.
The staff being as needful to the shepherd as either the pig or the horn is 1677 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III. 182.
Like the names affixed to the apothecaries pigs and boxes 1684 Law Memor. 232.(b) 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Ane peig(c) 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 9 b.
Twa thrie pund peegis estimat both to viij s.(2) 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 79 (see Pine pig). 1513 Ib. IV. 511.
Piggis of layme — 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 532.
And the silvir of the gretest brokin beriall pig 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 94.
Quhill the glas pyg grow full of gold ȝit 1566 Treas. Acc. XII. 404.
Small lem piggis for halding of fyrework 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 92.
Tua dosane of layme piggis price vij s. a1650 Row 260.
He dreamed … that he was a lame pig(3) 1507 Treas. Acc. III. 388.
ij piggis for colouris 1540 Ayr Common Good Acc.
Ane pig to bring wattir to the kirk 1547 Edinb. Hammermen 173.
Ane pig to put vlye in 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 340.
Three piggs to melt glew in 1595 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 622.
Ane new pig with thre feit to put the glew in 1697 Foulis Acc. Bk. 212.
For a pig to hold conserve(4) 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 128.
For the paynttyne of ane lyon … with the wle pege 1586 St. A. Test. II. 68.
Ane watter pig 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX. 269.
Certane lame veshellis viz. … frying pigis [etc.] c 1660 Sel. Biog. I. 340.
You must haue the tarr pigg by your belt and be ready to give a smott to every one of Christ's sheep 1692 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 24 Sept.
A oill pige(5) 1590 Crim. Trials I. ii. 195.
Youre nourrice quha deit eftir the taisting of the pyg of poysoun 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 141.
Ane lytill pig full of devylische confectionis of sorcerie 1636 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 19 Jan.
Fund in thair middein ane pig full of scheipe bonis 1661–2 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 480.
Ane pigge of oule dollie 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. 90.
A pig of ointment 1681 Fawside Coal Compt 70.
A pig of mustard — 1625 Brechin Test. IV. 198 b.
Four pikis vldoliecomb. 1521 Stirling B. Rec. I. 10.
Moffat, pigmakar 1684 Wodrow Hist. (1830) IV. 13.]
[Pigmaker (in Throsk) — 1620 Index Edinb. Test. II. 362.
Robert Scott pigseller — 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. ii. 24.
Wallace … in a pig-mans weed … Espied all the English leagureproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 727.
Quhair the pig breaks let the shells [Carmichael schairds] ly a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 865.
I told you Thome loved me, he followit me to the well and pished in my pig

b. Only in renderings of Boece: Applied to a cinerary urn. — 1531 Bell. Boece I. 108.
Ane anciant sepulture in quhilk wer ii lame piggis craftely maid 1533 Boece iii. xx. 121.
Ane ald sepulture … quharein was twa veschell like laym piggis … replete with powder and ass 1535 Stewart 15636.
Thair fatheris bodie that wes brint in as Into ane pig of cristall … wes put Ib. 46032.
Tha fand … Of alabast ane prettie pig of stone Ib. 7869.

c. spec. (Holland) pig, an earthenware chimney-pot. — 1688 J. Kincaid Diary 153.
Antymony told me … of fastning of pigs 1683–90 Soc. Ant. LIV. 239.
To Thomas Rankeillo for Holland piggs to some chimneys

d. Pigs and whistles, = odds and ends, trivialities. — 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 161.
He … disputed with Gresham school-men Discoursing of their pigs and whistles And strange experiments of muscles

e. attrib., appar. in transf. sense = ? of earthenware. — 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 286 b.
Ane dosane pig quhissillis price iiij s. — 1639 Edinb. Test. LIX. 83.
Twa Flanderis pig plaittis 1667 Ib. LXXIII. 107.
Nyne great pig plaitts