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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quern(e, Queirn, n.¹ Also: qweirne, kewrne; quearn; quairn; quarn; quirn, quyirne, cuirne; curne, kurn; Kuirne. [ME and e.m.E. querne (c1305), also quyerne (Chaucer), OE cweorn str. fem., cweorne wk. fem., OFris., OS quern, OIcel. kvern.] A handmill, in which corn is ground between the faces of two matched circular stones by rotating the one over the other.Also, coll. pl. in the same sense.Freq., to grind on (vpon) (the) quernis or the quern.(1) 1513 Doug. i iv 39.
For skant of vittal, the cornys in quernys of stane Thai grand 1563 Prot. Bk. J. Robeson MS 14.
In the hous … twa quernis 1627 Black Bk. Taymouth 384.
The laird persewis the haill tennentis … for halding of quernis and not bringing thair cornis to the mylne to be ground thairat 1629 Boyd Last B. 436.
Ground and bruised small as if it were corne in a querne 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 290.
The Mackdonalds … quhen they got the retreat and forced to leave their querns and bowes and baggs 1726 Sc. N. & Q. 3 Ser. X 149.
That all querns or iron hand-mills … be seized(b) 1623 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 23 July.
Grinding withe ane cuirne 1649 Cramond Cullen Ann. 44.
That the haill quirnes within the burghe … be liftit(c) 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 18.
Hand milnes, called quairns 1658 Holmains Baron Ct. 9 Nov.
Quairnes(d) 1641 Black Bk. Taymouth 390.
Quarnes(e) 1661 Donaldson Cramondiana 85.
Contrary to the law and practice that there be but ane handmill or kewrne in every plough of old extent(f) 1674 Cramond Cullen Ann. 56.
That the officers within this burgh shall take up the kurnes yearliecoll. pl. 1596 Dalr. I 95/10.
A hand mil quhilke properlie we call the queirnis 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 136.
Margaret … could not gar the quernis gang about 1658 Holmains Baron Ct. 9 Nov. (see Multur(e n. 1 (a)).(2) 1616 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 68b (14 Feb.).
Delait … as braker of the sabboth day by grinding vpon the quirnes 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 136.
And quhen … Margaret was grinding ane lock of beir on the quernis [etc.] 1624 Elgin Rec. II 186.
Katrein Norie … fynit for … grinding on queirnis on the Sabothe day 1640 Mouswald Kirk S. 1 July.
By … grinding on quernis 1649 Elgin Rec. II 267.
Cited for grinding of corne on the qweirne one the Lords day

b. Attrib. and comb.Querne-furlot, one of the annual dues payable to a mill-owner: cf. Acts I *93/1 (Ordinacio de molis manualibus) and Dry multure n.(1) 1515 Edgerston Writs.
Custome suggorne aittis stray turris querne furlottis & dewteis of the mill of Culles 1592 Reg. Great S. 761/2.
Reddendo … molendino de Moray(n)ch … 6 firlotas aride multure et 2 firl. pro lie quyirne-firlottis, cum servitiis dicto molend. debitis et consuet. 1610 Ib. 150/2.
Querne-firlottis(2) 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 330.
Milne stones the peice. … Quern stones small the last. … Quern stones large the last 1674 Cramond Cullen Ann. 56.
The over curne stone — 1624 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 109.
Ane water querne mylne with hir ornamentis and ane hand mylne 1649 Cullen Kirk S. 25 Nov.
Delait for hawing his cuirne mill grinding 1697–9 Rec. Old Aberd. I 223.
Ane quearn mill

c. As the second element of a compound in peper-quern (usu. pl., and chiefly a pair (of) peper-quernis), Peper-quern n.