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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sound, Soun, v.¹ Also: sounde, sownd, sond; soun(e, son. P.t. also soundett, sounitt. [ME and e.m.E. soun(e (a1325), sown (Rolle) (also sune (a1300)), sounde (1445), sownde (Cath. Angl.), OF suner, soner, sonner (1080, 12th c. and 13th c. in Larousse), L. sonāre.] intr. and tr.

1. intr. a. Of musical instruments: To emit or produce sound. b. Of, chiefly, a hollow object: To resound, reverberate; to be filled with sound. Also proverb.The 1669 quot. in a may properly belong in sense 4.The Carmichael Prov. quot. in b proverb. appears to mean that a cracked crown [sc. the coin], which would not normally ‘sound’, is appropriate payment for broken or damaged work. Cf. 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 434.a. ?1438 Alex. I 827.
Trumpetis … Soundit sa hideously and sa fast ?1438 Alex. ii 11090.
Pypis, fistulis soundit raith c1450-2 Howlat 767 (A).
Cymbaclauis in the cellis, That soundis so soft 1549 Compl. 15/1.
He herd neuyr the dolorus trompet sounde befor the iunyng of ane battel, nor ȝit he harde it neuyr sound to gar the men of veyr retere fra ane dangeir 1669 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 294.
The bells in the stipill … rang & sounded better formerlie … quhen they rang be the tungb. 1513 Doug. ii i 73.
The boys cavys sowndit and maid a dyn 1513 Doug. ix xiii 66.
Hys bos helm rang and soundyt, Clynkand abowt hys halfheddis with a dyn a1599 Rollock Wks. I 345.
Quhen he is vaunting … as ane tume tub sounding without sinceritie in his hartproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 415.
Crakit crownis may soune for craised wark

2. Of a person, also a bird: To make vocal noises; to shout, call, cry, groan, sing, etc. a1500 Lanc. 1809.
The puple saith … 'Welcum be he!' and so the puple soundith 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 121.
And as a trumpat rang thar vocis soun 1513 Doug. xi ix 30.
The rawk vocit swannys … Sondand and swouchand with noys lamentabill 1513 Doug. xii viii 78.
Now by the donky stankis soundis sche [sc. a swallow] a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxiv 4.
Sho can not chuse Bot sigh and sobbe and soun vhen sho suld sleep

3. Of a sound: To be perceived by the organs of hearing; to be heard; to reach, penetrate (into) the ears (of the listener). c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2942.
With that the gret noys [sc. of voices] holy sounded a1568 Bann. MS I p. 41/101.
Myne endytting into thin eiris sall sound

4. To convey a certain impression by sound; to strike the listener as being (good, bad, etc.). With various (mainly) adverbial complements. 1490 Irland Mir. III 158/8, 9.
As that metall [sc. brass] soundis weill sa suld the clergy sound plesandlie in doctrine verite and sciens c1490 Irland Asl. MS 4/10.
The werray letter beand translatit … quhilis soundis evill 1513 Doug. vi i 95.
Hir voce ne sovndis lyke a mortale wight c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 321/32.
He soundit as that he wald break ande disanull the law 1549 Compl. 39/17.
The dou croutit hyr sad sang that soundit lyik sorrou a1568 Bann. MS 75b/4.
Ane kirman [sic for kirkman] to say I will nocht do it soundis nocht half so weill 1596 Dalr. II 153/6.
Out of his mouth was neuer hard a word that soundet fraud 1596 Dalr. II 183/9.
Quhen Scotis and Inglis language ar neir nychtbouris, sounding almaist baith alyk 16.. Hist. Kennedy 22.
This saying sounitt werry weill in me lordis eiris

5. intr. Of a speech-sound: To have a certain phonetic realisation. c1616 Hume Orthog. 12.
Quhilk if then it had sounded as now we sound it he sould rather have written it with [etc.]

6. To tend towards (to, unto), lead to, be associated with (some quality, condition or state).Also (once) const. for.(1) 1456 Hay I 284/34.
Seculere men … gevis oft tyme counsale to princis that soundis mare to the desyre of wynnyng of warldis gude na it dois to resoun a1500 Lanc. 149.
Of love ore armys or of sum othir thing … Qwich soundith not one to no hewynes Bot one to gladnes a1500 Quare Jel. 524.
For barane ay thou art and destitude Off euery thing that soundith vnto gude 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 49.
The first [sc. quality] soundis towart vertu sum deill 1526 Douglas Corr. 114.
The congres … that be force attempted divers thingis be way of commocioune, sounding to the dangere of ȝoure nephieu(2) 1578 Acts III 98/1.
To reform sic thingis as soundis to superstitioun 1578–9 Reg. Privy C. III 84.
A new consait, not altogidder sounding for the necessitie of the caus

b. To agree with. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1688.
It was euill done … to cut it [sc. the tree] doun Thocht it abone … wald not weill soun With the ȝoung tre 1592 Calderwood V 207.
All thir sound not with us anie wise, muche lesse to my Lord Huntlie

c. In fig. context: To sound against, to speak out against. c1630 Scot Narr. 70.
If the Lady Huntly come to the baptisme, the pulpits could not but sound against it

7. tr. To cause (a musical instrument, bell) to emit sound; to play (an instrument) by blowing, shaking, etc. Also in fig. context, and fig. 1456 Hay I 21/10.
The ferde angel, the quhilk soundit wele his tromp 1490 Irland Mir. III 117/18.
In a tovne or castell … thar is a man in a hie place that quhen he seis ony apperand perell he soundis and rengis a bell to warne the pepill c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) xxxviii 29.
The knell of mercy fra the hevin is soundit 1533 Boece 135.
Suetonius … gart son the terrible trumpett, to ione the feild a1578 Pitsc. II 107/33. 1589 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 Nov.
The hand bell of the said burgh wes soundit throw all the streitts 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i 184.
Mariners … Their chearful whisles meryly do sowndfig. 1562-3 Winȝet I 38/11.
Thinkand this to be sufficient aduertisment to al thaim quha hes earis to heir the treuth that we neid not in this mater ony ofter to sound this trompet a1605 Montg. Sonn. vi 1.
Sound, Gallovay, the trompet of the Lord; The blissit brethren sall obey thy blast

8. To utter aloud; to proclaim, pronounce. 15.. Dunb. App. viii 15.
Thre Kingis … with lusty rout … Sounding attonis with a schout, Illuminare Jerusalem c1590 Fowler I 20/13.
Than Fowlars laude so lowde I herd them sound a1605 Montg. Sonn. lvi 7.
With sighis and sobbis, which to the hevins I sound

b. transf. To express in writing. Const. out. c1590 J. Stewart 8/12.
I dar skairs presum my pen to weit In sounding out my toynles dull indyt

9. To announce, declare, make known. 1629 Justiciary Cases I 99.
And thairfoir it may be thocht that this poynt of dittay soundis the verdite of hir prayse gif it be trew

10. To mean, denote, signify. c1420 Wynt. iv 26.
And knychtis he gert call all tha [sc. the ‘equites’] Thaire name in Latyne sowndys swa c1420 Wynt. iv 2528.
[To] pay his trewage or his tolle Off qwhyt sylver, a denere, In nowmyre ten that sowndys here