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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.

Spong(e, Spung(e, n. Also: spoung(e, spowng(e, spoing(e, spoynge, spwnge, spawnge. [ME and e.m.E. spunge (c1160), sponge (Ancr. R.), spounge (Wyclif), OE sponge, spunge, L. spongia, spongea.]

1. A sponge; a brush used a. In the royal wardrobe, chiefly for the cleaning of clothes, etc. b. To wipe the face, quench the thirst or sprinkle liquid. c. In stables. d. By the military for cleaning guns, etc. e. Instances where the use is not clear.a. 1460 Exch. R. VII 36.
Pro sex spongiis, octo ulnis tele late pro linthiaminibus et peblis 1497 Treas. Acc. I 360.
For ane spownge to the wardrop xviij d. 1501 Treas. Acc. II 44.
For v quarteris Franch broun to hir … for thre spowingis to hir 1507 Treas. Acc. IV 29.
Spoungis 1550 Treas. Acc. IX 406.
Ane spounge to Malcome Gourlay, of the gairdrop, to send to Hammyltoun to dres my lord governoures claythtis thair 1561 Treas. Acc. XI 95.
Spoingis(b) 1491 Treas. Acc. I 188.
For a spwnge to the kingis claythis ij s. 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 262.
Deliverit to Thomas Tulloch till dich[t] the Kingis grace clathis with, xij elnis of bouteclaytht … and xij spungis 1539–40 Treas. Acc. VII 296.
Gevin to Cristiane Baxtar for lynyng clayth, ane coffer, spung and uthir small expensis 1541–2 Treas. Acc. VIII 53.
Deliverit to him till the Quenis chariot, xiij elnis cappidoun cord … deliverit to him to dicht the samyne, ane spunge, ane rubbour, and ane elne bonteclaitht 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII 364.
For ane spunge and ane rubbur to my lord governoris chalmer viij s. 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I 239.
Tua losin sarkis, ane spunge of birse 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 393.
Foure spungis to the garderobe(c) 1506 Treas. Acc. III 338.
To Hary Ropper for wesching of the Quenis wardrob stuf … for mending of the Quenes hingingis of arres and scarlet and for powder violet and ane spawngeb. 1460 Hay Alex. 15487.
He had ane spounge with vyne egre in his hand And ay apoun his visage was strekand a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 962.
Ane … tuke ane reid … Syne a spowng [he] fast apon it stak, Als intill wynakar thai soupit it full sone; Syne till Jesu thai raikit it … Fra he [it] tuke, he wald nocht drink of it 1597 Bk. Rates 3.
Birsis or lytill spungis for bairdis the pece iiij s. 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 92.
The day before great fests … their fellows that with … a pigful of holy water with a spung in it goes thorow al the Catholick houses be-sprinkling the persons as also the house, and so sanctifieng themc. 1553 Treas. Acc. X 204.
Deliverit to Jhone Hammiltoun, maister of stabill, ane spunge iiij s. 1581 Edinb. Test. X 76b.
Tua dosane of mayne kaymes with the spounges at xxiiij s. the dosaned. 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 71.
For 30 speir schaftis to be schaftis to the ladle and spounges for the ordinance 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 382.
Item for four outsetteres and spoungis 1644 Army of the Covenant 33.
Sheepe skins for clothing the spunges twenty four 1650 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 254.
Thair would be a competent portioun of powder at ever basteon with spunges, laddles, and onsetteres and uthers materialls necessarie as the gunners sall requyree. 1629 Lowther's Jrnl. 43.]
[A sponnge (?) a brush 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV 199.
Boght be Johne Forman iiij spungis and xij gret kamis 1549 Treas. Acc. IX 353.
Item, ane spoung send to Dunfermeling to his graces sone iiij s. 1562 Edinb. B. Deeds 63.
Ane spounge ane flacat ane painttit claith sex cuschonis 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 387.
For twa grit spungis and twa rubberis xxiij s. 1567 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. App. 314.
Spong a1568 Jok & Jynny 54.
Ane spounge, ane spindill wantand ane nok 1575 Edinb. Test. III 365.
Ane spvnge of bruce price xx s. 1604-31 Craig iii 12.
The bibull spoynge in tepid water set, Drinks till it fill each small and greedie pore 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 313.
Hadder for spounges, the 1^c weght 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 329, 330.
Spounges or brushes: of hadder course the dozen iii li., of hadder fyne … of heath called heid brushes … of hair called rubbing brushes … of hadder called rubbing brushes … of hair called keame brushes … of hair called weaveris brushes … of hair for dichting of clothes the dozen iiii li., called watter spounges the pound xx s. 1615 Reg. Privy S. MS 21 Nov.
Ane spunge and ane birse 1624 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. 3 Ser. XXXII 183.
A spunge, … a water pott 1649 Edinb. Test. LXIV 271b.
Ane spong and brusche and ane paidell

f. comb.(1) 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 372.
To Androw Blakie for ane owtsetter and twa spoung buttes to the gross colverin(2) 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 375.
For aught scheipe skines for demipeices iiii lib. vi s. … for i^c taketis to call them on the spounge heidis iii s. iiii d. 1696 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIV 96.
Spungheads & staves sex duzon(3) 1565 Treas. Acc. XI 387.
To Alexander Hendersone, spungmakar, for twa grit spungis and twa rubberis 1582 Perth B. Ct. 7 Dec.
Villiame Duncan spungemaker 1582 Treas. Acc. MS 59b.
To … spung maker for spungis and rackettis furnessit to his maiestie 1586 Edinb. Test. Index I 84.
Spounge-maker 1602 Edinb. B. Rec. V 306.
Sponge maker(4) 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 171.
All sort of necessaries for the use of shipping … gun wheells of trooks … catrich muilds … spounge naills, pump naills, gun laidells … gun spounges and uther necessaries 1696 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIV 96.
[For Edinburgh Castle] Itt of great & double naills ten thousand Itt of smaller naills five thousand Itt of spunge naills sex thousand of copper

2. With various qualifiers indicating a. Use. For further examples see Watter n. b. Manufacture. For further examples see Birs n., Had(d)er n., Hed(d)er n. and Hether n. c. Origin.a. 1490 Irland Mir. III 134/8.
I reid of ane Empriour that vsit his officiaris as a watter sponge that drawis watter or wyne 1497 Treas. Acc. I 377.
For water spowngis to the King iij s. iiij d. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 437.
I haif a wattir spunge … within my wyde clokis, Than wring I it … and wetis my chekis; With that watteris myn ene — 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X 171.
All sort of necessaries for the use of shipping … handspaiks … pouther hornes, gun spounges and uther necessariesb. 1566 Treas. Acc. MS 72.
Item ane birs spunge xv s. 1586 St. A. Test. MS II 68b.
Ane birs spownge viii d. — 1659 Craven Ch. in Orkney II 196.
Ane hors paring irone, a turkos, three marking irones … ane timber brush, ane hether spungc. 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 129.
For purphaling for wamplates, taggis for harnes, j Birge spounge, ij handis to renȝeis, ane cais to the Kingis culveryn