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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
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Sterling, Starling, Stirling, n. Also: sterlin(e, -eing, -yng, -yne, -ang, steireling, starlin(g)(e, -eing, -eyng, stairleing, starl.; stirlin(e, stirlling, styrlynge; stirviling, stir(r)veling, strivilin(g, striveling, (striling). [ME and e.m.E. sterling, -yng(e (both 1297), starling (a1330), OF esterlin (Wace in Larousse), med. L. sterlingus, prob. OE *steorling ‘coin with a star’ ? in allusion to the earliest ‘short-cross’ coins.]In some examples, confused with, and mistakenly derived from the name of the town of Stirling. (Cf. Sterline).

A. noun. The Norman silver penny minted in England and Scotland (and on the Continent) from the 11th or 12th century; in some instances in the 14th century, and thereafter, prob. usu. with specific reference to the English coin.Of the payment of Scotland and similar phrases prob. indicate a decrease in the value of the Scottish coinage previously (up to c1370) in parity with England. For further information see Coinage in Medieval Scotland (1100-1600) ed. D. M. Metcalf (British Archaeological Reports 45).The apparent agreement between the unit of weight (librarum and marcarum) in two of the Latin examples with sterlingorum seems to be coincidental; it is not inconceivable, however, that these examples are adjectival and belong in B 1. 1223 Reg. Episc. Glasg. I 108.
[Centum libras sterlingorum 1234 Inchaffray Chart. lx.
Ad fabricam pontis de Pert nomine pene ducentas libras sterlingorum 1224–42 Reg. Episc. Morav. 20.
Dimidiam marcam sterlingorum legalium 1261 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 276.
Ad eorum vestitum octodecim solidos sterlingorum annuatim 1279 Facs. Nat. MSS II 3.
In centum solidis bonorum et legalium sterlingorum 1290 Reg. Episc. Glasg. II 620. 1293 Reg. Episc. Glasg. I 207.
Centum marcis sterlingorum bone et legalis monete 12… Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 17. ?12… Liber Melros II 682. 12… Reg. Dunferm. 67.
Centum solidis sterlingorum 1304 Reg. Dunferm. 225.
Reddendo inde annuatim … sexdecim marcas bonorum et legalium sterlingorum 1304 Liber Scon 93.
Sex solidos et octo denarios bonorum et legalium sterlingorum 1326 Liber Scon 95. 1383 Cart. Levenax 5.
Sex marcas sterlingorum — 1326 Liber Melros II 326.
Duo milia librarum sterlingorum 1367 Reg. Paisley 32.]
Quadraginta marcarum strilingorum c1379 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 1.
Ay qvyll I Alexander … pay … twenty mark of sterlyngys frenfully … in the Kyrk of Rathov 1381 Douglas Chart. 29.
Twa hundreth marcis of sterlinges … to be paiet 1387 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 11.
vj^c mark of sterlynggis of the payment of Scotlande 1387 Edinb. Chart. 36.
It is accordyt at the forsayde communyte sal gyfe to the forsayde masounys for the forsade werk … vi^c mark of sterlyngis of the payment of Scotlande 1389 Wemyss Chart. 24.
Twa hundyr mark of sterlyngys to be raysyt and tane to the werk of the kyrk c1390 Reg. Morton I App. xl.
iiij^c li. of sterlingis, swilk as men byis and sellis with in Scotland c1390 Reg. Morton I App. xl.
Twenty-one beistis … the price ten pounds of sterlingis 1392 Lennox Mun. 46.
For sex marcis of sterlyngos vsuale anerly for al maner of exactioune, custom or demavnde, that may be askyt … duyrande the tyme of the forsayde tak Of Wecht in Flandrys in c1420 Bute MS c. 40.
Of wecht in Flandrys and reknyns be the price of the mone: Qwhen the mark is worth xxvi s. & iiii d. of the payment the sterlyng is worth vii d. of the payment Of Wecht in Flandrys in c1420 Bute MS c. 42.
Qwhen the waw is worth xiiii mark & aferdpart than the waw is worth iii lib. iii s. & ix d. sterlyngys & iii d. of the payment the nayle is worth ii s. & ii d. & i obl. sterlyngys iii d. of the payment les of the waw 1525 Acta Conc. MS XXXV 130.
To pas … to Londoune … and … mak finance in ane sickir bank of [£400] steirelingis extending to [£600] grete Flemys money with certane oddis … and … caus that bank or thare marrowis in Bruges or Handwarp to ansuer for samony ducatis c1575 Balfour Pract. 90.
Imprimis, The sterling weyit in King David I his tyme xxxij granis of gude and round quheate

B. adj. 1. Postpositionally after a sum (of pounds, shillings, etc.), altered from the earlier (A above) punds, etc. of sterlings and used in the same sense; of the coin or money of account of England.(a) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 305.
To the said William, for ane li. sterling quhilk he gaif, … to Robein Bertoun in … payment of certane Inglismen ransoum, in thre angele noblez 1595 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 6aa.
The pasengeris is awne me ine vi s. 6 d. sterlyne for wetelis 1596 Misc. Bann. C. II 219.
Thair was awin … to Mr. Herculeis Franceis 1 s. sterling at viij s. the testane, summa in Scotis money xx l. 1604 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I 212.
Another piece called the six shilling piece Scots and to have course in Scotland for six shilling money and in England for six pence sterline 1616 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 23.
To transport ane hundereth and thriescoir load of aik elme and asche v s. sterling extending in Scottis to iii lib. 1624 Misc. Maitl. C. III 503.
I will vnto the said Mr. Maxuell so mutche plat as salbe of trew value of ane hundreth pundis sterling c1634 Red Bk. Menteith II 56.
Sterlin 1641 Edinb. Test. LX 5b.
Ane pare of harpsecordis estimat to fowr pund sterling 1661 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 177.
300 pund sterlin inclosit and seallit in ane maull 1673 Elgin Rec. I 317.
To pay 6 s. sterling and to be put in the goigs 1683 Wemyss Chart. 255.
My big jwell, which hir father geu fyu hunder pund sterling for 1684 Douglas Corr. 48.
To paye … towards the expense of his education, the sume of two hundered pounds sterline 1686 Inverness Rec. II 336.
Anent the payment of a shilling sterline be rich persones & sex pence be meaner 1702 Banff Ann. I 173.
Sterleing(b) ?1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 285.
The sum … is xij li. starleyng a1578 Pitsc. I 71/3.
His taker gat ane thowsand pund starling to his revaird 1589 Cal. Sc. P. X 237.
Heringes and clothe to the valeue of iij^c & xxxv lib. starling 1613 Melrose P. 124.
Starlinge 1627 Bk. Carlaverock II 105.
Delyver to me ane hundrithe merkis starling, bot I sould haue had 3 thousand merkis Scotis 1630 Soc. Ant. LVI (1922) 50.
He [sc. the Devil] delyverit to the said Alexander foure schillingis starling in Inglish money 1640–1 Anal. Scot. II 391.
Ther is coming from the parliament of England to ws the 51,000 lb starling 1660 Honours Scotl. 124.
After I had told the money I misse fyfteen pound starlin 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 475.
The sowme of fyve pund starling … to Mr. Niniane Patersoune, … in consideratioune of his … paines in preaching heir 1664 Decis. Lords G. 86.
Richard Scots [sic] … charges John Wilson and John Henderson for 324 l. Starline and 500 l. Starl. contain'd in their bonds 1664 Ayrsh. Coll. IV 160.
I pray let me have twenty pound starling by this bearer 1670 Aberd. Council Lett. V 27.
If ther be any motione in parliament for calling doune forrayne coyne yow are to oppose the same and to … indeavor the highting the dukatdones to pas at sex shilling starleing per peice 1700 Logie Par. Hist. I 322.
Lost be eight shilling starling of Irish half pennies and doyts that was in the box which was sold to a chapman 1715 Stirling B. Rec. II 141.
[They] allow him ten pound starling of sallary(c) a1538 Abell 64b.
Osbert held Stirling and set thare his coynȝaris. Ȝit fra thin the monye is cuntit and callit in merchan mark pund stirling 1548 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I App. lxxxviii.
Under the pane of one hundreth libs. styrlynge 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 818.
Ten pundis stirling furth he tuike, And knit it in a neapkyn nucke 1596 Dalr. I 333/6.
He was redeimet with a ransoune of ane hunder libs stirling 1633 Swintons App. clxxxiv.
Whairby the dewtie of the said tuentie merkis stirline is explained and declared to be only tuentie merkis usuall money of Scotland 1658 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 504.
17 lairge glesse dyellis at fyve shilings stirling ilk peice 1660 Conv. Burghs III 495.
That ane jurnall of copper money (which will amount to fyve thousand pund stirling) may be permittit to be coyned 1662 Bk. Dunvegan I 233.
[From J. Cooper for £8] stirling 1680 Curiosities Charta Chest 37.
To pay to my Lady Duchess of Lauderdale fifteen hundred pounds stirling(d) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 300.
To the said Robert, for the ransom of certane Inglismen … tuenty three pund striveling, ilk pund striveling four li. iiij s. 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 896.
Tuentie pund stirveling a1578 Pitsc. I 236.
Ane hundreith thowsand pound stiruiling 1589 Exch. R. XXII 17.
Fra the scheref of Selkirk, 6 d. strivling … fra the scheref of Drumfreis, 3 s. money, 1 d. striviling 1596 Dalr. I 333 marg.
Striuiling

2. In attrib. use as the distinguishing epithet of English money or coin, chiefly qualifying mony. b. With reference to the English or Scottish coinage of the reign of David II or as mentioned in the original infeftments of the burghs. c. With penny, piece. d. Sterling silver, silver having the same degree of purity as the silver penny. 1535 Stewart 43442.
Thir nobill men … With King Henrie his ransoum thair did mak … Ane hundretht thousand pundis for to pa Of stirling money 1581 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 141.
The sowme of four punds vij s. starling money 1588 Exch. R. XXI 391.
The comptar discharrgis him of striviling money … extending to 32 d. 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 20.
To wedset hir landis … for xl lib. stirling money 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 285.
xxvj li. stirling money at xij li. Scotis the pund starling 1662 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 147.
Befor I come for England I must ingadge with the maister of the shipe to paye sex pound sterling money 1682 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 38.
A horse race to be run at Leith … for a pice of silver plat to the vallow of twenty pound stirling money 1685 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XI 34.
Sterlang 1698 Banff Ann. II 64.
[John Murray] hes dedicat to the use of the church of Banff two silver cups weigheing twentie four vnces stairleing moneyb. 1592–3 Edinb. B. Rec. V 79.
The burrowis mailles desyret be the chakker to be payet in stirling money 1593–4 Irvine Mun. I 79.
The lordis auditouris of our chaikker considdiring how our burrow ruiddis … ar sett of auld for the burrow meillis … to be payit in Stirlling money and throw negligens of our officiaris thir diveris yeiris bygane our meillis ar resavit in current money 1593–4 Irvine Mun. I 80.
Stirrveling money 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I 65, 66.
Infeftment anent stirling money … that infeftmentis astenting men in payment of stirling monie is comptit na utherwayis bot commoun cunyeit poundis or merkis 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I 66.
That stirling monie was na thing bot current monie of the realme as the same had cours in pounds and merkis 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I 66.
Gif it be replyit upon the commoun opinioun of ignorant men that comptis sterling monie efter the abufe name of Inglis payment to deny thair ground and gif in to thair lordschipis this tiket berand the platt to crav decisioun that striveling is ane terme of weycht of monie and not of multiplicatioun of monie and that na age heirtofoir hes had any uther … practik … It was decydit befoir the lordis of the sessioun that stirling monie was na uther bot commoun cunyeit monie 1596 Dalr. I 276/24.
The Inglis Saxounis in rememberance of this feild the castell of Stiruiling erected agane. In this castell thay cuinȝeit a certane kynd of money, quhilk we commounlie call Sterling money, quhairfra the opinioune of mony now is the sure and rycht way of cuinȝieng to haue proceidet 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 44.
It is statute that the kings money, that is stirlin money, sall not be caried furth of the Realme, be merchants of the Realme, [etc.] … except they pay to the king, for ilk pound halfe ane markc. 1488 Acta Conc. I 98/2.
x li. of vsuale money of the realme four siluer spvnis twa vnces of striuilin pennyis 1540 Acta Conc. MS XIII 83.
Tua stirling & ane millane penny, ane purs 1695 Proclam. 16 May.
The shilling sterling piece [is to pass at the weight of] two drop, thirty two grainsd. 1645 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 129.
Anent sterling syluer The tryall peece for England and Scotland is 11^oz 2^dwt of pure fyne syluer in the highest degree comixed with 18 penyweight of allay