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

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

Ta(i)ng(i)s, Tongs, n. pl. Also: tanggis, tanges, taingeis, tainȝeis, taignes, tayng(i)s, -es, taying(i)s, teingis, teangis, toanges, tonges, thongs, tongues, toungs, tougnes, tungs, tuyngis, tangisis, tongesses. Sing. taing(e, tonge. [ME and e.m.E. tongen, tangen (both c1290), tongys (1352-3), tangs (1384-5, north.), toonges (Chaucer), tunges (1392-3). Sing. tonge (a1250), tange (c1380), tongge (Prompt. Parv.), OE tang(e, tong, ON tǫng.] (A set or pair of) tongs, pincers or forceps. a. pl. Freq. a (etc.) pair of taingis. Also attrib.Also with reduplicated pl. inflexion.Also (once) rendering L. forfex shears, scissors.(1) 1478 Acta Aud. 67/2.
xij trunscheouris a pare of taingeis [etc.] 1546–7 Reg. Great S. 20/1 n.
Tua pair of tayngis, price of the pece 3 s. 1558 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 155.
Ane pair of irne tayngis price tharof ten s. 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Forceps, ane pair of tayngis 1593–4 Exch. R. XXII 407.
To Thomas Smyth for ane pair of gret tayingis and certane uther irne wark 1622 Perth Kirk S. MS 9 April.
For wunding him in the heid with ane pair tayngis it is concludit that scho on the nixt mercat day pas bairfuttit hading wp the same tayngis in hir richt hand abone hir heid throw the streitis of the town 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 258.
He did heate a pair of taings in the fyre and thairwith … brunt the poore damosell in the cheeke 1629 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 407.
Stryking of hir in the arme with irne taignes a1668 Chron. Perth 88.
Taings(b) c1500 Makc. MS xiii 66.
H forfex, a pair tangis 1517 Misc. Spald. C. II 78.
xx paire of irne tangis, price of the pece xx d. 1562 Carte Northberwic 86.
Tanggis 1659–60 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 246.
For ane new pair tanges to the counsel house for mending the fyre thairin 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 137.
To him for mending a pair tangs(c) 1589 St. A. B. Ct. 13 Aug.
Teingis(d) 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xi.
An pair tonges and 1 schufull 1664 Inventory 4 in Decr. Dalr. XI.
Tongues 1675 Cunningham Diary 49.
To Jo: Love, smith, for a pair of thongs to the hall, £1 10 s. 1676 Cunningham Diary 84.
For mending a pair of broken tongs 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 35.
For 2 pair tongs from Androw Broune, fidler and jackmaker 1682 Kingarth Par. Rec. 134.
Thongs(e) 1675 Stirling Common Good 93b.
Toungs 1678 Sc. Ant. I 1.
Tougnes(f) 1576 Reg. Great S. 691/1 n.
2 pair of tangisis … 3 s. apiece(2) 1500–1 Acta Conc. II 477.
Twa tayngis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 103/14.
The wyff … That with the taingis wald braek his schinnis 1535 Stewart 60376.
With tangis and turcas beirand in thair hand 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 216.
For … ane irne schuill and gret tangis to the chalmeris Faulkland 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II 136.
Ane irne chymnay with rakkis, cruke, tangis and speitt 1558 Inverness Rec. I 23.
Aganis the law schew drew Kateryn Damster hayr and dang hyr with the tangis 1562 Edinb. B. Deeds 62b.
Tayingis 1569 Inverness Rec. I 178.
Thre teangis 1595 Brechin Test. I 128b.
Taynges 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Forceps, tayngs 1598 Crim. Trials II 45.
Byrning hir with hett tayngis vpoun the schoulderis and vnder the oxsteris 1601 Elgin Rec. II 96.
Confessit the charmeing of bairns … he takkis a smythis hammer and his tonges [etc.](b) 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX 119.
Ane yrone chimley with cruick and tungs(c) 1656 Brechin Test. VI 22.
Tuo crookes and tongesses ane old kettellattrib. 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Gudis of ayrschip … the tayngis lawer

b. pl. With indef. art., functioning as sing. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 104 (A).
A brandreth a tangis 1488–9 Acta Conc. I 106/2.
A cruk a lok price ij s. v hukis a tangis price xl d. 1521–2 Old Dundee II 239.
Item, a tayngs, to 8 d. 1542 Elgin Rec. I 71.
Streking of Ellene Murray with ane tanggis 1552 Dundee B. Ct. II 171b (13 July).
Ane pare of yrne rackis ane speit ane tuyngis 1567 Bamff Chart. 71.
Ane irne tayngis 1575 Inverness Rec. I 244.
Teangis 1581 Brechin Test. I 45.
Ane cruik and ane tainȝeis 1596 Dalr. II 46/34.
The rest of his body … the pynouris raue with an yrne tangs 1599 St. A. Kirk S. 910.
Burning of hir fleshe with ane hot irn tayngis 1602 Elgin Rec. II 105.
Horner Fraser poyndit of a toanges in respect thair was folkis drinking in his hous the tyme of sermoun 1606 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 118.
[The sheriff depute] enterit the said Lord to the actuell and real possessioun of the said tua pleuchis lands be casting out of ane cheir and ane tangis out of the hous of the said James Mill [etc.] 1633 Banff Ann. I 70.
Ane tine choppin stoupt wherof the names and markis war brunt off be ane tayngis or sum wther instrument 1637 Brechin Test. V 221.
Ane brokin tayings 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX 32.
Item, ane litle grait & tonges

c. sing. c1572 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 31.
A roistein yron with ane tainge and a dressing knyiff 1597 Brechin Test. I 157.
Ane tainge ij s. 1656–8 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 503.
One kitcheing tonge to the principallis use 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 107b.
Ane pair of waine raithes and ane waine taing price iij li.