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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Trun(s)cheour, Trin(s)cheour, Trench(e)our, n. Also: trunscheoure, -s(c)heor, -s(c)hour, -schowr, -schur, -sche(w)r, -schor, -schoor, -scheo(u)ne, trunchiour, -cheor, -chour, -cher, -she(u)r, -ceor, -cer, trunȝour, trwncheour, -sour, trunschell, trinscheor, -our, -er, -eoun, trinsheour, trincher, trincheoun, trynsch(e)our, -sheour, -sher, trenscheor, tren(s)cher, tronscheour, -(s)cher, trounscho(u)r, -schar, -cher, -sher, -sour, trownschor, -sowr, trewncheour, treuncher, transchour, treanchour, turnschour, thrincher. [ME and e.m.E. trenchur (c1308), trencheour (Manning), trenchour (1360-70), trenchor (1392), trenshoure (c1410), trenchere (c1460), AF trenchour, ONF trencheor, OF tranchouoir, f. as Trinsch v.]Forms in final -n may simply represent a misreading of minim strokes.

1. A trencher, a round or square plate or platter of wood or metal. Also coll.(a) 1501 Treas. Acc. II 44.
For ij dosan tyn trunschouris … weyand xv pund; ilk pund xvij d. 1505 Exch. R. XII 673.
Trunȝouris 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 532.
To Johne Aitkin, goldsmitht, … to bostering for tua goldin truncheouris 1513 Doug. i xi 58.
Eftyr the first paws, and that cowrs neir gane, And voduris and fat trunschuris [Sm., Ruddim. trunscheouris] away tane, The goblettis gret … Thai fill 1526–7 Edinb. B. Rec. I 230.
Trunsheoris 1531 Treas. Acc. V 462.
Thre trunscheouris round, twa trunscheouris squair, … all ourgilt 1540 Maxwell Mem. 408.
Trwnsouris 1542 Eeles King's Coll. Chapel 23.
vi round trunscheris, and ane four nukitt 1543 Inv. Wardrobe 111.
Twa nukit trunscheoris of silver owrgilt with saltfattis in the nukis of thame 1546 Reg. Great S. 9/1.
12 quadrantibus lie tyn trunscheouris 1553 Treas. Acc. X 204.
For ane cais to put sylver trunscheouris in of my lorde governoures 1560 Stirling B. Rec. I 72.
Trunceor 1569 Prot. Bk. J. Drummond 77.
Trunschewris 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. (MC) 34.
Trunscheoure 1575 Dumfries B. Ct. 20 March.
vj plets ij trunschors beand the two part of the pewder weschell pertenand to the barnis part of guds 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 113.
Trunchour 1586 St. A. Test. II 53b.
Trwncheouris 1587 Reg. Privy C. IV 182.
Trunshouris 1589 Exch. R. XXII 73.
To the violaris tuelf plaitis and sex trunchiouris … to serve thair table 1590 Nat. Lib. MS 34. 2. 17 21.
Tua cairinat trunscheouris … ane four nukit trunschour 1592 St. A. B. Ct. 1 Dec.
Trunschooris 1630 Bamff Chart. 222.
Trunchers 1649 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 781.
Trunshers 1660 Wedderburn Bk. II 44.
Trunsheuris 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 161.
Of large fethered trunchers, bearing the saids armes(b) 1593 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 294.
Trunschell(c) 1547 Misc. Spald. C. V 313.
Trinchers 1567 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. App. 314.
Trinschour 1569–70 Canongate Ct. Bk. 168.
Trinscheoris 1596 Fraser P. 229.
Trynsheris 1602 Treas. Acc. MS 133.
Ane cadana [? = It. cadino basin, dish] trynscheour new maid and gilt [£86 5 s. 6 d.] 1631 Aberd. B. Rec. III 34.
Trinsheouris 1637 Edinb. Test. LVIII 65b.
Fyve glasine trincheouris 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI 184b.
Trinscher 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX 138.
viij timber trinchers(d) 1565 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 97.
12 trencheouris … of Inglis pewder 1623 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 93.
Trenscheoris 1632 Inv. Newark 6a.
Item of silver trencheris(e) 1531 Prot. Bk. J. Brydin No. 128.
Ane troncher to vort 1552 Dundee B. Ct. II 171b (13 July).
Tronscheour 1614 Laing MSS 138.
Two dissoune treine tronscheris(f) 1534 Dumfries B. Ct. 145a.
Thre tyn trownschors 1570 Dumfries B. Ct. 17 June.
Trounschors 1583–4 Crail B. Ct. 10 March.
Trounscharis 15… Aberd. B. Rec. (Jam.).
Trownsowris 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xii.
Trouncheres 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xii.
6 persell gilt trounsheris 1622 Breadalbane Doc. No. 428.
Trounschour 1622 Breadalbane Doc. No. 428.
Trounsouris(g) 1595 Brechin Test. I 130.
Trewncheouris 1661 Buccleuch Mun. II 314.
Treunchers(h) 1589 Exch. R. XXII 72.
Transchouris(i) 1643 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 537.
Treanchours(j) 1668 Orkney Antiq. Soc. V 39.
Item thrie fourcornered thrinchers(k) 1575–6 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 179.
Turnschouris(l) 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I 175.
Certane trinscheounis, pewter discheis and towellis 1547–8 Treas. Acc. IX 167.
For serving of his graces tabill upoun tuelf sylver trunscheounes 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 354.
Ane tin plait ane tin trincheoun ane tin saltfattcoll. 1672 Haigs of Bemersyde 474.
It. of puder truncer

b. transf. A large, flat cake of bread used as a trencher. 1513 Doug. vii ii 17.
Syne bred [sc. bread] trynschouris [Sm. trunschouris, Ruddim. trunscheouris; L. adorea liba … cereale solum] dyd thai fyl and charge With wild scrabbis and other frutis large 1513 Doug. vii ii 26.
Ne spar thai not at last, for lake of met, Thar fatale four nukit trynschour [Sm. trunschowris, Ruddim. trunscheouris] forto eyt

c. Used as a collecting-plate. a1500 Peblis to Play 111.
He gat ane trincheour in his hand And he began to compt Ilk man tua and ane happenie To pay thus we war wount 1613 Sc. Ant. I 74.
Everie maile, noone and evin, the trynsheour salbe laid down & ilk man sall pay his ordinar

2. A circular shape; a round object. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Orbis, a truncheor, or round bodie 1579, 1617 Despauter (1617) 16.
Orbis, a circle or a trenchour

3. A spear-head. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 539.
The trencheour of the Squyeris speir Stak still into Sir Talbartis geir 15.. Clar. iv 1031.
Both heir and thair the speiris gois in sunder, Up gois the trenschers in the air on height, Doune gois the horse and the inarmit knight

4. attrib. a. Trun(s)cheour plait, = 1 above. b. Trinscheor glas, ? c. Trunscheour staf, ? a staff or stick used as a cudgel or truncheon (Trun(s)cheo(u)n n. 2), or ? = blunt trincher speir.  d. Blunt trincher speir, a spear with a blunt head for use in jousting.a. 1614 Crim. Trials III 297.
He boght some trunscheour plaittis and ane pott with some linning cloathe for thair furnishing in the steple 1617 Inv. Q. Mary cxxxviii n. 4.
Aucht dusane of trunscheour plaittisb. 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX 269.
Certane … drinking glasis trinscheor glasis violl glasisc. 1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 215.
Niniane Forster … strak him witht ane trunscheour staf upone his heydd. a1568 Scott ii 51.
With twa blunt trincher speiris squair It wes thair interpryis To fecht