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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1499-1528, 1590-1649
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Tundir, -er, -yr, n. Also: toundire, -er, towndir, tynder. [ME and e.m.E. tinder (Layamon), tunder (c1220), tyndyr (Trevisa), tondre (Piers Plowman), OE tynder, MLG tunder.] Tinder. Also attrib. with as (? ashes) and box. a1400 Legends of the Saints xlix 72.
Of wod dry as toundire Tha … put thar-in Bath pyk & tere, to ger it bryne a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1801.
With fyre of tunder [: wndere] Ane gret mane fyre thai maide 1513 Doug. i iv 34.
First Achates slew fyre of the flynt Keppit in dry leiffis as tunder, quhil thai brynt 1513 Doug. vii iv 78.
Torrida Ȝona, dry as ony tundir [Sm. tundyr] 1513 Doug. xi xvii 88.
That Ene the feildis reik lyke tundir [Sm. towndir; rh. sondir] Of dusty stowr 1528 Lynd. Dreme 443.
Vp to Mars, … we haistit ws, Wounder hote, and dryer than the tounder, His face flamand a1649 Drummond II 129/8.
Rare gifts whose ardors turne the hearts of all, Like tunder when flint attomes on it fallattrib. c1590 Fowler I 315/86.
I think that ȝow The tynder as assewme To wittnes how that pansiue thoughts To as dois me conseume 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 291.
Boxes called fyre or tunder boxes the groce … iiii li. 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 1b.
For ane tunder boex 1 s. 4 d.
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"Tundir n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/tundir>
