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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.

Wa(l)x, n. Also: waxe, vax, val(l)x, walk(i)s, wak(i)s, valkis, waux, waix, vaix. [ME and e.m.E. wex (c1200), wax (Cursor M.), OE weax, OFris. wax, ON vax.]

1. Wax, beeswax, as a substance or commodity. b. Candill of walkis (Candil(l n. 2). = Walx candill n. b.(a) 1375 Barb. xi 125.
Cartis … chargyt war With pailȝownys and weschall … And aparaile of chambyr & hall And wyne and wax [C. vax] schot & wittaile 1375 Barb. xv 94.
Sic foysoun … Off corne and flour and wax & wyn 14.. Acts I 306/2.
Of a kyst … wyth sape in it twa peniis. Of a kyst … with wax a peny 1398-1625 Aberd. B. Rec. I xxi.
iiii pece wax, price of the stane xviii s. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Bullion.
The last of wax containing xiiij schip pund(b) 1443–4 Ayr Chart. 28.
To tap … walx wyne and irne c1420 Wynt. ii 101 (W).
Walx [R., C. wax] 1500–1 Acta Conc. II 491.
Gert him lowis certane walx, spicis and saiffrone in the toune 1518 Edinb. B. Rec. I 180.
Wynis, walx, vittalis tymmir, irne, lynt, pik, ter, and all vther staple gudis cummand to the said port of Leith 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 223.
With power to sell walx, wyne [etc.] … and all vtheris merchandice lesum 1588 Exch. R. XXI 365.
Payment maid for flesche, fische, spyce, coillis, candill, valx, spendit in our said soveran lordis hous(c) 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 78a.
The count of the geir schepet ine rey … xvi pypes vi last of talone … v schepe pound leid i schepe ane half wakis(d) 1625 Brechin Test. IV 198a.
Ane pund of vaix pryce xii s.b. 1597 Bk. Rates 3b.
Inuarde Custumes … Candill of walkis the stane … xxx s.

c. As part of the rent in kind for property.These quots. may belong in sense 3 where there are similar examples. There, however, the property belongs to or has a connection with the Church. Also, quhite walx in quot. 1595-6 suggests the sense sealing-wax. 1589 Exch. R. XXII 17.
Expensis of the … dewiteis of our soverane lordis propirtie … 2 pund walx, 12 braid arrowis, 1 harie noble, 1 pair gilt spurris 1595–6 Rec. Earld. Orkney 359.
Payand … yeirlie … to my lord Erle of Orknay … for the said Geddes tenement … ane pund sufficient quhite walx [etc.]

d. As a token of safe-conduct. c1475 Wall. xi 912.
Set on his clok a takyn … The lyoun in wax that suld his condet be

2. Wax used in making seals for documents. b. transf.The seal itself, as a proof or guarantee of authenticity or legality, chiefly in collocation with writ.See also Quhit(e) wax, Red(e adj. 3 (2) for further examples. 1428 Ayr B. Ct. in Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXI 144.
Item for wax to twa commissionis vi d. and in parchymyn 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 12.
For wax to the commission of the first justis ayr 1515 Treas. Acc. V 49.
For wax deliverit to David Andersoun for selyis to certane lettrez 1516 Treas. Acc. V 79.
To ryd to the lordis of Newbottill, Dalkeith, and Ȝestar for thair selis to the last commissioun vij s., and for wax viij d. 1517 Treas. Acc. V 117.
For wax reid and quhit to sele the act and decret 1532 Treas. Acc. VI 50, 51.
For reid silk cordis to hing the seillis of the proces … for lxxj caps off quhite irne … to keep the seillis … for rede waks and quhite to sele the citationis … for quhite walx to stuff all the caps with … for rede walx to sele the proces 1543 Treas. Acc. VIII 223.
To Johanne Wallace, writar, for paper and walx furnist be him to my lord governour and his officiaris in the court 1565 Edinb. Univ. MS La.iii.388a. fol. 28a.
The clerk alwayis finding paper, ink, wax and writtin chalmer 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 133.
For a stick of rid waxb. 1438 Acts II 32/1.
The kyngis actis and decrettis geyffin vnder the kyngis vax 1456 Hay I 177/17.
He kepis his writt and wax nocht excedand the termes of his assuraunce c1460 Regim. Princ. 212 (Maitl.).
Thy richtuous iugement With writ and wax confermit 1491 Acta Conc. I 193/1.
He wes bundin be writt vax and subscripcioune manuale of his hande c1515 Asl. MS I 224/26.
He had the kingis wryt & walx to haf the castell of Wrquhart a1570-86 Kennedy in Maitl. F. 235/35.
Writ walx and selis ar no wayis sett by 1535–6 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 161.
We ordand Robert Hogis broder and sister to bryng ane laufull preif of levand men or in to vryt or valx quhilkis can schaw the condiciones made betuex James Hog [etc.] … anent [etc.] 1562-3 Winȝet I 107/27.
Oblissingis, knit with word, writt, walx and seil

3. Wax used in religious ceremonial, in the form of or to be made into candles or tapers, esp. for burning before a particular altar.Chiefly found as a fine, rent, legacy or due, in various circumstances, but esp. as a fine or due exacted under the disciplinary system of the craft guilds, for use at their particular altar.(1) 1445 Peebles Chart. 10.
And gif ony takis on hand to do the contrary … thai sal tak … of ilkane of thaim a pund of wax … to be brynt on Saynt Androis altar 1456 Hay Geneal. Sainteclaires 95.
I geve and leve to be brunt in wax the day of my sepulture, 8 stain 1492–3 Mill Mediæv. Plays 118.
Williame Lammyntone to bringe v li. waxe to the saide licht for the brekin of common ordinance 1501 Acta Conc. III (1993) 5.
The … instrument that requirit Jhone, Lord Drumond, til pay til the abbot and convent of Cowper of ane stane of walx til the lycht of the sammyn yeirly eftir the tenor of the infeftment 1524 Edinb. Hammermen MS 114a.
For the making of the auld walkis in twa half pound candillis aganis ȝoule 1530 Perth Tailors 11 July.
Valkis c1531 Reg. Soltre 213.
The sacrister … sall fynd one the hye altar twa sergeis of vax 1533 Edinb. B. Rec. II 63.
That na fals stuff be sauld … vnder the pane of half ane pund candill of walx to oure said altare 1533 Aberd. B. Rec. I 149.
All the takismen of the watteris … to pay … yeirlie … the lithis of wax to the honour of God [etc.] … that is to say … euery takisman of the pot … ane licht … to be gevin to the lichis of our altaris of [etc.] 1542 Haddington B. Rec. in Soc. Ant. II 391.
John Scharp and William Mason to pas in their lenyn claythis on Corpus Chrystis day afoir the sacrament all the tyme of the procession and than to offer to the baillies in name of the towne ilk ane ane pund of vallx 1551 Reg. Cupar A. II 70.
The saidis Maister Alexander … sall fynd … ilk ȝeir dwring the tyme of this assedatioun, with sufficient wax to Sanct Adamnanis licht and chapell conforme to the rentall 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II 360.
Walks 1558 St. A. Baxter Bks. 10.
The quilk day Jone Myller is admyttit lawful prentis … hes pait his pund of vax to the alter of Sant Cobert 1578 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 65.
Anent the clame of James Lidderdall of Sanct Marie Ile … vpoun the occupyars of the tenements vndirwrittin … the tenement … in Balmangan … eist part vj s. viij d. and ane pund of walx yeirly 1597 Stirling Merch. Guild 11.
The interants … vor accustomed to pey an bankeit to the breither as ane gild fyne with thair vax 1602 Stirling Merch. Guild 18.
Cautioner for vyne and vaix, Androw Lawrie 1627 Orkney Rentals iii 80.
Damsay, … payis to the Archdean ane barrell butter and ane pund vax(2) 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 103.
The prince was bapteist … on this maner … all the barronis … bure priccattis of waix … and … ane greit serge of walx be the erle of Athole

4. In comparisons with the properties of wax as a substance, in a. Its ability to soften or melt. Also pl.b. Its colour. c. An neis of walx, a nose of wax, see Nese n. 1 b (4) and Nos(e n. 1 b (3).a. a1400 Leg. S. vi 656.
[The idol] meltit as it vax ware 1490 Irland Mir. I 146/8.
For as the byrnand fyre meltis the wax, sa … this haly name … chasis the auld innemeis 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 163.
Now men … redis the scripture … to se [etc.] … As be exempyll thow seis … that the sonne wyll melt the walx and hardin the clay a1605 Montg. Misc. P. v 16.
And maks my hairt within me melt Lyk waxe befor the fyrepl. 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 58.
Evin as tua sort of vaxis meltit togither makis a masb. a1586 Lindsay MS 46b.
Agitus is that stane of the colour sad and law lyk walx

5. In various practical uses. a. In making moulds for casting metal. b. As a lubricant or preservative. c. As an ingredient in a glue. d. In making plasters or poultices. e. For use in mourning.a. 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 116.
For x pund wax to the furm of the gwn 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 217.
For vyre, clay, hair, ole, valx, and uthir necessaris … for making of the gun muldis 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 345.
Expens … upoun colis, petis, wyre, walkis, tello, rosset [etc.] … debursit … upoun the making of twa new muldis, and the tyme he meltit and ran the samin 1558 Treas. Acc. X 438.
To David Rowane, maister meltar, for expensis maid be him upoun hair, talloun … hemp, candill, walx [etc.]b. 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 160.
For walx and talloune to mors the hagbutis 1541–2 Treas. Acc. VIII 124.
For thre quartis ule de olyve furnesit be him, and for walx and scheip talloun to mix the samin witht to lay upoun the harnes for kepeing thairof fra roustc. 1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 257.
For certane walx and roset to the masonis to be symondd. 1594 Crim. Trials I ii 377.
His lady, being subiect to the colick … willit the laird to giff hir ane peace walx … to mak ane implaister 1596 Elgin Rec. II 45.
To mak a plaister to hir barne and scho maid the same … of swynis sawine, rossat, walx, blak peppir, hony and cannelle. 1692 Old Ross-shire I 152.
Expended on … funerals … 4 sticks of black wax 14 sh.

6. Wax used in witchcraft for making images of persons to do them harm. 1535 Stewart 35847.
This ald carling vpone ane speit of tre, Of walx ane image rostand at the fyre c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 329.
Wytches, quhilk roistit him in walx 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 237.
Convict, for making of ane pictour of walx, to the similitude of Mr. Johnne Moscrop 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 240.
Agnes preparit ane bony small pictour of ȝallow walx, quhilk sche inchantit and coniurit vnder the name of Archie 1677 Lauder Notices Affairs I 143.
[Pollock] whom they [sc. witches] rosted by a … fyre with images of wax and clay

7. Wax used for coating of a writing tablet. 1533 Bell. Livy I 55/17.
That … thai artikillis first and last rehersit … be observate … als richtuislie as thai ar here ingravin in thir tabillis or [? erron. for of] walx [B. waux; L. tabulis cerave]

b. For making a waterproof container. a1578 Pitsc. I 186/10.
In the on of the bossis [sc. of wine] he pat ane roll of wax; quhairin was clossit ane secreit writting

c. Gren walx, coloured wax used for decoration. 1494 Edinb. Hammermen MS 7a.
For the flowring of the candill with gren walx

8. specif.With reference to bees, esp. as the product of their activity. a1568 Scott i 105.
As beis takkis walx and honye of the floure a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 127/22.
God … hes geffin to the beis sik … craft to chaunge the … substance of diuerse floureseis … in hwny and vax a1568 Bann. MS 249b/33.
Quhen … walx is wrocht withouttin byk or be

9. attrib.and comb. Wax comb, a honey-comb. Wax marc, a unit of weight of wax. (Cf. Mark n.² 1, 2.) Wax picture, an effigy made of wax. Wax preckot, see Prik(k)at n. 2 (b). Wax shoes, shoes made of waxed leather. Also ellipt.(1) 1375 Barb. xi 368 (C).
He gert men mony pottis ma … Swa thik, that thai mycht liknyt be Till ane vax-cayme that beis mais(2) c1390-1434 Sc. Merchandise 119.
Here begynnys the reknyngis of the wax. It is to wit that xviij gr., ij gr. [f.n. ? a misreading [for] j qtr.] les of the payment, makis the wax marc, and vj li. makis the nayle(3) 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 101.
This woman … had formed an wax-picture with pins in the side(4) 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 63.
2 pair wax shoes to myselfe 1692 Foulis Acc. Bk. 144.ellipt. 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 54.
For a pair marikin shoes to my selfe, a pair wax to Arch.