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

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

Warnyn(g, Wairning, vbl. n.¹ Also: warn(e)ing, -eyng, -ying, varnyn(g, -eyng, -(e)ing, -eying, wairneing, wayrning, vairning, warnenyng, vairnening, werning, wearning. [ME and e.m.E. warningge (Ancr. R.), warning (Cursor M.), warnyng (Manning), warneing (1681), OE war(e)nung, wearning.]

1. Advance notice of impending danger, harm, punishment, etc. Also, to mak warnyng. Also pl. 1375 Barb. v 502.
Thai maid him mony tyme warnyng [C. varnyng] Quhen that thai his tynsaill mycht se 1412 Aberd. B. Rec. I 389.
Gif ony keip or persayvis ony schath aperand to the tovne … that thai mak warnyng c1420 Wynt. vii 73 (W).
Gif that thov thinkis to sla me Quhat tyme na now may better be, With opin warnyng and manheid? a1500 Seven S. 1840.
Thy self may be the emprioure And I of warnyng the myrrour 1513 Acta Conc. MS XXVI 12a.
That balis be maid apon all partis of the bordouris … for … warnyng … of thar innimyis 1515 Treas. Acc. V 39.
Warnying c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 7.
Judge me nocht, that I haue done indyte This lytle tractate of malice or dispyte, Bot for ane warnyng to the impenitent, And for the confort of thame that doth repent a1578 Pitsc. I 67/17.
This to be na wther thing but ane … dreame and nocht trew wairning for the amendement of his curssed lyf 1583 Sempill Warning title.
The warning to the lordis 1600 Crim. Trials II 252.
We are to craue of God, that this wairning may work amendement in himpl. 1532 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS I 118a.
The warningis to be maid be bekinnis

2. Legal or official notification, esp. notice given to remove from premises, resign from a post, etc.; freq. in written form, also letters, precept of warning.(1) 1504 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 145.
Quhen the sade Johne outquittis … the saide land … fra the sade Henry … he makande lauchfull varnyng to him fourty dayis befor the terme of Vitsonday 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II 125.
It salbe lefull to ayther of the saidis partiis to use warningis for removing fra landis and heretabill possessioun 1589 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis ?15 April.
The dait of varnyng maid for the four score ten ȝeris the xx of marte 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V 43.
The said maltmen sall … pay … twa penneis of knaiffschip for ilk laid for dew wairning and keping of thair rowmes 1602–3 Ayr B. Acc. 216.
[To be deducted from the Alloway barony-mail, for lands] under warning, [£10 8 s.] 1606 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 18.
Comperit Mr. Alexander Home, maister of thair grammer schole, and gaif in his bill makand wayrning to thame to provyde another maister to thair schole at Whitsonday nixtt c1630 Hope Minor Practicks (1734) 363.
The objections against the lawfulness of the warning are, that the parties are not lawfully warned personally, or at their dwelling-places, or upon the ground of the lands, … or, that the warning is not stamped, &c. a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 100.
That a wairneing quherupon neither summonds nor decreit hes followed, is not sufficient interuptione of possessione 1659 Lanark B. Rec. 171.
The counsell ordaines ane wairneing to be gevin to Johne Haistie in Clydisholme for removeing fra the boit and landis 1671 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 102 (April).
I … used the haill ordor of wairning prescryved be act of parliament anent wairning of tennents from lands(2) 1537–8 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 152 (see Warnesing n.).
Precept of varneying 1554 Digest Justiciary Proc. B 69.
The justice clerk … desyrit the saidis letters of wairneing and indorsatioun thairof to be regrat and insert in the buik of adiornall

b. The act of summoning; a summons, a command to do something, a legal or official request to attend a court, carry out an action, etc.; such a summons issued by public proclamation to the whole community.(a) 1453 Douglas Bequest MS No. 108 (Reg. H.) XII 1.
Gyff it happynis me … or myne ayris … wylfully … to absent ws and wyll nouch cum to the sayd daye of warning to ressaff the sayde some of mone 1502 Treas. Acc. II 144.
To ane man to pas to the schireffis of Fiff, Forfair, and Perth with warnyng for the passage in Denmark vj s. 1525 Acts II 297/2.
The kingis officiaris makand warning to private justice courtis of ony persouns for ony crymes [etc.] 1554 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 49.
To ane pursewant for warnyng of the burgh to the chakker 1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II 364.
For the peice warning, to Pait and the doctor ij s. 1566 Treas. Acc. XI 524.
To Lyoun herauld King of Armes, for expens maid be him upoun the warnyng and convening of the haill messingeris of this realme a1578 Pitsc. I 242/15.
The said justing and turnament to stand the spaice of xl dayis but the warneing and proclamatioun heirof was ane hundreith dayes befoir 1587 Acts III 456/1.
That all warningis and executionis in the kingis causis to be maid aganis ilismen hielandmen or borderaris in brokin cuntries … be maid at the mercate croces 1593 Elgin Rec. II 31.
And lau[ch]tfull varning to compeir to heir the samen [sc. the Catechism] the minister is appointit to proclame the samen in pulpeit on Sonday nixt 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi 269.
Each furnisher … giueth warning to his friends, to come receiue their necessars 1634 Crail Kirk S. 23 Sept.
Ilk persone being warnit be the beddell of the kirk and comperis not the first dyet of varning sall [etc.] 1655–6 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 210.
Givin to David Lindsay for warneing horss throw the parosh to loid coills(b) a1578 Pitsc. II 260/29.
Vairning 1583 Reg. Morton I 137.
I haue meid vairning for the redemption off five thowsand [merkis] 1606 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 22.
To John Coilȝear minstrall for wairning and playing to the nightbours to mend the gait a1651 Calderwood V 138.
The commoun bell of Edinburgh was knelled to give wairning to apprehend him [sc. Bothwell] 1665 Conv. Burghs III 578.
William Tennant, messour … to be imployed in making of all there comon wairnings(c) 1700 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 10 Sept.
I James Gordoune … commissar principall … understanding that after due citeing and laufull wearning made before me of ane edict openlie as effeirs of the executors … with the good and geir of the said … Jannet Greirsone

c. In senses a and b above with the period of notice specified. To warn (a person) apon a specified period of warnyng, see Warn v.¹ 4 b.(a) 1386 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 9.
Gyf ony … of outher of the reaumes shapes to do harme in to the bondys of the tother part … the lordes … sall set lettyng tharin … and in cas thai may not let that aythir part sal make warnyng til othir of xv dayes 1476 (1481) Reg. Great S. 310/2 (see Warn v.¹ 4 b).
Warnyn 1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 209.
The saidis Villiem and Alexander for to pay the said sovme withtin thre houris varnyn 1536 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 140.
To answer heyr for on fifteyne dais varneyng 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 51.
Thai to ressave monytiones thairupoun upoun ten dayis wairning of ony of the saidis parteis 1566 Old Ross-shire I 21.
I … Thomas Ros … resavit … in borroit monye [gap] twenty twa pundis [gap] quhilk [gap] I [gap] obleist me faytfully to [gap] pay [gap] apon four dais warneyng 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I 540.
Lettres wer direct summonding … all … haifing intres to persew Boithuile on fourty dayis warning a1578 Pitsc. II 199/24.
That all maner of man sould be in reddynes within thrie dayes varneing 1661 Rothesay B. Rec. 60.
Letters and executorialls of horneing poynding and wairding upone a simple chairge of sex dayes wairneing(b) c1439 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 190.
Al thir materis … sale be endyt betwex the day of this byle makkyne and Yole nexte folowande appon four dayis warnenyng quhen my lordis consale cummys til hyme 1586 Montrose Baillie Ct. 2a (31 July).
Thre dayis vairnening(c) 1626 Justiciary Cases I 35.
To find caution for thair compeirance befoir his maiesteis Justice … upone a fyftene dayis werning

3. In a clock: An alarm, the striking of the clock at particular times as a proclamation of that particular time. 1546 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 547.
Ane … substancious knok … gangand to strike houre and half houre compleit and justlie the xxiiii houris day and nycht, with thre warnyngis, ilk warnyng to contene vi^xx and nyne strakis, the first at foure houris in the mornyng, the nixt at xii houris at none, and the thrid at nyne houris at evin, upoun the five bellis in the stepill

4. attrib.With peice, a shot fired from a gun to give notice of impending danger. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 296.
The abstinence being rune out the first of Januar, at 6 horis in the moirning, at what tyme ane warning peice was shott out of the castle, to wairne all men to luike to thaim selvis