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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.

Wyng, Weyng, n. Also: wynge, wing(e, ving, weynge, weing, weng, winke. Pl. also veynis. [ME and e.m.E. wenge pl. (c1175), wengess pl. (Orm), wynge (1377), winge (Gower), wyng (1418), weynge (c1450), wynke (1531), wing (1573-80), ON vængir pl. of vængr.]

I. 1. One of the wings of a bird, insect, etc.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxi 160.
A lytil fla Has sex fete & wengis twa(b) 1513 Doug. v ix 33.
The fowle affrayt flychtris on hir weyngis 1513 Doug. xi xiii 167.
Als lychtly as the happy goishalk … With swyft weyngis persewis wonder sair The silly dow heich vp into the ayr(c) a1500 Henr. Practysis 44.
Recipe … Fyve vnce of ane fle wing, the fyn of ane fluke c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxviii 28.
London … Aboue all ryuers thy ryuer hath renowne … Where many a swanne doth swymme with wyngis fare 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1775.
The falcon … with hir wingis, scho russillit & rang hir bellis(d) 1674 Peebles B. Rec. II 89.
All thes who hes any foulles to caus ather clog them or clip ane of their winkes

b. On weyng, on (one's) weyngis, in flight, flying. c1475 Wall. iii 7.
Bestiall … Weyle helpyt ar be wyrkyn off natur, On fute and weynge ascendand to the hycht 1513 Doug. xii v 67.
Fowlys … on thar weyngis … Skrymmys heir and thar 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 167.
Belyve on weyng the bissy lark vpsprang, To salus the blyth morrow with hir sang

c. A representation of a wing. c1450 Mill Mediæv. Plays 172.
iii^xx of crownis vj pair of angel veynis iij myteris 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 413.
xiiij knoppis of gold with fassis and wyngis contenand v hankis of gold, and vj unce and ane half of silk c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2286.
Behald, in euery kirk and queir … Imageis maid with mennis hand … Sanct Peter, caruit with his keyis; Sanct Mychaell, with his wyngis and weyis 1665 Inv. Pictures in Clerk of Penicuik MSS (Reg. H.) 6 (1 Jan.)
Ane anual silver plait on which thar is a mort head & a sand glass with 2 wings grawen about it

2. A man-made contrivance for flight, an artificial wing. Also in fig. context. a1400 Leg. S. i 562.
He [sc. Symon Magus] Of the capitale, in the mast hecht … passit vpe, and his weyngis dycht … And flaw, as he a foule had bene 1688 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 152.
[I thought upon] the best ways of moveing wings and fixing them to my bodyfig. 1513 Doug. iv v 122.
Mercur … Ontill hys feyt fast buklyt he Hys goldyn weyngis

3. transf. or fig. a. The (imagined) wings of a person, angel, mythological creature, etc. b. Applied to non-material qualities, emotions, etc., suggesting speed or height.a. a1400 Leg. S. xliii 387.
Quod the prefet to thame … 'Of ȝoure god tel me the name!' Valaryane til hyme than can say … 'His name fynd thu na ma, Tho thu had wengis for to fle' c1420 Wynt. i 669.
Thare ar folk sex elne of hycht, Makrobitys thai ar callyde rycht … weyngys [E. wyngis] … thai hawe, but were As yhe se ernys hawand here c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 21.
His angel wingis bryght He spred vpon the ground doun fro the hevin 1513 Doug. iii iv 34.
The harpeis on vs fell, With huge fard of of weyngis and mony a ȝell 1513 Doug. vii ix 47.
This hellis goddes … Hir dowbill weyngis with edder sound dyd bete a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 141 (L).
I sprang vpoun Cwpidois wingis The bow and quaver bayth resingis To lene me for ane day a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxx 11.
Blind brutal boy, that with thy bou abuses Leill leisome love by lechery and lust … With wings and quaver waving with the wind; A plane playmear for vanitie devysit 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. iv 8.
Deceau'd by loues alluiring wingis 1684 Hay Fleming Six Saints II 227.
We desire to belive that He is one His wing in comming to deliver His poor opprest bride in Scotlandb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 110/50.
Throw Scotland, Ingland, France and Lumbardy, Fleys on weyng thi fame and thi renoune 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 81/57.
Houpe beginnes to hoise me on her wings

c. With reference to a mother bird's practice of protecting her young with her wings, hence, the protection or care of a person. 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlix.
Ȝe haif … had guid experience of oure clemencie and vndir our wyngis enioyed in peace the possessioun of your awin gudis 1558-66 Knox II 290.
Murtheraris, adulteraris, theavis [etc.] … and all malefactouris, gatt protectioun under the Quenis wyngis, under that cullour, becaus thai war of hir religioun 1600-1610 Melvill 77.
Under thair winges crape in craftie fellowes, wha maid the reformation of religion … to be bot turbulent and treasonable delling 1604-9 Grahame Anat. Hum. 2b.
If thou chance to see sheltred vnder thy owne wings, the deceitfull parasite … the detracker of honestie [etc.] … sweepe them away 1614 Melvill lxii.
The childring of men trust under the schadow of Thy weingis

II. A lateral projection similar to a wing.

4. One of two divisions on each side of the main body of an army in battle formation.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii 2520.
Anothir weyng [C. weynge] thai saw cum … Off Inglis men all redy bowne On thame to feycht 1460 Hay Alex. 146.
Antegon … With Dawcline Caulyne and Leonides Off the rycht wing thir four chiftanis wes c1475 Wall. vi 542.
Jarden thar come in till thar cumpany; And Kyrkpatrik … A weyng thai war in Wallace ost to pas 1513 Doug. xi xii 17.
The weyng [Ruddim. weing] of Wolscane pepill in feild With the stowt wench Camylla vnder scheild 1531 Bell. Boece I 230.
The Scottis … put baith thair [sc. the Picts'] wingis to flicht; sone efter, discomfist the middillward 1533 Bell. Livy I 86/9.
The horsmen … war arrayit in two wyngis, baith on the richt and left hand fornens the Sabynis 1533 Bell. Livy I 139/24.
The richt wyngis war victorius, and the left wyngis discomfist on euery side a1538 Abell 22a.
The Romanis failȝet in the first wyng of the batell bot prudentlie Wespasioun stuffit it with ane new legion a1538 Abell 25b.
Wynge a1578 Pitsc. I 314/28.
[They] sett on fercelie wpoun the lape and winge of the laird of Ballclucheis feild(b) 1494 Deidis of Armorie 2.
The marschall suld … put in ordinans the men of wer, a part to the awant-gard and the tothir to the batalȝe, the thyrd to the arrier-gard, and the ferd to the vinges of the batalȝe

5. ? A piece of wood used for displaying or laying out skins. 1507 Treas. Acc. III 394.
For ij Estland burdis to be weyngis to the bestis, iiij s. iiij d.

6. A piece of land jutting out into the sea. ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 69.
North fra this … lies the great Ile of Sky … This Ile is callit Ellan Skianach in Irish, that is to say in Inglish the wyngit Ile, be reason it hes mony wyngis and pointis lyand furth fra it

7. attrib. With Laid ppl. adj. ? With reference to the oars or (as suggested in OED) the sails of a ship, arranged like wings. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 502.
The wing-layd galley, with her factious oares