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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mude, Mud, n.¹ Also: mwd(e, mood. [ME. mode, mudde (14th c.), mud (15th c.): cf. MLG. mod(d)e, mudde, LG. mod, mōde, mūde, etc.]The rhyme-words are gude and flood.

1. Mud.(a) c1420 Wynt. v. 237.
Wytht dykys made off fayle or mude [: gude] Ib. iv. 16. c1500 Fyve Bestes 258.
His garment grene … Was sa mismaide in the myre & mvde [: gud] 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII. 120.
For grathing of the samin hous, and breking doun of twa wallis of mude and clay thairin 1575 Inverness Rec. I. 242.
In respect he had ane dyke of mude to big for drawing of wattir thairto 1618-60 Lithgow Poet. Remains i 16.
Even like the rage of the impetuous flood, Debording from his banks, leaues slyme and moodfig. 1562-3 Winȝet II. 78/5.
Lat the cleir fayth and credulitie of our elders be na mixing of glar or mude be tribulit and maid drumlye(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 82 (B).
Among this mvk and mwd [: gude] 1513 Doug. v. vi. 125.
Al hys membris in mud and dung bedoyf Ib. vi. v. 4.
With holl bysme and hydduus swelch onrude, Drumly of mud [L. Turbidus … caeno] 1615 Bk. Mackay 127.
That yisterday … he hard three gentlemen who were in the nixt house and ane wall of mud onlie betwix tham [etc.]

2. Attrib. a. (Built) of mud or clay.Also Mudewall. 1570 Elgin Rec. I. 121.
For the bigging of ane mud dyk 1580 Ib. 155.
The said George … keist down ane mude gavell of ane house 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV. 288.
The said complenaris foirsaid house … being laich mud bigging 1684 Ellon Par. 230.
Twodoars, mud-work of west gavell

b. (Codfish) ‘preserved by being salted wet in bulk in the hold of the fishing vessel’ (SND, s.v. Mud n.¹ 1).As in the later Shetl., Orkn., north. and north-eastern dial. 1477 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 408.
Tuelf mvd keling and threttene mvd codlingis, … threttene knappold 1600 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 91.
Of ilk thousand of grein mud fische xl sh.