A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1609
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Amang, prep. and adv. Also: amange, amaunge. Also anglicized variant: among. [Northern (and early southern) ME. amang, amange (southern among, amonge), OE. amang for earlier onmang. Cf. Amangis,prep., and Emang, Imang.]
A. prep. 1. In or into the midst of (a number of persons or things); among, amid.1375 Barb. iii. 483 (amang the hillis); v. 351 E. (ruschyt amang thaim). a1400 Legends of the Saints xii. 316 (vpe amaunge tham stud); xv. 40 (as lammys amang wolfis). c1420 Wynt. viii. 6233 (he amang thame rade). 1456 Hay I. 189 (amang Cristyn folk). a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 22 (amang thay myrk montanis). c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 243 (amang the clewis); c1500-c1512 Tua Mar. W. 368 (amang the rude peipill). 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 50 (amang the assis, oxin and ky). a1585 Polwart Flyting 180 (amang the middings).
b. With singular object.1513 Doug. i. ix. 13 (amang the ayr); vi. Prol. 104 (amang the fyre).
2. Denoting inclusion, esp. in the phrases amang other, amang the lave or rest, etc.1375 Barb. i. 281 (amang othir). a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 351 (amange the lafe); iii. 695 (amaunge othir). c1420 Wynt. v. 1635 (Judas dyde his service amang the appostyllys). c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii. 175 (amange the law). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 25 (amang the laif). a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xix. 55 (amang vther servandis think of me). a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xxxvii. 11 (amang the rest). 1596 Dalr. II. 280/6 (sum schipis amang quhilkes war tua special).
3. Denoting association, inter-relation, or distribution.a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 256 (thefis amang thame pece vill have). (a) c1420 Wynt. i. 1468 C. (as thai amange thaim war blaberande). c1460 Wisdom of Solomon 546 (the grete inwy amange nychtbouris). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lviii. 5 (to pairt amang thame). 1533 Bell. Livy I. 195 (dividit amang thame self). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 7 (half ane quartar amang thayme). a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xcvii. 78 (we gre amang our sell).(b)a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxxx. 23 (thay among them selfis accord).
b. Between (two parties). 1493 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 141.
A lig and bande maid amange the communite and burges of Colane, etc.
4. In verse, placed after the noun or (more usually) pronoun.c1450-2 Howlat 494 (thy fays amang). c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 345 (he was wsyt thaim amang). c1500 Fyve Bestes 241 (as thai war talkand thaim amang). c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxi. 33 (grit wer hes bene ws amang). c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2833 (one decreit maid thame amang). 1570 Satirical Poems xv. 31 (tak the turtill ȝow amang). a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xcvii. 5 (thir fair flouris amang). 1609 Garden Garden 32 (these ornaments amang).
B. adv. 1. Ay amang, every now and then; at intervals. 1375 Barb. iii. 714.
For, ay amang, The wawys reft thar sycht of land a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 798.
Scho held chalmer with lytill sang, Gretand and murnand ay amang
2. Inserted (in something else). a1500 Doug. King Hart 334.
Ruby reid and pairt of quhyt amang
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"Amang prep., adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/amang>
