Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Mainsing, n. Also: mayns-, meaynsing, ma(i)nzeing, mansing. [f. mains Mainis n.] Of land: The condition of being farmed by the proprietor himself as ‘mains’, as opposed to being set to tenants.Chiefly in the phr. in mainsing as against in tennendry.Common only in the 1627 Reports on the Parishes. 1621 Durie Decis. 6. 1627 Ib. 267.
Seing the land was not set out for farm but was laboured in mansingwith the said James Nisbets own goods 1627 Rep. Parishes 42.
Baith the maynes and the pendicles ar labourit maynsing throu uthir Ib. 74.
[At Heriot] no meaynsing, no lyming, no gressumes payit Ib. 128.
In manzeing Ib. 133.
In mainzeing Ib. 204.
It being labourit in mainsing be the fewaris Ib. 2, 17, 18, 36, 47, 49, 78, 97, 108, 232. 1627 Orkney Rentals iii. 71.
As touching the tryell of maynsing, there is none here Ib. 91, 95. 1631 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. I. 72.