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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.

Mene, Mein(e, a.³ Also: men, meyn, mean(e, mayne. Comp. also: minor. [ME. (a 1300) and e.m.E. men(e, mean.Appar. repr. a more or less coincident development of senses of prec. a.¹ and a.²]

1. Of comparatively low rank or station, (more or less) lowly or humble. Also b. absol. 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 90.
A pretty god and meyn [: complene, attene] 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots 542.
Mony ma sufficient housses … occupyit be meane men 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 21.
I … being of sa meane qualitie Id. Detect. (1727) 87.
Meane and commoun persounis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 176.
[The] Erle of Buchane, with ane few nowmer of vther mene gentilmene a1578 Pitsc. I. 65/5.
Frome meane estait to great riches and dignitie abone thair degries 1590 Edinb. Test. XXI. 304.
As memberis discendit of his lordschipe hous althocht thai be mene 1592 Cal. Sc. P. X. 706. 1596 Crim. Trials I. ii. 397. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 116/2.
Choose honest, diligent, meane but responsall men Ib. 166/9. 1602 Elgin Rec. II. 98. 1611-57 Mure Misc. P. i. 26. 1627 S. Ronaldshay 12.
Every urisland conteining auchtein pennie land possest in smallis by mein men 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 109.compar. 1604 Murray Kilmacolm 33.
That by hir example the meiner sort may no longer be moved to contemn the Word of Godsuperl. 1602 Colville Paraenese 6.
Euin the menest membres of all courtes … vnto the bedalles [etc.] 1665 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 180.
That they be discreet in their discipline, even to the meinest schooler 1673 Laing MSS. I. 387.
Men off the meanest qualetieb. 1632 Fugitive Poetry II. vii. 92.
And heereby gives occasion to the meine … their sinnes for to preveine a1681 Cargill Lecture & Sermon 10.
It will never be well with you (especially the mein of the land) till the laws of God be the laws of the landcompar. 1686 Inverness Rec. II. 336.
Anent the payment of a shilling sterline be rich persones & sex pence be meanersuperl. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 84/4.
Learne your nobilitie to keipe youre lawis als præciselie as the meanest

2. Of little value or importance, inferior in quality, petty, unimportant; of little consequence, trivial. 1513 Doug. v. xii. 47.
From distructioun delyvir and outscrape Thir sobir trumpys and meyn graith of Troianys [L. tenues Teucrum res] ?1549 Monro W. Isles 13.
Fladay, ane meane roch ile 1606 James VI in Murray Early B. Organ. 478.
[Glasgow was] at the beginning … ane very meane and simple town, without ather trafficke or nowmer of inhabitantis 1610 Inverness Rec. II. 78.
The said Thomas … accidentlie vpone ane mein occasioune maist cruellie … voundit … the said George 1616 Anal. Scot. I. 365. c1616 Hume Orthog. 2.
To take a glim of a thing of so mean contemplation 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI. 152.
Certane sortes of meine bookes as catischisholmescompar. 1636 Edinb. Test. LVII. 323 b.
Ane jup of meiner clothsuperl. 1628 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 293.
Ane puir distressit peapill not abill in the meanest measour to contest with yowe 1638 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 142.
Not to transgres the meanest poynt of his commissioun 1651 Laing MSS. I. 262.
A sufficient ground to break the meinest saife conduct granted in the smallest mater

3. Of sums of money, wages, prices, etc.: Middling to small in amount, moderate, barely adequate, rather low. 1583 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 343.
Ane hundreth pundis, quhilk can be bot a very meane … living for a qualifeit minister 1596 Dalr. I. 54/3.
Althocht Cuper be na compare to Arbroth, ȝit in monesteries of meane or midway rentis it may haue the first place 1607 Bk. Islay 122.
The present demandit rewaird is baith meane and ressonable 1617 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 March.
His moyen is bot mein 1621 Acts IV. 621/1.
For small testamentis quhairin thair is lytill geir and a meane quote 1632 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 45.
The stipend allotit to Thomas Cowye, sacristar, is … but verie meanecompar. 1570 Elgin Rec. I. 124.
That the pair menis schoin be sauld for twa s. four d. and secunder of minor pricesuperl. 1612 Lett. & St. P. James VI 205.
[He will] be all menis stryue to keip thaes landes att the meinest rate he can

4. Of stature: Middling to low, moderate, rather small. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 297.
He was a man of myd eld & of mene staturcompar. 1576 Hist. Jas. VI 158.
He was of a meyner stature than uther horsis

b. ? Of middle size. 1618 Edinb. Test. L. 161.
Ane mein dun staig price foure pundis

5. Of a person's knowledge, ability, performance or the like: Middling to poor, moderate, undistinguished. 1513 Doug. Æn. Direct. 53.
Na meyn endyte nor empty wordis vayn 1562-3 Winȝet I. 13/10.
Be men of mein learning Ib. II. 35/1.
Insafer to sa grete a wickitnes he vseis nocht a mein and a vulgar support 1589 Logie Par. Hist. I. 21.
He was fund to have sum mein knawledge in the grounds of religione 1616 Misc. Spald. C. II. 159.
I will refuse no burding that my mene habilitie is habill to accomplish 1679 J. Somerville Mem. II. 266.

6. Reduced in resources or numbers, inadequately or poorly supported or provided. 1618 Buchan Cl. IV. 197.
How impossible it was unto them being but of ane mein number 1639 Moray Synod 43.
In respect that they ar so mayne both of ministers and rueling elders absent from this synod 1662 Ib. 131.
The universities of this kingdome were in a mean conditione as to their salaries and provisions 1669 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 257.
They wold be pleasit in respect of his meine conditione to … receave him to the hospitall of this burghe 1680 Conv. Burghs IV. 22.
They intend by reasone of their waik and mean condition at present to take away their haill comon good

7. comb. in mein-cullored, ? = of a ‘middle’ (not loud or extreme) colour, quiet-coloured. 1608 Tailor's Acc. Bk. A. 64 b.
Furneist to ȝour mein cullored claith claithis vij eilis of plading at x s. the ell