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.
Miln-, Mill-stan(e, Milstan(e, n. Also: milne-, myln(e)-, mylnne-, myl(l)-, myl(l)e-, mel- and (-staan,) -stain(e, -stayn, -steane; -ston(e. [ME. mylneston(e (14th c.), mylstone (c 1400), mulleston (c 1290), OE. mylenstán.] A mill stone.(a) 14.. Acts I. 334/2.
Betwen the hup and the myln stan —1478 Binns P. MS. No. 17 (see Miln-rynd(e n.). —1499–1500 Acta Conc. II. 376. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rev. xviii. 21.
Mylnne staan 1534 Bamff Chart. 66.
He brought ane of the mylne stanes to Tullyfergus to be ane hearthstane 1549 Reg. Cupar A. II. 59. 1573–4 Day-bk. J. Kyle 2 b.
For a pund irn and leid to ȝet the bottis of the mylnstans Ib.
For aill and breid at the layin of the mylnstane c1575 Balfour Pract. 496. 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 370.
Mylne staynis … beand twelf inche in the eye and ten inche in the hem 1596 Ib. V. 154. Ib. 156. 1596 Paisley B. Rec. 176. 1607 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 47. 1612 Bk. Rates 330.
Dog stones the last … milne stones the peice 16.. Ouchterlony in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 24.
[In Angus are] excellent milne stones great abundance of sklait and lymestone 1641 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 479.
[Cattoche had been found liable for] fyve merkis for ane milnstane 1699 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 823 (31 Aug.).
The said Charles is to furnish … half of the mylne stons(b) 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 107.
The stull … will nocht ber ane myll stane 1511 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 13 a.
The myl stane 1600–2 Montrose Treas. Acc.
For the mill stanis [14 lib. 33 s. 4 d.] 1613 Misc. Spald. C. V. 217.
The gangaris for the myll stain(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 846.
& til hyr nek … Thai band faste a gret mylstan Ib. xxxvii. 366. 1446 Reg. Episc. Brechin I. 107.
To … mak careage for his part for the bryngyng hayme of the mylstane c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 16/5.
Thus betuix thire twa as the nethir & ovire milstane the syn is wrocht awaye a1568 Bann. MS. 156 a/39.
Vpoun hir bak ane milstane braid Scho [a wren] bure 1560 Inverness Rec. I. 47. 1567–8 Ib. 162.
Ane mylstane of four fute braid and the ee 1574 Reg. Great S. 100/2.
Hamebringing of mylestanis 1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 20. 1591 Misc. Spald. C. III. 161.
Great branderis in milstanes infixt with irne and lead in ilk syde of the water 1594 Acts IV. 85/1. 1600–2 Montrose Treas. Acc.
For ane melstaine at the first biging [of the wind-mill] 1630 Banff Ann. I. 64.
Ane Pennen milsteane 4 s. 1637 Ib. 79. 1660 Ib. 142.
For everie Murray milston importit 4 s. 1662 Highland P. III. 24. Ib. 25. 1664 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 35.
Sufficient millstones wheils and axeltrieproverb a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 408.
He will get credit of a house full of unbored milstones
b. Attrib. and comb. 1457 Exch. R. VI. 339.
Per … firmas terrarum de Milstaneflate 1657 Stitchill Baron Ct. 10.
Aught merkes for grass maill with twelve sh. and 8 d. for myllestane silver 1660 Ib. 21.
The haill tenants … lyable and dew for payment of grass maill and mylle-stain silver at this term of Mertinmes 1680 Ayr & W. Coll. IV. 152.
The tenenntis … to have ease of the nixt milstone drawing
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"Mill-stan n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mill_stane>
