Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Mortichein, Mortechin, Morters(c)hynne, n. Also: morti(e)cheyn(e, -chean(e. [Appar. the alleged F. mort d'eschine ‘death of the spine’, attested only in an alleged F. proverb quoted by Fitzherbert (1523), on the assumption that glanders derived from an affection of the spine.Cf. also F. morve running of the nose, glanders, of which the first element of the compound might be a corruption, and e.m.E. (1523–1735) mourning of (also on) the chine, chyne, id.]

Glanders, the disease of horses. b. Also attrib.(a) 1635 Cramond Cullen Ann. 39.
All hors and meares having the mortiecheane or scab to be removit out of the town 1637 Elgin Rec. I. 257.
Hors or meeris that beis infectit with the mortichein 1641 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 483.
That the defender had a mare suffering from a horse sickness called mortiecheyne c1650 Spalding II. 449.
[In] the vther tuo horss regimentis … mony deid in the morticheyne 1667 Kirkwall Chart. 91.
Forbidding any man to bring to the said markett … any horses that hath the mortechin(b) 1663 Old Ross-shire i. 83.
None sall tak in a suspectit horse aither with skaikle or mortershynne [v.r. skakle or morter schynne] to the strath without … tryal be his neighboursb. 1682 Banff Ann. I. 161.
All mortichein hors to be removit furthe of this brughe … wnder the failye of ane hundrethe pundis