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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pay-, Pa-, Peyment, n. Also: paye-, pai(e)-, pae-, peay-, py- and -mentt, -mand, -mint. [ME. and e.m.E. pay-, paiement (114th c.), pament (1422), F. paiement (12–13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), f. payer Pay v.] Payment, in various senses.

1. Punishment, chastisement. = Pay n. 1.Only in Barb. and Alex. in to ma payment. 1375 Barb. vi. 148.
He … sa gud payment can thaim ma That fiff sum in the furd he slew Ib. xviii. 144.
And he … can thame ma Sic payment … That weill ane hundreth men gert he Leiff … the cawsee ?1438 Alex. i. 1540.
He … sa great payment to thame mais That nane micht thole his sword of steill

2. a. The action or act of paying; giving of money or goods in recompense; remuneration, pay, wages; an instance of these. b. The sum of money or goods paid or due to be paid; a payment or a price.(a) (1) c 1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
Sa that we be haldyn harmeles fore that paiement 1396 Sc. Ant. XIV. 218.
At the last payment his forsaid landis [to be] fre in his awyn hande c1420 Wynt. vi. 463.
The rekpenny thai oysyd to call … that payment That this kyng dyd Ib. viii. 3183. 1431 Reg. Great S. 45/1. 1432 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 44. 1456 Hay I. 138/33.
I aw nocht to ask double payment Ib. 167/15.
Sen … ȝe have tane anys ȝour payment 1457 Reg. Dunferm. 344.
Enterand in payment at the Martinmes in vyntyr next folowand c1460 Thewis Wysmen 442. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxiii. 9.
Ȝour nobill payment I did assay 1534 Carnwath Baron Ct. 86 b.
Vnto the tyme that the said cradetouris … had gottin payment or causschione thairfor a1568 Sempill Bann. MS. 127 a/82.
Cum lay the payment in my hand 1641 Aberd. Council Lett. II. 275.
In caice of failȝie of payment 1681 Stair Inst. i. xiii. 14.
By payment at the bar it was allowed to be purgedplur. 1505 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 103.
That ane of the maisteris … pas at all tymes neidfull [to] lift and rais the saidis quarter paymentis fra euery persoun that aw the samyn(2) 1471 Acta Aud. 16/1.
Johne of Vgstoun has … grantit day … for the payment of the said soume quhill Mertymes next tocum 1478 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 339.
Fourty pund of … the first payment of the said Alexander Cummynis mariage gud 1529 Dundee B. Laws 508. 1575 Conv. Burghs I. 37.
For non payment of the boulȝeoun 1587 Grant Chart. 166.
Paymentt 1611-57 Mure Hist. Rowallane 243.
For payment of ane pound of comine seed in name of blensch ferme yearlie(3) 1398 Liber Melros 489.
Hale gre, satisfactioun and payement to the forsaidez religiouse … be halily and qvitly made c1420 Wynt. vii. 1652. 1424 Acts II. 6/2.
The commissaris … has … hecht to mak the first payment of … the kingis finance a1500 Henr. Fab. 1256 (Bann.).
The scheip … to the dog can mak Reddy payment 1478 Acta Conc. I. 15/1. 1500 Exch. R. XI. 266 n.
To mak thankful payment till our lovit cosinace 1511 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 13.
Paymand 1554 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 778. 1567 Inverness Rec. I. 152.
Ane bowe of ewe price xiii s. iv d. … the said Johne will nocht mak payment ofplur. 1398–9 Liber Melros II. 489.
Than the … convent has grantid … to make thir paymentis lely and trewly(4) 1603 Moysie 119.
Bestowit vpone payment of the suddardis 1626 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 152.
Payment of the jevallar 1689 Beale Fife Schools 176.(5) 1396 Sc. Ant. XIV. 217.
In part of payment of the forsayd ii c marcis 1456 Hay I. 167/5.
It suld nocht be … delyverit me in payment 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 364. 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 94.
In contentacioune and payment for his lavbour 1571 Reg. Privy C. II. 101. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 292.
Good will should be tane in part of paiment 1661 Buccleuch Mun. II. 312.
Otheris persones quhatsumeuir addebtit in payment thairof(b) 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 10.
The officiaris that intromyttit therwith sall gadder and mak fwll paimint for al thaim that ar distrengeabill 1571 Cal. Sc. P. IV. 52.
That your lordship will caus us have present money to the paiment of the men of weir(c) c 1456 Edinb. B. Rec. MS. 2.
In full and haile pament of the hale some 1459 Peebles B. Rec. I. 134.
The forsad Adam to … pruf his pament 1466 Ib. 155. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 422.
Gif pament or praier mught mak that purchese [etc.] 1488 Lanark B. Rec. 3.
The balyeis assignit xv dayis to the pament of the said soum 1498 Aberd. Pynours 4.
And mak pament of the skaith sustenit be the merchandis 1504 Rec. Earld. Orkney 76.
With viii s. of sylver pament for houshald gere 1514–15 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 30.
The said Jhone [is] to have pament that accordis to be had 1517 Ib. 44.
For the nocht entraye to mak pament to Jhone Scharp 1529 Conv. Burghs I. 508.
The haill nacioun of Scotiand to be frie … for anis pament of custum for thar guidis 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 29.
Vnder the pament of x li. tilbe gevin till Sanct Gelis werk 1530 Aberd. B. Rec. I. xxxvi.
Pamint 1531 Wigtown B. Ct. 250 b.
& pleg fore the pament 1558 Inverness Rec. I. 20. 1567–9 Old Ross-shire I. 17.
In compleit pament of my stipent 1576 Compl. Zetl. 28 b. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1659.
Wrang compt is na payment 1610 Laing MSS. I. 119.(d) 1535 Glasgow Prot. IV. 70.
In compleit paement for the mawing of certane corn 1536–7 Ib. 102.
Failȝeand paement of the sayd meyll yeirlie 1551 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 182. 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 169.
He will not make nae paement or restitution therof without he be compellit(e) a 1692 Old Ross-shire I. 78.
Give this poore man my servant peayment of Dunckan Mackeaine Vaiene … for he is resting him thrie ells linning(f) 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 91.
Gewand thé hir draff for peyment 1600-1610 Melvill 138.
A compt of a … dett wharoff sche gat na mair peyment nor the Duc his executors maid hir 1617 Brechin Kirk S. 21 Jan.
But they will continew the peyment thairoff till Pasche 1623 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 382.
And that for peyment [etc.] 1640 Inverness Rec. II. 176. 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 106.
During the not peyment thairoff 1670 Forbes Baron Ct. 280.
All tennentis that is lybill for peyment of custom sheip 1672 Argaty Baron Ct. 6 Jan.
To mak peyment thairof within terme of law(g) 1689 Dunferm. Hammermen MS. 120.
The craft hath receaved full and complet pyment of his fredom & his othir counts resting

c. comb. in payment-making. 1563 Inverness Rec. I. 106.
Be resson of nane payment making at the foirsaid terme 1581 Reg. Privy C. III. 386. 1618 Grant Chart. 317.
Incaice we … faillies in peyment macking of the said … sowme

3. Means of payment, currency.This sense only Sc.: cf. MDu. paeyement id.Chiefly with defining terms specifying the particular currency. In Sc. Merchandise and Bute MS., simply the payment, appar. = the medieval livre parisis, Paris money, which however was by the 14th c. no longer current money but only used as a money of account (private letter, A. Hanham, 1972).(1) c1390-1434 Sc. Merchandise (ed.) 119.
It is to wit that xviii gr. ii gr. les of the payment makis the wax marc and vi li. makis the nayle [etc.] c1420 Bute MS. fol. 175, etc.
Of wecht in Flandris … Qwhen the mark is worth xxxi [MS. xxvi] s. & iv d. of the payment the sterlyng is worth vii d. of the payment And the mark is worth iv s. & v d. of the payment(2) 1422 Raine N. Durham App. 104.
Thai sale pay … x pond of vsuale payment of Scotland 1434–5 Reg. St. A. 424. 1472 Reg. Dunferm. 369.
[£450] of gude and vswalle payment of Scotland 1480 Rec. Earld. Orkney 331.
For a mark of silver usuale pament of Scotland(3) 1450 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 344.
Fourty pundis of Scots payment 1505 Rec. Earld. Orkney 204.
Foure pund Scottis payment 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 66.
Ignorant men that comptis sterling monie efter the abufe name of Inglis payment(4) 1451 Acts II. 40/1.
The croune … that rinnis now in France for coursable payment

b. Method or rate of payment. c. The fact of being current coin. 1467 Acts (1597) i. 52.
Because of diversities of payment within the realme throw the intaking of rentes be the auld payment & giving out againe be the samin price 1524 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. fol. 106 b.
Gud and wsueill mony of Scotland hawand cours of pament for the tyme