Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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Chen(e, Chean(e, n. ? Also: schen, schene. [Variant of Chenȝe and Cheyne; the phonology is obscure.] A chain. Also fig.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints xlviii. 42.
As he saw that hurt hir nocht, Chennys of yrne son var wrocht 1471 Acts Lords Auditors 14/1.
A chene of gold and a cors 1474 Reg. Morton II. 243.
Ane chene of gold with ane crucifix of gold 1474 Ib.
The said chen and crucifix c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace xi. 245.
Gret chenys was wrocht in the ȝet with a gyn a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 228.
Covatus in his chene has ws knyt a1499 Ib. 503.
He that syn can lok in till his chene 1496 Acts Lords of Council II. 17.
Ane chene of gold weyand thre uncis of gold c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiv. 78.
Sa mony ane Kittie … schawand hir golden chene 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1053.
Fair ladyis thare chene may not eschape 1549 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 269.
Fyve pair of braislaittis, ane chene and xxx ringis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 37/23.
Wylfull blyndnes … haldis him … sa fetterit, as it war, with certane strang chenis of irne a1568 Scott x. 58.
Baith our hairtis ar ane, Luknyt in luvis chene(b) 1570 Leslie 71.
Riche juellis and massy cheanis 1609 Gardyne Garden 51.
A cheane both be thy nature and thy name, Vnto this burgh thou euermair hes beene 1625 Edinburgh Testaments LIII. 58.
Ane cheane maid be me 1628 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 370.
For lenthning of the taes of the cheane for the Lyoun 1663 Peebles B. Rec. II. 203.
To Thomas Brown, … for the painting … the dyall and the cheans 1715 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 182.
A pair of raixes and a chean to the jack(c) 1601 Cal. Sc. P. XIII 831.
[But I would have believed that your] schenis [of my service (proceeding from such a fountain that has all good perfections) should have been more permanent]