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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Clenge, Cleinge, Cleange, v. Also: cleng, klenge, clendge, clench, clynge, cleangse. [Northern ME. (Cursor M.) and e.m.E. clenge, irreg. variant of ME. clense, OE. clǽnsian. Cf. Clange v. and Clense v.]

1. tr. To make clean; to cleanse.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxii. 357.
A fare ȝung man … I se, with a schet in hand, Clengeand thi hortis that are sare 1456 Hay II. 121/27.
It sall clere thy voce and clenge thy teith Ib. 123/36.
Water … to cule and clenge the stomak 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I. 193.
Four bollis of hors corn … as it fallis of the schafe and clengyt fra the caff 1490 Irland Mir. I. 82/8.
Marye Magdalene … wosche his feit, and with hire … haire clengit and dryit thame c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 190.
Hir cair is all to clenge thy cabroch howis Ib. xxxiv. 35.
Go clenge thé clene and cum to me 1518 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 177.
That all … inhabitants of this burgh purge and clenge thair calsayes to myd channell 1521 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 98.
The haill toun … feit ane Flemyng … till clenge, graitht, and decht thair artailȝery 1524 Ib. 109.
The baillies chargit thair officiar to … charge all the pynouris that usis till leid fulȝe to pass and clenge the kingis get c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 163.
Wald thay clenge thare filthy taillis, … Than suld my wrytting clengit be 1551 Hamilton Cat. 183/12.
As wattir weschis and clengis the bodye outwartly 1581 Edinb. Test. IX. 306.
Of watt lynt clengit xxxi boundis 1591 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 460.
Twa werkmen … to cleng & soup the well efter the aisler stanes was layd 1596 Glasgow Chart. II. 570.
We ordane the said Johne Ros … to … clenge the said rowme, and hald it clengit … in tyme cuming 1609 Craig iii. 3.
Some clenged and dressed their armour 1612–3 Misc. Spald. C. V. 89.
For rosset and clenching the conselhous, at the head court c1650 Spalding I. 132.
Thay drest and clengit thair cairt peices(b) 1622 Elgin Rec. II. 174.
To tua men for redding about the queir ilk day till the queir be cleingit 1631 Peebles Gleanings 98.
For clyngeing Brockis hoill and burneing the werming [= vermin] furth thereof 1686 Seafield Corr. 27.
Ane act … to uphold and rectefie the streets and lanes of the citie, and to cause cleinge the samen(c) 1648 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 90.
The counsell ordaines … Iohn Straquhan, maister of hospitale, to caus dicht and cleange the bedhous 1684 Sc. Antiquary XI. 19.
Ance in the yeir to him that cleangeth the coladge, xxiv s. 1689 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 432.
To cause cleangse the streets … with all expeditione

b. To remove by cleaning. 1513 Doug. xiii. xi. 50.
Se that thou clenge and do away, Gif thar be in hym ony mortall thyng 1521 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 204.
That all … indwellares in this towne clenge all filth of saiges … within thre dayes 1539 Reg. Cupar A. II. 10.
x bolls of hors corn … the caf clene clengit thairfra 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 143.
That … all persouns haiffand brynt landis … caus clenge and carie away the filth thairin c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6243.
Quhen corruptioun beis clengit clene away 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1383.
Quhair thay best culd … clenge the caffe out fra the corne 1596 Dalr. II. 247/21.
Mony bischopes, quha war for that cause conueinet to cleinge hæresie

2. To clean from, or after, disease or infection; to disinfect. a1400 Leg. S. xi. 27.
Thu … clengis men of myselry 1499 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 76.
That thair be tane of ilk man of substance that hes thair howse to clenge, x s. 1500 Ib. 77.
That … ilk ane of thame purge and clenge thair said hous and all maner of stufe being thairintill be watter and fyre c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. x. 8.
Raise ye deidmen, clenge the lepirmen 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 39.
Niniane Iohnnesone … is clengit and past his way in the contray 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 281.
That the marinaris and utheris that sall … handill the gudis abonewrittin be clengeit and kepit apart be thameselffis for ane tyme 1606 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 54.
Tua men of Dundie quha had tane in hand to clenge thair parochin of the said plague 1646 Peebles Gleanings 253.
For ane laid of peitis to clenge the schoole 1647 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 119.
Thomas Stewart … to goe and cleange the rest of the foule houssis, and Claud Snodgers … to cleange cloathes on the muir

3. To make morally or spiritually clean; to purify. a1400 Leg. S. v. 108.
For sic lewynge Of vice is nocht clengit the thinge a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1121.
Clenge the corrupcioun of vncleir consciens c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 6/5.
Or [= ere] the pennance be sufficient and meritor to clenge thi synnis 1562-3 Winȝet I. 108/13.
That Christe clengeis his kirk … be the lawar of regeneratioun a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xviii. 3.
Send ws thy help this land to clenge and purge a1605 Montg. Son. vi. 13.
Cry out, … And wish the king his court and counsell clenge 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 248.
Baptisme could not cleinge the kirk of God, gif it war a nakit signe 1626 Garden Worthies 42.
That wnworthie … revenge, … Whilk now noe collor nor excuse can clenge 1633 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 129.
And call to minde what David he would do. First clenge his house, and then his Kingdome too

b. Const. of or from (sin, wrong-doing, etc.). 1490 Irland Mir. I. 81/20.
The wattir of bapteme … weschis and clengis us fra original syn 1562-3 Winȝet I. 8/29.
Thay ar bund subditis to … auarice, neuir intendand to clenge thair handis of the kirk rentis 1567 G. Ball. 77.
Pas vnto him … Of sin gif thou wald clengeit be a1605 Montg. Son. vii. 1.
Shir, clenge ȝour cuntrie of thir cruell crymis 1660 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 264.
Raign, and that land from vipers venome clenge, So shall that motto hold, Raign and Revenge

4. To clear or make clear; to clean out. 1375 Barb. viii. 92.
Behaldand how his menȝe fled, And how his fais clengit the sted Ib. xviii. 213.
Quhen the feld wes clengit cleyne, Sa that na resisteris wes seyne 14.. Acts I. 386/2.
Giff thi malar puttis guld in thi land, and will nocht deliuer it and clenge it, he aw to be punyst 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 176.
Thar land at is foule tha sal mak labur with diligent cwre to clenge it Ib. 198. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 182.
He gat sindry craftismen to clenge the fowseis 1535 Stewart 5924.
Thus of the Romanis neir clengit ar we 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 208.
He … sall grub the treis and clenge the stankis weill and sufficientlie 1570 Leslie 231.
That haill cuntrey wes clenged of the Inglismen 1574 Conv. Burghs I. 28.
Gif it beis found that be the Quene of Inglandis schippis the seas … beis clengit [of pirates] a1578 Pitsc. II. 264/6.
The castell … schot downe and langis the gait … and causit thame reteir and cleingit the gait 1604 Stirling B. Rec. I. 110.
That the furde … be red and clenget of the stanes that lyis thairintill 1625 Garden Kings 24.
He … all from thair incursiones does clenge [: avenge]

5. refl. To clear (oneself) of a charge; to declare or prove (oneself) not guilty. 14.. Acts I. 25/2.
He sall clenge hym with the athe of xii men of his nychtburis Ib. 26/2.
The burges sal clenge hym … agaynis hym at has ado with hym 1535 Stewart 48983.
With mony aith the Cuming did deny, Oft clengand him that he wes innocent 1570 Sat. P. xv. 123.
Ȝe Lordis … Can not ȝow clenge … Of sum pointis of thir thre a1578 Pitsc. I. 134/27.
I sall … gif him ane fair syse … to cleng him of all the ditta … ȝe haue put to him 1596 Dalr. II. 251/7.
Lettres … he wrot … , in quhilkes him selfe he purges and clenges that he cam not 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 67.
He is oblissed to acquite and clenge himselfe be the judgement of God a 1627 Craig v. 21.
Though his case now seeme strange, I will not my selfe cleange 1681 Ayr & W. Coll. IV. 155.
The said Johne … confest he … could not cleng himself

6. tr. To clear (a person) by a judicial verdict; to find not guilty. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10677.
Than said the judge, Na way I can hir clenge, For hir awin deid hir self it dois reuenge 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 256.
Gif the persone … presentit to the Justice … beis clengit and fundin innocent of the cryme of resset 1575 Prestwick B. Rec. 76.
The inqueist hes clengit Villiam Vylȝe of the ressait of the thiftuous geir a1578 Pitsc. II. 193/11.
Sindrie gentilmen … wer all cleingit except ane … quha tuik the cryme on him 1592 Acts III. 531/2.
Quhatsumeuir persone clengis not of certane knawlege the personis accusit, he fyles thame 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 139.
The hail assise, in ane voce, acquyttis and clengis Jonet Leysk of the haill poyntis of dittay laid to hir charge c1615 Chron. Kings 147.
Clendgitt of the cryme of witchcraft a1605 Birrel Diary 54.
The said Alexr. wes accusit and cleangit be ane assyze 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 168.
The justice clerk suld receiue for ilk man cleinged be ane assise … four pennies