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.

Mak, Make, Maik, n.¹ Also: mack, maike, mayk, (mauk). [ME. mak (Cursor M.), make (Orm), imake, ȝemace (12–13th c.), e.m.E. make, OE. ᵹemaca, ON. make: cf. Mach n.] Sense 1 is appar. chiefly Sc. and north.

1. The equal or peer of a person or thing. Also plur. in same sense.Chiefly in negative or implied negative constructions, as, (he has) no equal, but (= without) peer.(1) 1535 Stewart 58065.
His equall maik so far for to prevaill, And him to lichtlie 1563 D. Fergusson Ane Answer to ane Epistle 41 b.
Lyke hath no impyre or dominion ouer his maik or lyke(2) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 599.
For a god mychty is but make Al temporale thinge to gyf & tak [etc.] Ib. xviii. 543.
I wes gyrne but ony mak That sawlis put to lestand vrak 1513 Doug. iii. Prol. 42.
Be my laid star, virgyne moder but maik 1611-57 Mure Sonn. (Ser. ) i. 7.
Admir'd but maik euin in a thowsand thingis(3) c1420 Ratis R. 256.
Thai had ferly of that strak, That na man thar mycht strik the mak c1475 Wall. viii. 845.
Wallace off hand, sen Arthour, had na mak Ib. ix. 234.(b) (c 1580) Alex. ii. 1976.
His make saw I nocht this mony ane day 1596 Dalr. I. 45/25.
Sa noble … a kirke … that with vs it hes na make Ib. II. 43/33.
Quha in his tyme in the warld had nocht sik make 1609 Garden Garden 75.(c) c1475 Wall. x. 333.
That day in warld knawin was nocht his maik 1535 Stewart 10818.
Of all the Romanis … The maik of him come neuir thair ȝit befoir Ib. 41235.
Margaret … had nother maik nor peir Ib. 59904.
Tapestrie … Quhairof the maik … In all Europ wes nane knawin tha dais Ib. 6253, 6972, 46790, 59015, etc. 15.. Clar. iii. 1172. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 349. Ib. ii. 896.
To behald that mance, In mappamond the maik is not perchance Id. Seven S. 4172. a1568 Bann. MS. 77 b/74. 1567 Sat. P. iii. 37. 1570 Sempill Ib. xii. 18. a1578 Pitsc. I. 288/9.
He was sic ane man of weir that he left not his maike behind him in France(4) a1568 Bann. MS. 134 a/27.
Quha saw evir the maikis of ȝow? 1686 Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 67.
The de'il has not their maiks beside

b. An equivalent, an equally good specimen, another.(1) c1420 Bute MS. fol. 173.
Than the mayster is haldyn to pay his schipmen for the gude that he saulde als mykyl as thai sel the makis for c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1914.
He thocht rycht weill he suld ȝeild him the maik 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 54 b.
For lesing of our mastes to dres ane make to varkemene vi s.(2) c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 252 b/46.
For ȝe saw nevir so fair a caik … Bot ȝit ane man wald get the maik a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 779. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1508.

c. The same action, the like. 1535 Stewart 33380. Ib. 60168.
Sen God can do the maik Onto ȝour self 1535 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XV. (Jam.).
And gif euir he dois the mack to hir 1539 Ib. (ed.) I. 160.
And gif euer scho dois the maik in tyme cumyng … to pay x lib. 1540 Elgin Rec. I. 52, etc. 1598 Melvill Propine 68.

2. A spouse, consort or mate. a. Of a person. b. Of an animal or bird.a. Appar. chiefly in verse.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxiv. 146.
My lufyt warldis mak Ib. 230.
Thane scho sad … That but mak ay suld scho dwel As turtur, til of hyre mak Hyre hapnyt confort for to tak Ib. 13, xxx. 595, etc. a1500 Quare Jel. 523.
Suich a wrech till have on to hir mak [: ytak](b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 336.
That … woman … Suld man haf hyre make to be Ib. xvi. 536.(c) 1535 Stewart 1047. Ib. 5616.
Than euerie man hes chosin him ane maik 15.. Clar. i. 1549. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2127.
Quha wald … him [sc. a boar] vincus … His [the Emperor's] ane douchter he suld haue to his maik c1568 Lauder Minor P. v. 25.
Thocht men in mariage with thair maiks repair a1568 Maitland Bann. MS. 12 a/31. a1568 Scott i. 198. a1585 Maitl. Q. xlviii. 52.
Fals Helene, Menelaus maik 1570 Sat. P. xviii. 44. 1581-1623 James VI Poems II. 77/38. c1590 J. Stewart II. 50/93. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xli. 30. 1603 Philotus ii. 1637 Lundie Poems 33. 1645 Misc. Hist. Soc. I. 119.
Ȝe do wyselie to hold ȝow be your maik and syde with nather(d) c 1598 Milne-Home MSS. 72.
My owne left [sic in pr.; ? read luf(i)t] mauk [? read maik]b. c1500 Fyve Bestes 223.
With that Dame Coppok putis on hir maike [etc.] 1492 Myll Spect. 274/13.
That na beistis fameillis desyris to be twichit with ther makis fra [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 61. 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 170. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 30. a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxix. 3.
The turtill for the lose of maik thay say [etc.] 1632 Prognostication.
The 13 is Valentines even, … then both fowles and fooles chooses their maikes

3. a. A close friend or companion. 1513 Doug. vi. vi. 18.
Thesyus and Pyrothous hys mayk

b. An adversary, contestant, ‘match’. 1535 Stewart 25667.
On fit and hors ilk man chesit ane maik, To just and turnay for his ladeis saik