A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1499-1642
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Millan(e, Melan(e, Mellan(e, Mul(l)ane. Also: millain, -ayne, -en, myllane; melen(d, meilleane; mullen; millanis. [e.m.E. meleyn, n. Milan steel (1464), mylle(y)n adj. (1495), -an, -ion, -in etc., F. Milan, It. Milano.] Milan.The chief city of Lombardy, celebrated for various manufactures, espec. textiles and armour.a. Attrib. with the names of various cloths and manufactured articles. Also millain wark, c below.(a) 1505 Treasurer's Accounts III. 38.
iij elne millan fustian 1535 Stewart 7555.
The millane melȝeis mendit nocht ane myte 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XIII. 83.
Tua stirling & ane millane penny, aine purs 1613 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 362.
For 22 yairdis millan broderit passmentis 1617 Edinburgh Testaments XLIX. 258.
Nyne elnis millen claith at [37/6d. the ell] 1633 Stirlings of Keir 447.
Ane petticott of millan satine(b) 1503 Treasurer's Accounts II. 234.
For thre elne melane fustiane 1507 Ib. III. 318.
Melan fustian 1507 Ib. IV. 15.
Five melane bonetis(c) 1512 Treasurer's Accounts IV. 431.
Mellane fusteane 1538 Ib. VII. 121. 1591 Edinburgh Testaments XXIII. 300 b. c 1642 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B. 35 b.
Twa [ell] meilleane laice(d) 1511 Treasurer's Accounts IV. 262.
Ane doublete mullane fustiane 1512 Ib. 205, 236, etc. 1535 Stewart 9767. 1535 Ib. 38731.
Waillit men … In mulane maill [etc.] 1621 Edinburgh Testaments LI. 140.
lxxiij elnes mullen lece at [16/-] … xiij elnes narrower millayne laice at [8/-]
b. (Cloth etc.) (of) Milan.(1) 1530 Treasurer's Accounts V. 408.
For x elnis stemmet of Myllane … to be hois to the King 1550 Ib. IX. 455.
To be blancattis to his grace, xvij elnis of fyne quhite fusteane of Myllane 1580 Ib. MS. 36 (2).
Serge of Myllane to be ane pair of ryding sockis(b) 1539 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 187.
Quhite stemmyng of Mellane(c) 1539 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 177.
Blak stemmyng of Melen 1539 Ib. 186.
Stemmyng of Melend to be thre pair of schankis 1541–2 Ib. VIII. 57.
Stemmyng of Melane(2) 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 16.
Ane pair of hois of stemmying millane —quasi-plur. 1597 Edinburgh Testaments XXX. 163.
Ane elne … of blak sarge millanis … thrie elnis rid sarge millanis
c. n. = Milan steel, as used by the armourers of Milan. a1500 Sir Eger 97, 99.
Mine habergeon of millain wark, Lasted me no more than my sark Nor mine actoun of millain fine
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"Millan n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Jun 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/millane>
