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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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Skenȝe, Scanȝe, n. Also: skenȝie, -eȝe, -iȝe, skeny(i)e, skengȝie, skeinȝie, -ye, -yi(e, skeynȝe, skeȝne, skeing(ȝ)e, skanȝie, -y(i)e, -ȝa, skainȝ(i)e, -ye, -ya, skaingȝe, skinye, skynȝe, skayne. Pl. also skanys. [OF escaigne hank or skein of thread or yarn (1354 in Godefroy; see also Du Cange, s.v. eschaota), whence also late ME and e.m.E. skeyne (Prompt. Parv.), skayn (1442), skane (1523), sken (1591).]

1. A quantity of thread, packthread, twine or string, ? loosely gathered into a hank or ? wound upon a reel or other holder; the quantity of thread, etc., as prepared, ? perhaps at first roughly estimated but later more accurately measured; a skein.Const. of thread, etc., also with omission of of and without const.Also pl. without inflection.(1) 1490 Lanark B. Rec. 7.
For a skenye of pak threid 1504 Treasurer's Accounts II 445.
For ane skenȝe of threid 1508 Treasurer's Accounts IV 110.
For ane skeȝne pak threid, iij d. 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II 296.
ij skenȝeis of pak threid to messur the Newhevin with 1566 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 499.
Tuay skenyeis of girdis to bind up the bedde(b) 1501 Treasurer's Accounts II 28.
xv skeynȝeis [of girths] 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 400.
Skeingeis 1573–4 Day-bk. J. Kyle in E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 74.
For ane skuill and ane skeinye of pak threid(c) 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 122.
Ane skynȝe threid to be ane lyne to the wrychtis vj d.(d) 1544 Treasurer's Accounts VIII 306.
vj scanȝeis of pak threid, price of ilk scanȝe iij d. 1553 Treasurer's Accounts X 205.
vj scanȝeis of threid to sew the same polkis 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II 307.
Skanȝies 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II 134.
Skanȝis 1566 Treasurer's Accounts XII 22.
Twa skanyeis of girdis 1567–70 Haddington Treas. Acc. MS.
A skanȝa of pake thred(e) 1557 Edinb. Hammermen 205.
Skaingȝe 1559–60 Edinb. Old Acc. I 325.
For ane skainȝe threid and gyrthsting, viij d. 1652 Nicoll Diary 100.
Bund … with ane skainȝie threid 1661 Peebles B. Rec. I 424.
Ane skainya thrid 2 d.(f) 1515 Rentale Dunkeld. 293.
7 lie skanys of thread 1533 Aberd. B. Rec. I 451.
Ane bukat … ane skayne for the buith ane pair of woll weyis 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 323.
Packthreid in skaynesuninfl. pl. 1508 Treasurer's Accounts IV 136.
For the gunnis … vj skenȝe pak threid … xvj d. 1539 Treasurer's Accounts VII 269.
Multeris … vij skenȝe of pakin threid 1548 Treasurer's Accounts IX 194.
Foure stanȝe [pr. stanȝ] of gyrthis to his grace lytillcampe bed 1566 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 500.
Four skenye of girdis 1567 Edinburgh Testaments I 20b.
Tuelf skenȝe of girthis price of the skanȝie xviij d. 1581 Edinburgh Testaments IX 292b.
Sex skenȝe girthis 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 330.
A bodome of ane bed maid of skenȝie girthis(2) 1501 Treasurer's Accounts II 28.
ij stortkynnys of girthis, ilk ane contenand xxiiij skeynȝeis — 1640 Aberd. Council Lett. II 163.
For 100 skengȝie to measower the ground 10 s.

2. transf. Coarse yarn; packthread, twine.Also pl. in same sense. 1560 Treasurer's Accounts XI 31.
For sorting of the foirsaid lyng, keling … and for crelis and skanȝe to thame 1582 Old Ross-shire I 110.
The lords of counsaill assoilȝies … ilk wobster fra payeing of any skenȝie 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 30 April.
Thre hankis skainȝe 1601 Ayr B. Acc. 48.
For skainye to be ane lyne to the key 1604 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 45.
Thir peces ar markit … with a pece skynȝe NB 1609 Edinburgh Testaments XLV 115.
xx heidis paking skainȝie at viij d. the peace 1617 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II 91.
For xliiii hankis of skanyie and merling cord 1628–9 Mill Mediæval Plays 208.
The staige of the west port … for towe and skeniȝe to the paell 1633 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II 343.
For xxii fadome of small skeinyie for the calsay lyne 1640 Aberd. Council Lett. II 163.
For … skenȝie at bailiȝies desyr 1646 Edinburgh Testaments LXI 237.
Two dussone of heid of skeinȝie 1651 Stirling B. Rec. II 306.
Depursit for skenyie for drawing draughts besyd the clouspl. 1529–30 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 25.
For skenyeis to the masonis lynis for the wallis 1532 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 113.
Skinyeis 1537 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 207.
For … xii skanyeis for lynis to the wrychtis and masonis 1654–5 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 385.
8 s. for skeingis to be a layn to the work 1655–6 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 398.
For skeingȝis to be ane lyne

3. attrib. and comb.(1) 1505 Treasurer's Accounts III 147.
Skenȝe threid and Birge threid 1517 Treasurer's Accounts V 121.
For j lyn of skanȝe threid ij d. 1534–5 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I 123.
For ten dowbill skenye thredis to the … masonis and causamakkar 1534–5 Ayr B. Acc. 73.
Skenye threyd [for Palm Sunday] 1544 Ayr Common Good Acc.
For skeneȝe threid to knyt the speris iiij d. 1552 Treasurer's Accounts X 112.
Ane unce of small skenȝe threid to sew thir sarkis with 1558 Mill Mediæval Plays 184.
For small skenȝe threid and small towis 1587 Edinburgh Testaments XVII 206.
Ten pund of skainȝie threid at xxxij d. the pund 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 164.
Ane bowt of skeinȝie threid to bind the bussomes at the weshing tables 1620 Grant Chart. 326.
For skenyie threid to fastin sum waires wes cuming hame 1633 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II 361.
Skeinyie 1633 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II 364.
For twa hankes of skeinyie lyne(2) 1592 Edinburgh Testaments XXV 16b.
Ane gros of small skainȝie buttounes price ij s.