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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Ton(e, Tun(e, n.¹ Also: toyn(e, toin, tuin(e, twne, toun(e, toon(e, town(e. [ME and e.m.E. ton (1307-27), tune (Trevisa), tuyn- (c1400), toun (c1407), toyne (1435), twn- (1435), tone (c1440), toone (1570), OF ton, L. tonus.]

1. A musical note or sound as played on an instrument or sung. a1500 Henr. Orph. 226 (Asl.).
Leryt he tonys proporcionate As dupler tripler and emetricus a1500 Colk. Sow i 388.
All thay falit in futing For merrit wes thair menstralis Thair instrumentis in tonis felis 1513 Doug. xii vii 29.
This god Appollo gladly has hym taucht … The musik tonys to play on harp waill sle 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Eclogues ix 45.
Numeros, the ryme or tone c1550-c1580 Art of Music 102b.
Of the quhilk aucht townis the choristers ar all expert and dayly dois vs the samyn in kirkis of God a1605 Montg. Misc. P. vi 31.
All gladnes nocht bot aggravats my grief … Lamenting toons best lyks me for relief 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas iii 20.
The light-envying owle … With tragick toones her smarte and sorrow skew

b. The sound produced by an instrument. c1590 J. Stewart 202 § 8.
Sounding brase quhilk hes no toyne perfyt Or cymball bois that dois bot tinkling mak a1605 Montg. Sonn. lxii 5.
My trumpets tone is terribler be tuyis Nor ȝon couhorne

c. Of (part of) an instrument or a note sung: In (out of) tone, (not) of the correct pitch, in (out of) harmony. 1535 Stewart 25544.
All the trumpettis blawand vp in tune 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 23/67.
O Salust, Gods immortals honour sing: And bending higher Dauids lute in tone, With courage seke yon endles crowne abone 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 117/19.
Euen all this quhole uas lyke unto ane instrument in toone Uell set & uell accordet iust a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii 13.
Sing sho tua notis, the one is out of tone Trip & Go in 1662 Forbes Cantus (1666).
The pypers drone was out of tune

d. fig. In (out of) tune, (not) in accordance or in keeping with the occasion, context, etc., in (out of) harmony; (not) in good or proper condition.(1) a1500 Prestis of Peblis 34 (A).
To ws me think ane taile wald cum in tone [Ch. tune] c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 70/16.
Quhen men that hes pursis in tone Pasis to drynk or to disjone 1535 Stewart 31934.
On euerie syde thair wes richt mony slane, Or tha culd weill be put in tune agane 1581 Sat. P. xliv 155.
Vith sindrie vthers [sc. persons] quha can not fal in tone Diuers in maners vnhappy, fals, forlorne(2) a1500 Prestis of Peblis 928.
Thus fals clatterars puts me out of tone a1500 Colk. Sow i 400.
Thay … dansit … And quhen thay had all done It was a tratlyng out of tone Than thay began for to chyd … Ceis this brangling and bere Remembir quhy ȝe come here 1513 Doug. i Prol. 159.
Caxton puttis in hys buke owt of toyn The storm furth sent by Eolus and Neptune 1535 Stewart 28873.
Mony man that speikis out of tune … dois alledge that [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4073.
This quene … is … ane talker out of tone a1585 Polwart Flyt. 548 (T).
Ane tyk tormentit, tratling out of tun [H. towne], That rynis reid-wood, at ilk midis of the moone 1600-1610 Melvill 720.
The moderatoris cygnean songe, the quhilk singis not indeid, far out of toone in respect of that quhillk followis

2. A tune, an air or melody.(a) c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 201/29.
Ȝour commone menstrallis hes no tone Bot Now the Day Dawis, and Into Joun 1600-1610 Melvill 22.
He causit … teatche the wholl psalmes in miter, with the tones thairof 1624 Aberd. Council Lett. I 223.
Patrick Davidsoun will gif yow the auld toinis conteanit in the auld psalme buik(b) 15.. Clar. ii 1520.
The trumpits blew a mirrie toune [: soune] a1585 Maitl. Q. 275/2.
Than they began with schiller toons of joy. A uterpe sang 1653 Argyll Synod II 36.
The synod thinks it convenient that the psalmes be turned to Irish miter so as they may be soonge with the comon toones(c) a1500 K. Hart 309.
Is thair nocht mvsik nor of tvne … Quhat wicht that micht it heir suld iuge sone To angell song and hewinlie armony 1491 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. I 256.
Chaplannis that kepis nocht the seculorum and twne gewin thame be the chantour … sal decist vnder the payne of ane Inglis penny 1549 Compl. 40/15.
The marynalis began to veynde the cabil, vitht mony loud cry. Ande as ane cryit, al the laif cryit in that samyn tune, as it hed bene ecco in ane hou heuch a1585 Maitl. Q. 112 heading.
Ane ballat to be songe with the tuine of luifer come to luifeiris dore a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii 94.
Vp uent our saillis, tauntit to the huins; The trumpets soundit tuentie mirrie tuins

b. Applied to birdsong. 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 247.
The larkis lowd releschand in the skyis Lovys thar lege with tonys curyus a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 99 (Wr.).
Who would have tyr'd to heare that tone? Which birds corroborate ay abone 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 51/25.
He shall awake then at the laverokkis toneproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1735.
Ye are lyke the golk that hes not a tune bot ane

3. Vocal expression, the mode of expression or intonation suited to a particular situation; the style of language used expressing the speaker's feelings, etc., manner of speaking. Also fig. referring to a person's character, mood or a type of thing. a1500 Henr. Age & Yowth 70.
Me thocht thai trevist in thair tone [M. toun]: ‘O ȝowth, be glaid in to thi flouris grene!' ‘O ȝowth, thi flouris fedis ferlie sone!' c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 280.
They will that Vesta be abone In all estait: for Venus be na tone May be hir peir a1599 Rollock Wks. I 409.
Quhen he seis that they cannot be win with lenitie, he turnis his tune, ‘Gif I cum again I sal not spair ȝou' 1641 Baillie I 290.
Mandaveele read, with the best toone he could, the reasons of our demand 1687 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 135.
I thought upon the tone to be observed in reading the line in singingfig. 1573 Sempill in Sat. P. xxxix 309.
To seik exampillis of that samin tone, My Lord of Murray wes degradit sone c1590 Fowler I 91/142.
For looke how that a mother deir dois chastise so hir sonne, Correctis him for amendiment to frame in better toone 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 205.
I think the other syd of Tay is lost, and Fyv is in very ill tune

b. Change (hold) one's tune, to change (keep) one's tone, change (keep) one's opinion or way of doing something. 1567 G. Ball. 197.
Preistis, change ȝour tone, And sing in to ȝour mother tung Inglis psalmes 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 86.
Yit, notwithstanding, they hauld ay still on ea tune, and sayis that they words aught to be tane properlie a1658 Durham Subtile Self 124.
Then somewhat comes whereof they did not think, and makes them change their tune