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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.

Ax, Aix, n. Also: aixe, aikis, akis, eaxe, ex. [ME. ax(e, ex(e, early ME. and OE. eax, OE. æx, ax, ONhb. acas, ON. ax-, ǫx.]

1. An axe; freq., a battle-axe, a headsman's axe.See also battar-, battel-, denche-, dens-, hand-, heding-, hewing-, kichin-, poll-, wude-ax.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 20 (the folk fawcht with axys); xii. 20 (he raid with ane ax in hande). a1400 Leg. S. xii. 409 (with ane ax his hevyde thai strak of). 1456 Acts II. 45/2 (ane ax and a targe). c1475 Wall. vi. 585 (with a gud ax in hand). 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 70 (ane stalwart ax hynt he); vii. x. 62 (sum thar axis scharpis). 1522 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 103 (ane sufficient fensable wapyne, sic as ax, halbert … ). 15.. Christis K. 199 (Dic with ane ax come furth). 1615 Highland P. III. 175 (armit with guns, pistolats, bous, suords and axis).(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 72 B (nowthir to tak knyfe, swerd, nor aix). 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 162 (And in the nycht the loud corrinoch, God wait, Wes at oure taill with mony roustie akis, We had the ky, and thai gat bot the glaikis).a1578 Pitsc. II. 58/30 (witht splent and speir and aixe). 1596 Dalr. I. 289/10 (all war heidit with ane aix). 1599 Paisley B. Rec. 227 (the hurting of Robert Pull with ane aix). 1620 Melrose P. 355 (vpoun thair knees, vnder the aix). 1650 Nicoll Diary 12 (his heid … tane fra his body uith ane aix). (c) 1542 Acts & Decreets I. 141 (ane tuahandit swerd, ane ex). 1558 Rentale Dunkeld. 352 (for fyfe pikkis and mattokis and ane ex). 1562 Edinb. B. Deeds 63.
Ane irne patill and schule ane hewin ex 1570–1 Inverness B. Rec. I. 198 (Edward struike him in the heid wyth ane eaxe). 1622 Breadalbane Doc. MS. No. 428 (see Kichin).

2. The blade of the ‘maiden’. 1594–5 Misc. Spald. C. V. 119.
For ane garrone to the madin, … scharping the aix [etc.]

3. An axe-man. a1578 Pitsc. I. 174/13.
Ane band of men of weir to the number of iij^c light aixis