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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.

Bane, Bain, n.¹ Also: baine, bayn(e; bean(e, bein(e. [Northern and early ME. ban, baan (ME. bon, boon), (OE. bán.]

l. A bone (esp. pl. the bones) of the body.See also brest-, cheke-, hanche-, nek-, rig-, thé- and wan(g)-bane.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 272 (it merrys him, body and banys); 386 (with banys gret and schuldrys braid). c1420 Wynt. i. 749 (a gret bane has he quhar hys teth suld be). c1460 Wisd. Sol. 796 (how the banis of barnis ar chapin). a1500 Henr. Fab. 2571 (I sall gar my freindis blis ȝour banis). a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1002 (his banis was novmeralble). a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 279 (he birnis in hell, body, banis, and bowellis). 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 112 (the cauld dreid ran in throu thar banys). 1540 Lynd. Sat. 108 B (his banis bittirly sall I ban). 1576 Crim. Trials I. 54 (the merch of the bane was consumit). 1617 Ib. III. 433 (threscoir and nyne banes being tane furth [of his head]).(b) c1475 Wall. ii. 109 (the bayne in sonder [he] schar). ?1438 Alex. ii. 286 (maugre haue he that spares his baines). 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 94 (doiggis ruggand the flesche from hir beanes). 1602 Misc. Spald. C. II. 287 (thaye will blisse our bainis).

2. A bone (usu. pl. the bones) of a dead person or animal.(1) 1375 Barb. xx. 575 (the banys haue thai with thame tane). c1420 Wynt. ii. 488 (thai sulde thare modyr banys ta); v. 700 (the banys off Saynt Paule). 1456 Hay I. 27/1 (mony haly mennis banis). c1515 Asl. MS. I. 248/10 (the banis of sanct Androwe was brocht in Scotland). 1513 Doug. xi. v. 64 (the hait amyrris and the byrslyt banis). 1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. 364 (to cast the deid banis in the west teirleis). 1567 Sat. P. iii. 176 (doggis could hir wickit bainis gnaw). 1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV. 335 (his beanes to be bureit in his awin paroche kirk). 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 179 (ane number of deid folkis baines); Ib. (to tak the said beanis). 1609 Gardyne Garden 49.
A band of bosse and bloodles bains(2) a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 364 (to gnaw banis behynd doggis bakkis). 1596 Dalr. I. 65/28 (the baines of thir fishe). 1598 Elgin Rec. III. 69 (thay haid a lad playand upon banis and bellis with thame).

3. Used in a collective or generalized sense.1375 Barb. xx. 572 (swa that mycht be tane the flesche all haly fra the bane). a1400 Leg. S. vii. 834 (a fyre thame brynte al bane & lyre). c1420 Wynt. i. 90 (scho wes of hys fles and bane). c1475 Wall. ii. 48 (bayn and brayn he gert in pecis fle). 1492–3 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 309 (a pece of bane of Sanct Magnus hed). 1513 Doug. vi. iv. 35 (the hail bowkis of bestys, bayn and lyre). 1533 Gau 66/4 (with flesch, blwid and beine). 1558-66 Knox II. 100 (flesche of oure flesche, and bane of oure baneis). a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxii. 32 (it byts me to the bane). 1600-1610 Melvill 22 (I strak my selff an inche deipe even to the bean).

b. As a substance used in the arts.See also evore bane, quhalis bane.1500–1 Acta Conc. II. 477 (ane ymage of Our Lady of bayne). 1516 Ib. MS. XXVIII. 34 (ane coffir of bane). 1600 Black Bk. Taymouth 336 (ane pair of tabillis with xxvii men of bane); Ib. (of muscattis indenttit with bane). 1645 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III. 43 (ane stand of tabill men all of bein). 1648 Melrose R. Rec. I. 121 (ane double hagbut indentit with bain).

c. Attrib. = ‘made of bone or ivory’. (See also Bane camb.)1488 Treas. Acc. I. 86 (a bane coffre). 1565 Ib. XI. 392 (twa bane heftis). 1568 Edinb. Test. I. 186 (bane stoupis). 1643 Ib. LX. 233 b (auchtene bane pyktuithis).