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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.

Biggin(g, Byggyn (g, n. Also: biging, byging (also -inghe, -inge, -yng, -ynge, -eng, -in, -en, -yn, -ine, -yne, -ein); beggin, beging, begyn; beigging, beiging, -eing. [ME. bigging, biging (c 1250), byggynge, etc., (= ON. bygging), f. Big v.]

1. A building, edifice.Occurring early in the place-names Newbigginghe (1153), Niwebigginghe (1165), Shirrefbyggyng (1374). From about 1500 frequent in enumerations of property.(a) a 1350 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 14.
[Thai] sal ger be made gaynand biging [L. edificia] 14.. Acts I. 42/2.
Na man may put away his chefe bigging fra his ayre c1420 Wynt. v. 2903.
Quhare that byggyng mad suld be 1456 Hay I. 44/6.
He gert mak mony fair palacis and biggingis c1475 Wall. iv. 217.
Thai led Wallace quhar that this byggynge was Ib. viii. 529.
Thai … brak thair byggyngis doun 1493 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 334.
The saide chawmer and the beggyng and soulȝe thar-of 1510 Peebles B. Rec. 42.
All and sindry thair landis, … housis, biggingis, … millis [etc.] 1513 Doug. xi. xi. 77.
Na rurall byggyngis … Wald hym ressaue 1543 Elgin Rec. I. 76.
Quhilk crovne vas deliuerit … in arlis of ane biging 1560 Rolland Seven S. 104/10.
The Burges than blent up about his bigging 1572 Acts III. 73/2.
Quhair ony personis … hes maid sumptuous beiggingis thairon 1584 Ib. III. 370/1.
To dres and big housis and biggingis besyd the mynd 1624 Ann. Banff. I. 53.
Williame Gordounes biging … at the south end of the toune 1641 Peebles B. Rec. 102.
With houssis and bigginges buildit vpon the syd of the said castellhill c1650 Spalding II. 357.
The Laird duelt in [a] lauche bigging besyde the hous(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 781.
Thane gert he bygyne thare be mad 1418 Liber Melros 502.
All the landis, tenementis, and byggynnis c1420 Wynt. iv. 1414.
The gret byggynys it kest downe Sa quytly than, that men wald wene That nevyr byggyne thare had bene 1481 Peebles B. Rec. 188.
In the habytacion to be maid on the said grond in chameris and wther byggyn 1503 Montgomery Mem. 63.
My saidis landis … wyth all … begynnys 1506 Douglas Chart. 185.
The landis … with the … bygenis 1513 Reg. Cupar A. I. 290.
The half of the new bigin is set to Meg of Furd 1531 Bell. Boece I. 3.
The inhabitantis … send certane armit men to interrup thair bigginnis 1542 Grant Chart. 89.
Schow salbe haldyne to … wphald the biggyne 1561 Inverness B. Rec. I. 49.
For the downe castyng of hys hereditabyll byggynis and tenementis 1596 Dalr. II. 305/15.
The castel … is walit about with new walis, and biginis c1615 Chron. Kings 68.
The haill toune, and castell, and the biggeinis of the haill commonis

2. The act of building, erecting, constructing, etc.(a) c1420 Wynt. i. 1479.
Thai cessyde than off thare byggyng 1428 Wemyss Chart. 56.
Treis … to the oyse of the bygynge of the induellaris 1464 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 22.
To begyn to the bigging of the ta mylne now 1488 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 427.
All possibyl policy, biggynge of howseis, plantacione of treis 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. 97.
Item xx^ti d. to the biging of the foull vennall c1515 Asl. MS. I. 261/22.
Thai spendit thair gudis … in bigging of abbais 1534–5 Linlithgow Pal. 308.
I … enterit to ane compt to the bigging, mending, raparaling of the palice 1540 Reg. Privy S. II. 518.
Awaiting apoun the ordouring … of the schippis sen the first begyning of the bigging tharof 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 133.
For biging of the fald for keping the lyme 1561–2 Ib. 153.
For … beigeinge of the said windo 1567 Liber Dryburgh 396.
To the bigging of the buttis in the hauch a1578 Pitsc. I. 163/4.
He … delytit mair in … polliecie of beging nor he did in the government of his realme 1604 Conv. Burghs II. 177.
For reparatioun of their hewin … in biging of schoiris and bulwarkis 1643 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 3.
To be maister of the wark in biging of the said loft(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 609.
Na thai walde in thame [sc. in those days] begyne … to byggyn, and to wyage 1459 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 22.
Anens the biggyne of the brigg on the vater of Dee c1460 Wisd. Sol. 502.
Tyme of bygine, tyme of brekinge 1493 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II. 338.
To … wirk at ale his pouer to the stuff and bigyne of the queir and kirk werk 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 245.
The expensis maid apone the byggen of the kyngis rowbarge byggyte in Dunbertane 1512 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 109.
This is the condicioun … anentis the bigin and wphaldin of the said mylne 1525 Stirling B. Rec. I. 22.
The bigin of ane new hous and gawill 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 321.
Thomas Jaktyoun, massoun, to his bountethe at the beggin of the Mus Well 1563 Reg. Cupar A. II. 279.
For biggyne wp of twa laicht durris 1576 Misc. Spald. C. II. 43.
The beigin and thikin of the rwife of the northt yell of our parrise kyrk … was begwin

b. Piling up; setting up neatly. 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 356.
For ane dosoun Suadin treis … Item, to iiij warkmen for bigging by of thame 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 50.
For biging and carieing in the coalls to the seller

c. The making of bonfires. 1558 Treas. Acc. X. 365.
For bigging of ane bane fire … upoun midsomer evin 1596 Dalr. II. 241/19.
Sygnes of thair mirrines thairfoir out tha schew: sum be bygeng on of benfyres

3. Attrib. with place. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 828.
To the byggynge [MS. begynnynge] place thai socht