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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.

Chenȝe, Cheinȝe, n. Also: chenȝee, -ȝie, -ȝa, chenei; cheynȝe, cheinȝie, cheanȝie, chinȝe, -ȝie; cheingȝe, -ie, cheyng(ȝ)e; schenȝe, scheangȝie. [Northern ME. cheny, chei(n)gne, variant of ME. cheyne Cheyne: cf. Chene and Chanȝe. The phonology of the various forms is not clear.]

1. A chain (for holding or confining).(a) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 113.
Of God the angel … band vs with chenȝeis fel & sar 1402 Exch. R. III. 544.
For a chenei, xij d. Item, for lokkis, ij s. 14.. Acts I. 326/2.
Gif … the mastis [= mastiff] be nocht in bandes na in chenȝeis 1456 Hay I. 48/34.
He [was] put in strayte prisoun, bundyn with mony chenȝeis of irne 1471 Peebles B. Rec. 167.
Hyngand on thar schowder ij stanys in a irne chenya or in a wedy Brus xvii. 623 (E).
To lat it brynnand on hyr fall, And with stark chenyeis hald it thar a1500 Bk. Chess 275.
Bunding he was in chenȝeis & in lokkis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 73.
He drew thame furth in till a chenȝie 1513 Doug. i. v. 120.
With ane hundreth brasyn chenȝeis grete … hard bund hys handis tway 1533 Bell. Livy I. 111/15.
Incontinent thai band Turnus with chenȝeis 1549 Compl. 114/27.
He gart bynd ther handis in iryn chenȝeis 1560 Rolland S. Sages 4078.
We sall hald in thy renȝeis … And check ȝow into chenȝeis 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 75.
For mending of the irne chenȝe Ib. 76.
For eking of the chenȝe of the trone 1559–60 Ib. 323.
Ane schenȝe and ane small bot to the turnepyk dur of the Counsall hous 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Iohnsoun 102.
Ane irne chenye with the wyndas and the quheile 1570 Leslie 59.
He weir ane chenye of iron about his middill 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 293.
To caus to mak tuelff schekillis of yrne and sax small chenȝeis betuix tham 1612 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 328.
To prepair sik chenyeis of irne, towis, … and vthir necessaris for taking avay of the saidis stanis(b) 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 70.
Ane cheinye of irne 1558–9 Ib. 301.
For eikying of the cheinȝe of the kirk of Feild Port 1569 Prot. Bk. G. Grote 74.
Querrell mellis, vedgeis, cheinȝeis, bundis to bukkatis [etc.] 1593 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 499.
For ane padlok lok and ane key to the said cheinȝie 1629 M. Works Acc. XXI. 31.
Ane cheik and ane cheinȝie ane ell lang(c) 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 359.
Iames Ros, thesaurer, to caus renew the irnes and cheyngyeis of the gallous 1589 Ib. 542.
Sex cheyngyeis maid for cheyngyeing of the vagabunds 1591 Ib. V. 51.
To caus mak cheyngeis on the merkat croce quhairwith the fornicatouris may be fesint c1615 Chron. Kings 180.
The hand and the knyff bund with ane yrne scheangȝie to the same

2. An ornamental chain.(a) 1429 Acts II. 18/2.
At nane vthir weir broudry na perle … bot aray thaim … in … serpis, beltis, vches & chenȝeis c 1450 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 203.
Ane beddell wand siluer & ourgilt, with ane chenye and ane seill of the sam 1478 Acta Aud. 62/2.
A croice & a chenȝe of gold 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 81.
Tuthpikis of gold with a chenȝe 1496 Ib. 313.
Ane chenȝee … cunȝeit be the Kingis command c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 366.
In gownis of engranyt claight & gret goldin chenȝeis 1513 Doug. vii. vi. 24.
The grysly serpent … semyt to be about hir hals a lynkit gold chenȝe 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 32.
Twa chenȝeis of gold of the fynes of xxij carratis c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 141.
Rattilland chenȝeis about his hals so quhite a1578 Pitsc. I. 174/16.
Ane great chenȝie of gould about his hallis 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 55 b.
Ane chenȝe with ane hairt of gold 1603 Moysie 56.
The cheife jovell, namely the H, with ane chenyie 1608 Crim. Trials II. 547.
Fra quhome ane chenȝe, or perles, or ane jowell composet of mony stanes is stown 1622-6 Bisset II. 259/13.
The cumpany gettis the capitanis kist, his abulȝeamentis, … graith, chenȝe [etc.](b) a 1570 Soc. Ant. XXVI. 468.
Byschop Iames Kennedeis best wand with the seyll and the cheynȝe 1579 Inv. Wardrobe 278.
Ane cheinyie of gold annamalite with reid [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I. 175/7.
The earle of Angus … pullit the gold chinȝie frome his craige 1584 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 107.
Ane hart of siluer … with three lytle cheinyeis all of siluir hingand at it 1596 Montgomery Mem. 235.
An cheinȝe of cristell and geittis … , ane meist cheinȝe set about with gold c1610 Melville Mem. 345.
The cheingȝe … was deuydit in thre partis, for it was bellissent

3. Attrib. with belt, bullet, hem. 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 157 b.
Ane chenȝe belt of xj vnces of siluer or thairby 1591 Ib. XXIII. 209.
Of weschine walter claythtis … sewit with chenȝie hem 1667 Highland P. II. 53.
Quhen they were drawing the anker, the fourth man … was shott with a cheanȝie bullet