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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

End, Ende, n.¹ Also: hend. [ME. end, ende, OE. ende.  See also Hend n.]

1. The extremity, the extreme point, limit, or portion, of a space or thing occupying space. 1375 Barb. xvii. 187.
In … the est end of Lowdiane ?1438 Alex. ii. 3981.
Clarus sonnes … sall … fle syne to the forrest end Ib. 9885.
In the first end of the battale 1439 Edinb. Chart. II. 64.
Fra the end of the gret volut of Villiam Logane … to the comon gate a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 382.
Ȝe let me gang Wnto ȝone hospitall at the tounis end c1515 Asl. MS. I. 169/16.
The tother ryver … rynnis west nere the end of Affrik a1540 Freiris Berwik 110.
Vp thay went, in-to the hallis end 1562 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 133.
The hous in the west end of the kirk ordanit for the saidis lordis 1613 Frasers of Philorth 274.
Thairfra keipand the ward land endis … and keipand the end of the said clay fawldis 1659 Lanark B. Rec. 172.
That no man quho hes endes of landes lyand to the braidsyde of ane uther … wynd upoun the braidsyd

2. The extreme point or portion of a material thing; a portion of the extremity. c1420 Wynt. iii. 8.
Off hys fyngrys … The utmast endys be the lyth Qwyt was strekyn off 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4354 (B).
Scho ȝeild and ȝet at baith the endis 1569 Reg. Privy C. II. 62.
[Thai] straik the said Walter Chepman … with daggis, battownis, and greit endis of speris 1628 Edinb. Test. LIV. 280.
xlvj ellis remanis, cuttingis, and endis of cullouris of freis

3. A conclusion; a final stage or period; the close of something. a1400 Leg. S. l. 702.
For hyme [that] nane end has na begane c1460 Wisd. Solomon 655.
Better is the end of the vresone na the begynyng a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 764.
Thoght it lestit neuer so lang, Yit laught it ane end c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv. 38.
Be than it salbe neir this warldis end 1513 Doug. ii. vii. h.
The wofull end … Followys of Troy 1568 Pref. Lyndesay 7.
Thair was na end in thair furie a1578 Pitsc. I. 158/23.
To understand that licherie … hes oft tymes a euill end

b. The conclusion or close of a person's life or career. (Cf. Ending vbl. n. 2.) c1420 Wynt. v. 3376.
All thus The end fell off foule Arryus Ib. 4367.
Off hys dede and hys last end, I fand na wryt ?1438 Alex. ii. 4988.
His end he seis approchand fast 1456 Hay I. 82/9.
And [= if] man persevere in sik vertu till his end, he is lufit with God 1461 Liber Plusc. 387.
Scho mad gud end, and deit with all gud devys a1500 Henr. Fab. 767.
This suddand deith and vnprouysit end Of this fals tod a1500 Doug. K. Hart 905.
I leif to thé at my last ende Of fantisie ane fostill fillit fow 1533 Boece ii. iii. 62.
The king on nycht … haistelie was brocht to end c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 453.
Quho list to pryde pretend, May be assurde of ane mischeuous end a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxxii. 9.
Thow quho knawis his birth, his lyfe, his end

4. The final issue or result (of some action, etc.). 1385 Red Bk. Grandtully I. 139*.
Al this … beand my ful and playne determynacyoun and the ende of myne ordenans 1456 Hay I. 88/15.
In all thingis men lukis to the end. And quhen the end is gude of a thing, all is callit gude a1500 Bernardus 214.
Attende quhat falowis eftyr or quhat sal be the ende a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 85.
Bot that wes nocht the end, The end wes war, for than banist he wes Be the angell a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxxiii. 18.
So the end did weill declair The faith and treuth to me thow bair

b. The (or a) result aimed at; a purpose. c1450 Cr. Deyng 246.
To that end that he may the better mak amendis thairof c1420 Ratis R. 892.
Hald thé content thar with all, And pres thé to nan vthir end c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 44/7.
The mater and end that the persone prayis for 1562-3 Winȝet I. 132.
To the end that we mot esalie sua do a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxvii. 50.
On hors thai will no money spend Bot spairis it till ane vthair end

c. A concluded arrangement. c1475 Wall. ix. 1608.
To the Sawcher Dykson allayn he send, And he son maid with Anderson this end

5. The close, or later part, of a period of time.Also at athir end, at the beginning and end; the first end, the beginning. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2660.
Richt to the last end of his lyve c1420 Ratis R. 1569.
Thai thretty ȝer are to comende, Fore thai ar gud at athir ende a1605 Montg. Flyt. 268 (T).
Into the hinder end of harvest, on ane alhallow evin a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxi. 39.
Now we haue … far les at the ȝeiris end 1584 Dysart Rec. 25.
[About the] first end of August, the pest endit ?1549 Monro W. Isles 22.
The colk … cummis nevir to land quhill the ȝeiris end again

6. Last or first end, the last or first available instalment of money collected, etc. 1541 Reg. Privy S. II. 662/2.
That [sum] to be tane up be the said Dene Johne of the last end of payment of the said teynd penneis 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII. 218.
Cristell Mortoun to be payit of that I am awin him of the first end of my guidis 1611 Dunblane Test. III. 158 b.
Quhill the said William … be first payit of sex hundrethe merkis in the first end of his frie gudis & geir 1645 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 89.
To advance to the officeris of the draguneris twa monethis mentinance out of the first end of the excyse money 1655–6 Misc. Spald. C. V. 180.
Sex rix dollaris, payed … out of the first end of 206 lib. … collected be the toune

7. In phrases with verbs: a. To mak (an) end, to bring to a close, to finish; also, to come to an end, to end one's life.(1) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 566.
Tytum, his sone, [he] lefyt thar still For to mak hend of al his wil c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2294.
Ande so end of his speche he maid c1420 Wynt. iv. 1150.
I now schortly, to mak ende, Thynkis for to set thar date 1456 Hay I. 184/3.
And he for brethe of ire mak end of the knycht 1513 Doug. i. vi. 118.
Or I maid end, Vesper … suld cloys the hevin 1533 Bell. Livy I. 5/18.
For I intend of this difficill werk To mak ane end a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxxv. 39.
Of this mater I mak ane end(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 563.
For quha in oure seruice mais ende, Euirmare with ws sal wende 1456 Hay I. 148/4.
For the service is na worth that makis nocht a gude end c1475 Wall. ii. 179.
Giff I suld now in presoune mak ane end 1492 Myll Spect. 287/13.
His sone … fell our a crage by the see, quhare he maid his end c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3094.
Thynkand he wald his land defend, Or in the battell mak ane end a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxxiii. 15.
Ay till obeys quhill lyf mak end

b. To tak (ane) end, to come to an end. c1420 Wynt. ii. Prol. 5.
Bathe the eldys has tane ende Ib. iv. 417.
Quhen the lyffe off man tais end 1456 Hay I. 15/14.
At the hyndmaste sall the warld tak end 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 134.
Befoir the principale mater tak end 1582 Ib. 467.
Quhill the said pley tak ane end

8. In prepositional phrases: a. To or till (ane or the) end. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 947.
Quhen the bischope thus tale To the hend had hard hale Ib. xxxii. 269.
That thai ma nocht Gere my desyre til ende be brocht ?1438 Alex. ii. 490.
Or four dayis be cumming to end Ib. 3163.
The lord sould … manteine richt weill to the end c1475 Wall. ix. 547.
Off Wallace com thai tald it till ane end a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 218.
Thus thay solaist thame selvin … Al thay four days to end c1500-c1512 Dunb. xliii. 29.
Thay can defend evin to the end Ane mater furth expres 1513 Doug. iii. vii. 47.
Deir frendis, … Quhamtill the prospir forton is brocht till end a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv. 184.
Quhilk sicht sall bring our cairfull cairis to end

b. Fra end till (or to) end. Bruce ix. 297.
The king … gert his men burn all Bouchane Fra end till end Ib. xvi. 320. c1420 Wynt. vi. 1322.
Than tald scho hym fra end till end ?1438 Alex. ii. 4889.
He was weill maid fra end to end a1500 Bk. Chess 245.
Of the realme all fro end till end The rewll he beris 1589 Trans. Edinb. Archit. IX. 130.
The said Thomas … sall erect and big … ane fair and sufficient battaling abone the said port, fra end to end

c. On end (in various senses). a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 447.
Thane sat thai spel one hend, & tald Hale that awenture to that alde c1420 Wynt. i. 136.
In Paradys thai ar wnkend, Bot wyth-out thai brek on ende, At the hylle of Oskobares 1535 Stewart 2930.
Ane greit lang stone [he] gart set on end vprycht

d. At ane end, finished. At end, In (the) end, finally. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv. 19.
Trest weill thy truble neir is at ane end 1513 Doug. iii. vi. 48.
At thou … may … at a port of Itale arryve at end a1585 Maitl. Q. xlvii. 199.
In the end Ȝour gray heid sall with glaidnes go to grave 1595 Crim. Trials II. ii. 330.
In end, I pray ȝour Majeste to haue me excused that I [etc.] 1609 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 1066.
In end, mention was made of the conference 1623 Craig iv. 12.
Hee saw them all, and sent them back in ende

e. But or withoutin end. c1420 Wynt. v. 77.
The Tempill off Pes wyth-owtyn end c1460 Wisd. Sol. 703.
He mellis hyme … within sa mony diuers materis, but end a1500 Henr. Fab. 787.
Ȝe sall wend, Efter ȝour deith, to blis withouttin end a1568 Bell. Bann. MS. 1 b/30.
Thy word eterne but end is permanent