A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Lunt, n. Also: luntt, lont, lount. [e.m.E. (once) lunt (1550), otherwise appar. only Sc., e.m.Du. lonte (Kilian), MLG. lunte, whence Germ. lunte, Da. lunte, Norw. dial. lunta.]
A match; a slow match for firearms, a fuse for lighting gun-powder, etc.(a) 1525–6 Treas. Acc. V. 255.
For ij culveringis with thair lunttis iij li. x s. 1531 Ib. VI. 38. 1538–9 Ib. VII. 135.
For iij poundis of culvering polder … and for ane lunt vj d. 1541 Ib. 498, VIII. 120, 1542 Ib. 94, etc. 1554 Crim. Trials I. i. 371. 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I. 336.
[In a tower of the palace, where a barrel of powder was hid, it] fyrit throw ane of thair luntis 1566 Treas. Acc. XI. 518.
For careing of rosett luntis … to Leitht 1567 Crim. Trials I. i. 494.
Gif this deponar at my Lord Bothwells desyre socht ane fyne lunt of any of the suddartis Ib. 497.
And an lunt thareupon quhilk sall be fyrit at the far end and the unfyrit end laid in the … pulder 1569-73 Bann. Memor. . a1578 Pitsc. II. 254/25. 1583 Cal. Sc. P. VI. 356.
Quhat be towis thrawin about thair heidis, quhat be lichit luntis bound in betuixt thair fingers c1590 Fowler I. 210 § lxxiv. 7.
Yea, never lunt more lint nor poulders yre Inkendled soner than ȝow me, my dame 1587-99 Hume vii. 111. a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 126. 1646 Baillie II. 422. c1650 Spalding I. 340.
Vpone conditionis that he and his soldioris sould go out honorablie, careing collouris, cokkit luntis, birning matchis a1651 Calderwood VI. 607.
A young boy … shootting a gunne, a litle peece of the lunt flieth upon a thacke house, which easilie kindled 1677 Inverness Rec. II. 276.
The firelocks to be fixed, and muscatts to have their lunt and bandiliers a1686 Turner Mem. 32.
The more lunts were seene, the better for a false alarme(b) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 231.
Sum scurriouris … in the nycht, perceaving some lichtit lountis [Trans. lyght lounttis] thocht it had bene thame whome thei waittit for 1600-1610 Melvill 617.
[Guy Fawkes] attending with a sett traine and prepairit lount and match. to haiff blawin all the hous in the aire(c) c1610 Melville Mem. 362.
Be a strategeme subtilly deuysed of a schip full of poudre with a bournyng lont
b. Match; cord or the like, suitably impregnated for use as matches. 1571 Treas. Acc. MS. (1571–4) 81.
Bullettis and lunt to the peces of Halyrudhous 1608 Bk. Mackay 120.
[The Lieutenant of the Isles is to be allowed] 10 stane of lead, with lunt effeiring theirto 1614 Crim. Trials III. 370.
Thay within held good for sex dayes, being weell prouyded with pulder, lunt and bullett 1619 Edinb. Test. L. 227 b.
Ten pund weycht of hagbut lunt at iiij s. the pund weycht 1632 Ib. LVI. 23 b.
Threttie hankis of lunt … pryce of all sex pundis 1639 Edinb. B. Rec. VII. 213. 1643 Acts VI. (1819) 18/1. 1643 Dumfries Treas. Acc. 5.
For 2 bundreth 2 pund wecht of lunt 1652 Edinb. Test. LXVI. 105 b.
c. Attrib.(1) Luntstaff (pl. -staves), a staff for holding a lighted match, a linstock. (= e.m.Du. lont-stok (1599– ), Da. lunte-stok, Germ. luntenstok).(2) Of firearms: With (also of) lunt-werk (-wark, -work), having a matchlock.(1) 1600 Black Bk. Taymouth 337.
Ane lunt [pr. linit] staff 1644 Army of the Covenant I. 30.
Charge of short luntstaues [pr. -stanes] Ib. 33.
240 long lunt staues [pr. longlunt stanes] 1651 Aberd. Council Lett. III. 189.
5 lunt stawes(2) 1600 Black Bk. Taymouth 336.
Off doubill muscattis in the hall with lunt [pr. linit] werk, vii; item at the yet of Balloch ane hagbute with snap werk; item … of muscattis indentit with bane of lunt [pr. linit] werk 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI. 201.
Ane hagbit with lunt wark 1619 Breadalbane Doc. No. 428.
Of muskattis with lunt wark iij with tua ramstikis thairto 1640 Black Bk. Taymouth 348.
Ane vther double muskett with lunt [pr. linit] work
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"Lunt n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 27 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/lunt>