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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Main, Mayn(e, Mane, a. and n.² Also: maine, mayine, mean(e, men. [ME. main, mayn(e, mæin (Layamon), partly ON. meginn, megn, adj., strong, powerful, partly OE. mæᵹen- ON. megin- (Main n.¹), in compounds.The early examples recorded in OED. and Stratmann-Bradley are from north. records and from west-midl. allit. verse only.]

1. Of a fire: Very large or powerful, huge. a1500 Seven S. 1802.
With fyre of tunder Ane gret mane fyre thai maide thair wndere

2. Of material things: Largest in size or greatest in importance of its kind; principal, main.a. Qualifying various nouns, viz. a course or dish of food, blossoms, a share of goods. c1450-2 Howlat 707.
[The cook] him weile kend In craftis of the ketchyne … Mony man [B. mane] metis Ib. 780.
He [the conjurer] couth of a hennis hed Make a mane [B. man] mes 15.. Clar. ii. 1340.
Leves greine, and flouris reid and quheit, And bricht main blossomis bluming with delyt 1584 Acts III. 359/1.
[To] inbring all thair movable gudis and namelie the men half to his awin particular vse

b. Of an army or part of it.Said of the largest division or main body as opposed to smaller parties or auxiliary forces. 1533 Boece i. vi. 44 b.
Thai suld nocht sinder nor departe fra thare mane hoist Ib. iv. xvij. 156 b.
Finalie the mayn batell fled and skalit out of ordoure 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 128.
The governor with the mayn and midl battell having fled

c. Largest or most important of a group of things of the same sort. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 325.
The men of the castell ischit and brunt the mane barne and Sanctgeillis kirk 1611 Macgibbon & Ross V. 554.
[The work to consist of a] mayne hous and ane jame, turnpyiks [etc.] 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 211.
Betwixt the fyve maine cisternes and the by cisternes 1675 Ib. 237.
To menteine the maine pyp for thrie years Ib. 254.
To bring in water from the saids two springs to the main fountain at Comestoun in a lead pyp 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 48.
To James Wilson, sadler, for 4 new crossbraces, helping the main braces, harnishing and coatch scouring 1682 Inverness Rec. II. 306.
That … the … bridge be … secured for this winter for the violence of the speatt … untill the mayn work be convenientlie begun 1692 Foulis Acc. Bk. 147.
For … a peich plait, a mainshekell [etc.] (for a vehicle)

3. Of a person or agent: Pre-eminent, leading; also, greatly given to or very active in the practice implied by the noun. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4072.
Scho is … Ane maine truikour, ane talker out of tone 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 435.
Bot nixt we becum main rebellis against God c1650 Spalding II. 349.
Johne Kennedy of Kermvk, ane mane covenanter

4. Of non-material things. a. Of actions, mental conditions etc.: Great of its kind; violent (rage). 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 411.
Ane runner running with all his main speid c1610 Melville Mem. 345.
Wherat the Englis ambassadour was in a mayn raige at the Master 1635 Dickson Wr. 157.
We see all these things they count gain are losses … , main deceits

b. Most important, principal, chief. 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 488.
Quhairas the maine points thairof dippes upon the bearing … of hacquebutts a1658 Durham Comm. Revelation 43.
So it's ministers main imployment … to make the world … to be lightsome 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 464.
The exacting the laidle dewes … is ane maine caus of great prejudice to the toune

5. In nautical use.Designating the mainmast (Main-mast) or its flag (mayn standert), mainsail (Main-sail(l) or main-course (Main-cross), main top, mainsail-bonnet (main-bonet), main-mizzen sail (mane mesall), or spars or tackle of the mainmast or mainsail. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 477.
To the greit schip mayn standert. In the first, ij ½ steik quhit say [etc.] 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XIV. 152.
The foir saill ane mane mesall ane small mesell ane blind & tua top salis 1549 Compl. 40/31.
Tua men abufe to the mane ra, cut the raibandis, and lat the mane sail and top sail fal a1568 Bann. MS. 210 b/9.
Quhen ye shoot alongis the shoar … Stand to your takill and main top tie 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 62 b.
For ane mane tope viii lib. x s.; for ane mane staye vi stane xiii lib. 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i. 280.
Some the maine bouling hale, some tacklings slacks 1613 Soc. Ant. X. 222.
For sex eln of hardin to mend the main bonet 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 8 b.
For 2 men shet blockes with stokes

6. Main cuntré = Main-land n. 2. 1549 Compl. 95/5.
That nane of them [sc. of Wales] sal cum vitht in the mane cuntre of Ingland vitht out [etc.] 1602 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 232.
That ylle [sc. Lewis] … reducit … to als gryt obedience as ony pairt of the mane and in-cuntrie

b. In Monro W. Isles, cf. Main-land n. 2 b: Low-lying and fertile. And c. Of grass: Flourishing, fertile.b. ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 48.
Ane little ile callit Inismerog … law main ground well inhabite and manurit Ib. 63.
Ane little laich mane ile, gude for scheip and for bent Ib. 65.
Narrest this … lyis Thiridh ane mane laich fertile fruitfull cuntrie Ib. 71.
Fladay, ane meane roch ile, half mile lang, fruitfull in corn and gersing Ib. 77.
Hirta, mane laich sa far as is manurit of it, abundand [etc.] Ib. 48, 54, 60, 62, 63, etc.c. ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 73.
In … Barray thair is ane round heich know mayne girs and grene about all to the heid thairof

7. Extensive, considerable (stretch of water); open (sea, ocean). Also Main sé n. 1596 Dalr. I. 35/4.
Quhatevir land is betueine thir twa mane fludes Forth … and Tai, Fife is called ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1884) 49.
In this ile [sc. Uist] there are infinite number of fresh water loches; but ther is ane maine loche callit Lochebi, three myle lange c1600 T. Pont in Paterson Ayr & Wigt. III. ii. 524.
Knock is a pretty dwelling, seatted one the mane occeane and veill planted

8. noun. Absol. uses, with ellipsis of various nouns, of 5, 6 and 7 above. a. = Main-sail(l n. 1535 Stewart 11707. Ib. 47046.
Tha led thame in [to the Pentland Firth] with musall, fuk and mane [: agane]

b. = Main-land n. Also attrib.The mane schoir of Mule = the shore of the main island of Mull as opposed to the smaller isles around it. The mayne schoir (of Scotland), as opposed to the Hebrides. c 1595–6 Misc. Maitl. C. IV. 41.
Upon his arrivall into the mayine of Scotland caled Kantyre 1600-1610 Melvill 169.
We tuk us toward St. Tab's Heid. … We rowit in … betwix the mean and the head c 1607–15 Goudie Shetl. Antiq. 156.
The vicarage hes thrie kirkis in the maine of the cuntrie of Ȝetlandattrib. ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 64.
The maist pairt of the parochin being upon the mane schoir of Mule foirsaid ane half mile distance of sea fra the said ile 1608 Highland P. III. 113.
The … dismoleisheing of all sic houses vpoun the mayne-schoir apperteneing to ony yllisman 1664 Fraser P. 158.
Thair compeared no mane dweller nor indweller to appon in the contrair

c. The open or deep sea. = Main sé n. Also attrib. 1535 Stewart 636.
The firth, the fell, the montane, and the mayne 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 78.
With their small fishing boats … they go to the main, about two or three leagues more or less ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 64.
Ane ile … with twa fair raidis in it … gude for mayne schippis to ride on anker Ib. 73.

9. noun. A principal conduit or water-channel. Appar. plur. with sing. sense. = A water-mains.Cf. sense 2 c above, quot. 1675. 1628 Irving Dumbartonsh. II. 308.
[Waterworks:] To repair the manis in the kirk vennal and south vennal be causeying the same