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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.

Mel(e)-, Meil(l)-mercat(t, n. Also: meal(l)-, miland -merccatt, -mercate, -marcat, -merket(t, -at(t, -market; and Male-mercat.

A burgh's meal-market. Also fig. and attrib.(a) 1477 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 35.
Alsa the mele merket of all grane and cornes fra the Tolbuth vp to Libertons Wynde 1519 Ib. 191. 1574 Glasgow Prot. VII. 61.
John Andersoun in Melemercat 1577 Reg. Cupar A. II. 134. 1602 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 374.
To mak the grund of the mel merkett(b) 1535 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II. 70.
Ane Bessie Hendersoun oblist nocht to be fund in the meill merkat metting meill 1538 (c 1580) Ib. 89.
That the meill merkat be removit of the hie gaitt … and vtheris victuallis alykewayes Ib. 366. 1561–2 Ayr B. Acc. 134. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 2. 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII. 60. 1590 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 31.
Sex new mets to the meill merket and two to the beir merket 1598 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 361.
Visitouris in the meill mercatt 1603 Paisley B. Rec. 254. 1603 Dundonald Par. Rec. 36. 1633 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 244. 1637 Dumbarton B. Rec. 53.
The vissitor to the meill mercat being careless 1649 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 176.
That the meill mercat breck on … at ten hours 1652 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII. 283. 1662 Acts VII. 375/1.
The want of ane bigged and covered meilmarket within the said burgh [Ayr] 1680 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 106.
The said fynes of the meill merccatt(c) 1536 Kirkwall Chart. 6.
Fororum panneorum (id est) lie meall mercates 1598 St. A. Baxter Bks. 55 n. 1662 Peebles B. Rec. II. 54. 1675 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 250.
The present meall mercat is so … narrow that it cannot both be a meall mercat and a corne mercat 1697 Perth Shoemakers 19.
A little above the meall mercatt(d) 1673 Greyfriars Interments 439.
In Thomas Robeson's new lan at the Milmarketfig. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 301.
Quhilk begouth at the counsall commonly callit the meillmercatattrib. 1594–5 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 159.
The mele mercate sted 1694 Irvine Mun. II. 110.
To their building a meill mercatt house thairupon