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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.

Mene time, Mein time, n. Also: men, menne, meine, meyn(e, mean(e, ma(y)n(e, min, myn and tym(e, thyme, teyme, taym. [ME. mene time (1340), mene, meen tyme, e.m.E. mean(e time, tyme: see Mene a.² 3 (and cf. Mene quhile).]Variously written as one or two words.

1. In (into) the mene time, in this or that mene time, in mene time, for the (that) mene time: during the intervening period, in the interim; during this time, meantime, meanwhile; for the time being.(1) 1388 Slater Early Sc. Texts. No. 12.
And in the men tyme we haf heft trevly we sal [manteyn] hir 1407 Ib. No. 65.
With his costes & scathes gif ony be in the mene tyme 1440 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 192.
Al thingis twicheyng the said materies … cessand in the menetyme but preiudice of outhir partie 1489 Acta Conc. I. 116/2.
In the mentyme 1496 Ib. II. 21.
The lords auditours … continewis the sade mater in the menetym to the sade day 1500 Ib. II. 426.
In the mentyme ordanis our soverane lordis clerc of the register til luke … the register 1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 215.
Niniane Forster … strak him … upone his heyd that in the mene tyme the said Johnis harnys come furtht 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 49.
And in the men taym com word to hem [that, etc.] 1544 Ib. 97. 1572 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxiii.
In the menne time … I rest yowr lordshippes vnfainediy [etc.] 1575 Conv. Burghs I. 38.
We … in the menetyme willis ȝow to tak in gude pairt this dilay of time 1570 St. A. Kirk S. 345. 1587 Acts III. 465/1.
In the mentyme 1600 Ib. IV. 206/2.(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 983.
In the meyne tyme com kingis th[r]e 1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 21. 1397 Ib. No. 32.
In the mein tym … he mon outher mak obedyence ore ells for ga the priory 1478 Peebles B. Rec. I. 183.
And now in the meyntym fra this dayt quhyll the next Witsonday the said Sir Wylyam … sall [etc.] 1513 Doug. vii. iii. 21.
Into the meyn tyme 1522–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 67.
This gudwyff in the meyne tyme blamit hir sone 1554 Prot. Bk. J. Harlaw 95 b.
He mycht perchance be vesyt be God in the meintyme before his hamecuming 1562-3 Winȝet I. 60/8.
Becaus in the mein tyme we are offendit be his layngsum delay 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II. 175.
In the meyn time Ib. 211. a1578 Pitsc. I. 14/11. 1584 Waus Corr. I. 286.
In the meintyme my warding will mak thaime affrayit 1596 Dalr. I. 21/11.
The dog nochttheles in the mein tyme barkeng continualie Ib. 62/28. 1627 Justiciary Cases I.66. 1640 Mouswald Kirk S. 1 July.
If any compleine of his neighboure for sclander and in the meine tyme cannot prove the same c1650 Spalding I. 217.(c) 1531 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 44.
And in the mayne tyme the saidis tennenttis … sall pas with thair cornys 1531 Stirlings of Keir 342.
In the mane thyme 1557 Rec. Earld. Orkney 108.
In the mane tyme varnit the said Villiam that [etc.] 1564–5 Perth B. Ct. 242 (9 Feb.).
In the mantyme 1652 Honours Scotl. 119.
In the mane tyme ye may be dalling uith Dane till ye sall heir from my lord(d) 1540–1 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 168.
In the myntime that nane of thair cumpany cum in ony housis … in this toun 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 229.
Bot in the myn tym I hawe na uthyr esperance 1585 Boyd Fam. P. No. 69 (31 March).
Mintyme(e) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 30.
Quhill in the meane tyme Bothwel … daylie musterit about the towne Id. Comm. on Virgil 626.
I am: (in the meane tyme) 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 40.
By witnesses that haue seene their body lying senselesin the meane time 1662 Rothesay B. Rec. 76.
In the meanetyme … the said Donald … constitute Johne … his brother his depute clerk(2) c1420 Wynt. iii. 66.
In this mene tyme … Ayot chapyde Ib. vi. 1391.
In this meyne tyme 1535 Stewart 41939.
In that menetyme and quhile c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1161.
In that meine time 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9608.
In this meane time 1567 Crail B. Ct. 27 Dec.: etc.
And in this man tym Thomas Ben maid his count 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. ii.
In this mene tyme was stark watching … about the Kingis grace a1578 Pitsc. I. 258/10.
In this mean tyme thair come ane man clade in ane blew goune in at the kirk doore(3) 1519 Wigtown B. Ct. 81 b.
In mane tyme 1570 Leslie 119.
In meane tyme … the estatis … war convenit(4) 1456 Hay I. 146/13.
Sen the king payis his wagis … than gif a man gais at his awin plesaunce till his disport, he aw to defalk for the mene tyme 1528 Douglas Corr. 134.
Making mencioune of sic materis as occurrit for that meyntyme

b. In the mene time of, during the period or time of, during. 1399 Melville Chart. 15.
Gif the forsaide landis … hapnys … in the mene tyme of his take throuche commone were distroyit 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 234.
In the mayntym of the allegit contract 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 124.
In the myntyme of this preparatioun 1575–6 Reg. Privy C. II. 479.
Eftir the committing of the foirsaidis oppressionis in the menetyme of his being at the said Lord Regent complening thairupoun 1570 Leslie 126.
In the meynteyme of thair lying at the seige 1609 Crim. Trials III. 42.
In the mentyme of the stryiff 1622-6 Bisset I. 197/18.

c. (In) the mene time that, during the time that, while. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2200.
Bot the meyne-tyme that he baid thair He persaved [etc.] c1420 Wynt. ii. 1413.
In the menetyme that this was Twa yhung men in tyll Sythy ras Ib. viii. 4467.
Meyne tyme c1515 Asl. MS. I. 204/1.
And in the meyntyme that this weire was in Yngland 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 151.
In the meantime that the body is casten loose to all dissolutions

2. In absol. phrases: (All) the (this, that) mene time. = c.above. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 986.
The mentyme the Magdelaine Criste in His luf sa cane inflame That [etc.] Ib. xviii. 563.
Sa that al that mentyme I fylyt sawlis als fer as myne c1420 Wynt. viii. 3145.
The Erle off Murrawe … All this meyne tyme off Scotland Wardane was

b. adv. Meantime, meanwhile. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlvii. 72.
And than I think, vhen I am far auay, Leist that mein tym blind Love suld thus [etc.]