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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.

Milk, n.¹ Also: milke, mylk(e, mylc; meilk, mielk; melk. [ME. milk(e, mylk(e, OE. (Merc.) milc (WS. meol(u)c, whence south. ME. melk).] Milk.Also gait-, ky-, ȝow-milk etc., and almond-milk, see these words.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 271.
Of his hals firste milk out ran Ib. xli. 294.
For thai to-giddir ware feid Of a mylk & of a clath cled c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 37.
With moderis milk ȝit in ȝour mychane Ib. lxxxii. 25.
At ȝour hie croce … thair is bot crudis and milk 1512 Household Bk. Jas. IV 26 a.
For mylk to the twa nurreis 1549 Compl. 42/34, etc. 1580-92 James VI Lusus Reg. 26.
As selchis haif milk 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI 1 Nov.
In butter melk egis 1608 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 520.
With sum cauld meit or milk and breid … , in breid and milk fryouris 1623 Black Bk. Taymouth 364.
To hauld ane kow besyd thame to gif milk 1684 Oliphants 286.
For mielk and eall to his posets(2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1349 (Bann.).
Of a claith als quhyt as mylk c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 128.
The ladie quhyte as milk

b. Milk regarded as produce or as yielding profit; also, the quantity of milk produced by an animal, and plur. 1517 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 41.
He wynterit a kow … and he suld have had the simmer mylk 1535–6 Ib. MS. 206 b (28 Feb.).
Jhone Gawe heycht hyme half ane boll of meill for the half meilk of ane kowe 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 22.
[A suspected witch] to quite hirselff of the taking of William Philipis profeit of his mylke 1674 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 214.
For to keip his house togidder with the helpe of the milkplur. 1501 Acta Conc. III. 76.
Twelf hundreth ky … with the proffittis mylkis and calffis of the sammyn

c. The giving of milk for a certain period. d. The capacity (of a woman or an animal) to give milk. Also plur. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 356.
To ane nurice to the prince … at was prewit with sex wolkis mylk 1590 Crim. Trials I. 208.
For away taking be wichcraft of ane puir womanis milk Ib.
Gif scho wer nocht restorit to hir milk [etc.] 1604 Dundonald Par. Rec. 54.
The kov … tint hir milk 1623 Crim. Trials III. 557.plur. 1659 Kelso Presb. in Berw. Nat. C. V. 335.
[A neighbour] saide that she had taken away her kines milks

e. Attrib. and comb.Used for milk; made of milk; in milk, milch(-cattle, etc.); (pasturage) for milch-cattle; consisting of milk; pertaining to milk.(1) 1478 Acta Aud. 82/1.
For … hir mylk kyrne 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Mulctra, ane kit or mylk tub 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Mulctra … a milk-cog 1666 Edinb. Test. LXXII. 194.
Tuo milk tubis, thrie milk cuydis, ane butter tubb 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 362.
In the milk-house … a milk kitt(2) a1568 Bann. MS. 136 b/11.
Quhill Blasour bled ane quart Of milk pottage inwart 1633 Orkney Bp. Ct. 89.
Ȝe cam to hir and brocht with ȝow some melk meat in ane cap(3) 1472 Peebles B. Rec. I. 169.
Na schep … bot mylk schep 1481 Prestwick B. Rec. 29.
Na outtin scheip … owdir mylk or ȝelde 1587 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 226. 1522 Acta Conc. MS. XXXIII. 63.
The … pasturing of ane hundretht mylk ȝowis 1551 Boyd Fam. P. No. 30 (5 May). 1587 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 226.
Quha hes ma milk yowes nor yeld 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 294. 1674 Stitchill Baron Ct. 73.
Ane milk ewe — 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 294.
Of milk gait — 1609 Peebles Gleanings 36.
Ane to haif the milk and ane uther the yeild guides 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II. 15.
That all the milk and yield goodes … be pasturit upon the Westerhill 1678 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 173 (12 Nov.).
[The said John promises to] hird ther milk gear(4) 1165–1214 Liber Melros I. 99.
Terram de Milkeside 1363 Reg. Great S. (1814) 30/1.
Cum terra sua … de Mylchalch 1612 Edinb. Test. XLVII. 63.
The twa milk soumes, the rig of land & the kaill bed(5) 1667 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 218.
[10 merks for the] milk teind [at Martinmas next](6) a1699 Skene Agric. MS.
They will know a good milk kow by a milk vaine that comes from her oodder

f. spec. or transf., appar. in some ceremony in a school.? Cf. ‘a day annually observed in a school, on which the scholars present a small gift to their master; in return for which he … provides for them a treat of curds and cream, sweetmeats, &c. Loth.’ (Jam.). 1681 Edinb. City Archives MS. Moses Bundle 254, No. 7769.
To the schoolemaster as Candelmes money to make him [the Master of Halkerton] victor ther being great emulationes in the scholle, [£29]; … to the master when he went out to the milk being victor [£4]