Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Oncost, n. Also: oncostt, -coist, -coast, uncost. [MDu. (and Du.) onkosten pl., MDu. and Flem. oncost sing. (1374 in Verwijs & Verdam), perh. apprehended as = On adv. 1 + Cost n., though the exactly corresp. Sc. form is Un- + Cost: see Uncost n.] Additional expenses or outlays, overheads. a. plur. b. sing.As: costs additional to those of an article itself, e.g. for freight and wharfage of an imported article; costs of a similar sort additional to those of material and labour of a manufactured article; in a household, charges additional to the basic expenditures on food, drink and heating; in a coal mine, charges for labour and maintenance additional to the payments to the colliers and their bearers for the actual production of coal.Until the late 16th c. appar. chiefly plur.; thereafter only sing., as appar. also in the mod. dial. After the early 17th c. only in reference to coal and salt workings.plur. 1429 Exch. R. IV. 467.
Et pro le oncostis dictelane, x s. 1431 Ib. 553. 1438 Ib. V. 25.
Pro expensis que dicuntur oncostis, factis … super lana, pellibus et coriis domini nostri regis 1444 Ib. 150. 1483 Ib. IX. 221. 1495 Halyb. 14; etc.
Sald tham [240 skins] for ii li. x s. g. the c., the od skynis to bat. Item paid for fraucht and oncostis of tham 16 s. 6 g. som fre syluer of thir skynis is 4 li. 3 s. 6 1510 Rentale Dunkeld. MS. 92 b.
In lye on costis adoris & vini nichil recepit 1532–3 Perth Guildry MS. 196 (22 Jan.).
It cumis to viij noblis the li. gr[et]is fre without ony oncostis 1561 Inverness Rec. I. 56.
To mac pricis on thair schone … the oncosts and expensis quhilk man be made on the leddyr to be deducitsing. 1497 Halyb. 73.
Fracht and oncost of this sek standis in the 28 laif 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 31 Jan.
Oncoistis. Summa off money for his majesties ordinar oncoist the said monethe exteindis to [etc.]. … Extraordinar oncoist. Item deliuerit to James Schaw [etc.] … for stray to his majesteis pailȝeis … , for zuccourr to myxt wyne seck [etc.] 1597 Exch. R. XXIII. 206.
In emptis, cariage, outliverais, ordiner and extraordiner oncoist 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 240 b.
Oncostt within the heuch, … for ane tren cuting in the gating 00, 08, 04 … for making off ane spout and water holl … 00, 16, 08 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 1 a.
Oncost payed out be Wm Harlaw the thesaurer of the burgh of Dunfermline 1677 Fawside Coal Compt 15.
For extraordinare oncost 02, 12, 0 1679 Torry Coal & Salt Wks. 2 b.
Oncoast at salt panns