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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tanny, Tann(i)e, adj. and n. Also: tannye, tanni, tannee, tannay, tany, tauny, tawney, tenni, tonny. [ME and e.m.E. tauny (Piers Plowman), tawne (1395), tanne (c1410), tanny (c1425), tany (1462), OF taune, tan(n)é, f. tan (cf. Tan v., etc.).]

A. adj. Tawny-coloured, reddish or yellowish brown. a. Of cloth, a garment, etc.(1) 1473–4 Treas. Acc. I 19.
iiij elne … of tanny chamlot of silk 1473 Treas. Acc. I 32.
v½ elne of tanny veluous for a govne to the quene 1490 Acta Conc. I 166/2.
A tanny wob contenand xx eln of walkit claitht 1512 Wigtown B. Ct. 8b (see Warp(e n. 1 (b)).
A tanne werp of xiiii ellis 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 87.
Sad tanny velvet 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II 293.
Payit for x elnis of fyne tannay [pr. cannay] Lyllis worsatt to Richard Dowglas, masser 1588–9 Cal. Sc. P. IX 671.
xiiij ellis tauny claith at vj l. viij s. the ell 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 393.
The said baronnets … to weare … ane orange tannie silk ribban — 1612 Dunblane Test. III 188.
Claith callit tannicannelie(b) 1516 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 22.
Tawney 1601 Sc. Ant. VI 156.
Tauny worset schankis 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xi.
1 tawney welwet faldin chare(c) 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS) 6 (9-10 May).
Fyve courtines, four knoups for the bedd all of tenni perpetuana lyned with tannie of yeallow lace(2) 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 324.
For ane tanny baver hat to the kingis grace 15… Aberd. B. Rec. MS (Jam. s.v. Tonny).
Ane tonny quot

b. Of a person, his skin, an animal, etc. a1585 Polwart Flyt. 764 (T).
Tanny cheikis, [I] think thow speikis with thy breikis, foul ers! a1585 Polwart Flyt. 797 (T).
Tanny flank, reidschank, pyk thank, I man pay thé 1632 Lithgow Trav. iv 162.
The other Turkes which are borne in Asia Major and Ægypt … are of a greater stature, tanny, cruell [etc.] 1684 Law Memor. 176.
It [sc. an elephant] has no hair upon the skin of it, but a rough tannie skin 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 163.
He went before us in the likeness of a rough tanny-dog, playing on a pair of pipes

B. absol. as noun. 1. The colour. Also pl. c1590 J. Stewart 170/11.
The color reed of hardiment is sing … Orange content: And gray dois hoip to speid: The tannie lykith craft and to bakbyt c1590 Fowler I 314/79.
The pourpour … Quhilk tells ȝow ar beloved, Then tanny after to declair The greiffs and pains I provedpl. 1631 Aberd. B. Rec. III 34.
Thay declair and ordane that the cullour of thair gownes and habitt salbe sad tannis in all tyme comeing

2. Cloth of this colour. Also pl.For further examples see Rowan(e (1). 1473 Treas. Acc. I 56.
ij½ elne of Inglis tanny for thare gownis 1483 Acta Aud. *112/1.
Twa pee govnis ane of Franche blak ane vther of tanny … price of the tanny iiij merkis 1496 Halyb. 136.
Tany 1496 Treas. Acc. I 274.
For vij elne of Franch tanne; for ilk elne xxvj s. … For iij elne and a half of wer [= inferior] tanne, for ilk elne xx s. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 343.
Tannee 1501 Treas. Acc. II 55.
For iiij elne Franch tanne to Jacob lutar 1502 Treas. Acc. II 59.
Scottis tanne 1509 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 57.
Ane cloik of tanny thre elne of gray claitht ane sark [etc.] 1583 Sc. Ant. I 77.
Tannye 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (see A a (c) above).pl. 1491 Acta Conc. I 199/1.
Half ane hundreth tannies

b. ? attrib. or ? comb. With grauce, graus, etc.: ? Material of a brownish-grey colour.[Cf. OF gris tanné (13th c. in Godefroy), MLG grau grey cloth, and grays, pl. of Gray n. (grey cloth).] 1502 Treas. Acc. II 198.
For iiij½ elne tanne graus to ane cote to the king 1507 Edinb. B. Ct. Bk. 33.
A tanny grauce govne linit with caddis 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 250.
Tanne graut 1522 Douglas Bequest.
Tany graus 1567 Edinb. Test. I 87b.
Ane kirtill of tanny grauchpl. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 433.
v elne tanne graucis to be ane goune