A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Birning, Byrnyng, vbl. n.1 [f. Birn v. Cf. Brinning and Burning.]
1. The act of burning, esp. of destroying by fire.Frequent in documents of the 16th cent.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 855.
With quhilk birning now it reikis Ib. 894.
Throw felloun lowes & byrnyngis c1420 Wynt. v. 723.
For the byrnnyng off the towne 1448 Acts I. 352/1.
Anentis bailis birning 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 197.
Tha sal … kep our woddis … for-out byrnyng … of tham 1493 Acta Aud. 173/2.
A bill of the birnying and herschip of Werk 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. 92.
Tveching … the birnyn of ane pevder dische 1504 Breadalbane Doc. (Reg. H.) No. 32.
Committaris of herschippis … and birnyngis vppoun oure trew liegis 1528 Reg. Privy S. I. 576/2.
The birnyng of the peile of Knokschenoch 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 228.
Be the byrning and crewell invasiounis maid be our ald inemeis 1557 Peebles B. Rec. 238.
Anentis the cuttin and birnyng of the tirvis on the Sonyside a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii. 42.
A beist in birning that does breid 1622-6 Bisset II. 214/22.
At the birning and demolischeing [of Scone](2) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 155/15.
For gret hete and birnyng of the son 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 23.
The byrnyng quhar the son had schyne
b. Attrib. with coillis (coals). Cf. Burncoil.1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV. 130 b.
xxij bollis of birning coillis at x s the boll
2. Branding, as a punishment.1498 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 74.
Cutting of thair eiris, byrning of thair cheiks, and banesing of the towne 1512 Ib. 137.
Vnder the payne of byrning, gif it be ane woman, on the cheik 1530 Ib. II. 37.
The prouest … dispensis with the byrnyn of the said William unto the tyme that he be clengit 1578 Inverness B. Rec. I. 264.
Vnder the pane of birnyng of hir on hir cheik
3. A burning pain. 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 188.
He cryit ay to straik it with reme for the birning
