Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Certane, Certain, n. Also: certaine, certean; serten. [ME. certain (c 1300), certein, etc., from Certane, a.]

1. a. Certainty; truth. Chiefly in phr. in certane.(1) 1375 Barb. xvii. 50.
Quhen the king herd that this trane Wes spokin in-to sic certane c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2135.
Thus was he slane in-to certane c1420 Wynt. ii. 690.
Ansuere tharof gat he nane, Na nakyn knawlage in certane c1475 Wall. viii. 563.
Thai ar to dreid rycht gretly in certane a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 167.
I say yow in certane [etc.] Ib. 385.
All thre in certane Salust the souerane 1513 Doug. i. vi. 145.
I schaw the, for certane, Thy ferys ar salf 1518 Glenartney Doc.
Becaus our saidis lettres expremis nocht the punition in certane, as is allegyt c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 207.
Ladie, I say ȝow. in certane, Ȝe sall haue lufe for lufe agane c1552 Id. Mon. 3935.(2) c1420 Wynt. iv. 377.
Tharoff the certane Is nane can telle bot He alane Ib. 1175.
Off thame quha will the certane hawe, … Thai rede the Brwte

b. Certainty, stability. a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxxiv. 11.
Thair is na manheid nor riches in certane

2. a. An unspecified number of persons or things.(a) 1428 Liber Melros 520.
That the abbot … sulde hafe be uthir charteris … a certane of landis callyt baris landis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 187/17.
Thai … fand in it a certane of giandis 1510 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 128.
Ane certane of the principalis maisteris of the said craft 1531 Ib. II. 52.
That he [be] bund prentis … for ane certane of yeris 1531 Bell. Boece I. 83.
He banist ane certane of his nobillis Id. Livy II. 121/21.
Commandand ane certane of thame … to be slane 1558-66 Knox II. 286.
Of these war a certane appointed to wait upoun [the] Court by course 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 59.
Ane certane of men of weir 1593 Elgin Rec. II. 30.
A certane of the maist … wyis and discreit personis 1622-6 Bisset I. 118/16.
Ane certane of persones spirituall and temporall 1600-1610 Melvill 168.
A certean of skleatt steanes(b) 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 10.
Ane certaine of the best of the fyrst classe and secund a1578 Pitsc. I. 35/5.
Ane certaine of thair maist spetiall freindis(c) 1516 Rec. Earld. Orkney 90.
Ane serten of worthy personis 1536 Douglas Corr. 144.
The clarge is sitand … apon an serten artykillis that the King hais put to tham

b. An unspecified quantity of something. 1490 Rec. Earld. Orkney 198.
A certane off lande, the quhilk I … optanit 1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 222.
The thyftwys steiling of … ane certane of heklyt lynt 1533 Bell. Livy II. 183/18.
The charge was gevin … to by ane certane of gold with the said money 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 229.
Ane schip … in the quhilk thair wes … v^c bullattis, with ane certane of sall peiter