A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513, 1604-1608
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Handstaf(f, n. [ME. hand-staf (15th c.).] a. The handle of a flail. b. The name of some asterism, ‘supposed to be Orion's sword’ (J). — 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 153.
The elwand, the elementis, and Arthurus hufe, The horn and the hand staf a1605 Montg. Flyt. 419 (Harl.).
Be … the charlewaine, Be the hornes, the handstaffe and the kinges ell — 1608 in Calderwood VI. 744.
In the which demonstrations, the midd couple will never hold fast the souple to the handstaffe
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"Handstaf n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/handstaff>
