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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.

Lantern(e, -tren(e, n. Also: laun-, lawn-, lain- and -tarn, -trane, -trenn, -t(e)rine, -tryn(e, -tron(e, -troun; -thern, -thron. Also Lanthorn(e. [ME. (a 1300) and e.m.E. lantern(e (ME. also laun-), -tarne, -tirn(e, -tren, -trin, later also lanthern (18th c.), F. lanterne.]

1. A lantern. Also attrib. with glas.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 599.
As a lavntern he wes lycht c1475 Wall. xi. 1255.
Lyk till lawntryns it illumynyt so cler(b) a1400 Leg. S. vi. 352.
He that gyffis almus … Is lyk hym that in merknes … a lanterne before hym has a 1500 Coll. St. Salvator 162.
A lantarn of glas for the clostyr 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 298.
viij skoir quhet irne platis for lanternis and bowettis to the said schip the pece vj d. 1515 Ib. V. 41.
Ane gret lantern of glas for to hyng in the palice 1519 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 190.
At na persouns be fund on the hie gaitt fra ix houris at evin furth, without ane lanterne or bowatt in his hand 1535 Stewart 9777. Ib. 1502, etc.
With basnet brycht … als lycht as ane lanterne 1551 Hamilton Cat. 121.
Evin sa aucht ye to use the law … of God as a torche, bowat, or lanterin 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 204.
It is statut … that thair be nychtlie … lanternis and bowettis sett furth 1586 Ib. IV. 456, etc. a1585 Maitl. Q. xcv. 36.
Sick ane speciall That lyk a lanterne schynit to thame suir 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 315.
Hornes … for lanternes the thowsand leaves xii li. Ib. 317.
Lanternis of commoun sort the dozen xx s., of English making fyne the dozen xii li. 1691 Falkirk Kirk S. II. 14.
In the kirk officer's hands … three pewter cupps … the examine books, and a lanternattrib. 1564–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 480.
To James Synclar, glassinwrycht … for ane lanterne glas xxx s.(c) 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 490.
xxiij bowettis and iij greit lantrennis … put in the greit schip 1533 Ib. VI. 165. 1535 Stewart 4673.
As ane lantren lycht Ib. 6605, 12700.
Lantryne 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 8.
For mendin the pock of the lantrine 12 s. 1645 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III. 44.
An aix and lantroun 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX. 14.
Ane houre knok, ane lantrane 1668 Ib. LXXIII. 203 b.
Ane tin oyll lamp, ane brasen lantrone, ane bouet cutthrot 1669 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 115.
[Nobody to] repair to their barnes for threshing … unles thei have a lantrone or bowet with them for preserving the candle or light thei sie with 1683 Inventory in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS.) 9–10 May. 2.
Four globb lantrons upon stafes 1715 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 184.
For the stair lantron 6 s.(d) 1663–6 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp 17 b.
For 2 lanthernis [£1/16/-] 1677 Cunningham Diary 98.
To my lady Strathnaver's boy for carrying a lanthern to me [6 s.] 1686 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 164.
That … at night they put furth lanthrons and sufficient lights therin

b. A lighthouse. 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 423.
At the visiting of St. Nicolas Chaipell besyde Leyth … quhair the lantren is bigging to gif licht to the heavin

c. A glass case protecting an assayer's balances.So 17th c. F. lanterne. 1610 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I. 218.
The said vmquhill Sir Archibald ... left and disponit to him in legacie his best lanterne and assay ballance thairof with thair weghtis Ib.
Quha hes the saidis actis lettres of exemptionis Pareis pund weght, Englische vnce troy penny and grane wechtis key of the said assay box lanterne and assay ballanceis thairof with thair weghtis in thair custodie 1637 Ib. II. 109.
The essayer … puttis [the silver] in the ballance quhilk is within a glass or lanterne, and quhen the wecht and the siluer aggries … without difference of a hair quhilk he espyis be luiking within the lanterne be spectacles … he taks [it] furth be ane ingyne quilk liftis the ballance to the heid of the lanterne

d. Lanterne scalier, staires: cf. 16th c. F. lanterne a turret containing a spiral stair. 1652 Urquhart Jewel in Tracts (1774) iv 80.
A private passage which led them to a lanterne scalier Id. Rabelais i. liii.
Between every tower, in the midst of the said body of building, there was a paire of winding (such as we now call lantern) staires

2. a. transf. Applied to a heavenly body. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 197.
Fair Phebus. lanterne & lamp of licht 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 90.
Hys mekil e, That lurkit … lyke onto the lantern [E lantrin] of the moyn 1531 Bell. Boece I. 52.
They … belevit … , that the … sternis and lanternis of the hevin war verray goddis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 422.
Phebus … That lusty lampe and lanterne of the heuin c1552 Id. Mon. 6052.

b. fig. Of a person: A safe guide, a shining example, a paragon. a1500 Henr. Fab. 669.
Ȝe ar mirrour, lanterne, and sicker way, Suld gyde sic sempill folk as me ?a1500 Obsecro 13.
Lady Mary … Lampe of licht, lanterne of blis a1570-86 Kennedy Maitl. F. lxxi. 23.
O flowand ȝouth … Off all vane gloir the lanterne and myrrour 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 8.
Virgill … Lantarn, laid stern, myrrour, and A per se Ib. 413.
My mastir Chauser … Sayand he followit Virgillis lantern 1531 Bell. Boece II. 125.
Thir … war precheouris and lanternis of haly kirk 1558–9 Statut. Sc. Ch. 156.
The said estate [of the clergy] is mirror and lantern to the rest a1568 Bann. MS. 217 b/7.
My hairt is so in hir serwice, Quhilk is the verry lantrene lycht, Off womanheid ane flour delice a1585 Polwart Flyt. 620.
Arcandams Astrologie, an lanterne [H. ane lainterne] of laire, Affirmes hes bleardnesse 1622-6 Bisset I. .
Moist mychtie monarche, … Beloved of God, and lantrone of this land