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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.

Lene, Leyn(e, Leine, Lean(e, a. Also: la(i)ne. [ME. and e.m.E. lene, leen(e, lean(e, early læne, OE. hlǽne.] Lean.

1. Of the body: Thin, emaciated, skinny.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii. 2094.
To that craft I am our ald, … lene and cald Ib. 6795. 1456 Hay II. 119/3.
Gif a man be fat and moyste, dry metis ar gude till him, and gif he be lene, moyst metis ar gaynand till him a1500 Henr. III. 120/67 (B).
This lene awld man luche not c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 120.
That lene gib Id. Flyt. 169.
Thy lang, lene craig Ib. 182.
Thy laithly lymis ar lene as ony treis 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 6.
A lenar wight, na mayr pynyt, I ne saw 1535 Stewart 37025.
Hay with his ȝok … wes nother waik no lene 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1132.
He is … waik and auld, Lene of body, and als of nature cauld 1568 Haddington Mem. II. 116.
Your wyff will be sa lene and ye abid lang fra hyr that [etc.] a1585 Polwart Flyt. 782 (T).
Sillie snark [sic], lene raik(b) a1500 Henr. III. 114/11 (Makc.).
Ane catyf … With chekis leyne and lyart lokis hoir Id. Test. Cress. 159.
Saturne … With lippis bla, and cheikis leine and thin a1538 Abell 85 a.
The tua ȝoung men … wer werra leyn for hungir a1570-86 Maitl. F. lix. 15, etc.(c) a1585 Polwart Flyt. 544 (H).
His luggs baith lang and leane(d) a1586 Lindsay MS. 70 b.
Ane man ouir laine or ouir fatt a1649 Drummond II. 57/238.
The next with eyes sunke hollow … Lane face, snarl'd haire

b. Of meat and fish: Lean, thin, in poor condition. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xliii.
Thir salmond, … eftir thair spawning … grow so lene and small [etc.] 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4113.
Thocht that ȝe blaw lene mvttone & beif, To gard seme fat & fair 1592 Acts III. 614/2.
The saidis solane geis quhen thai depairt fra the said ile … ar auld and leyne, vnable for ony manis meitt 1596 Dalr. I. 41/19.
Quhen … [the herring] ar gutted, and the meltis takne out, thay ar sa leine that [etc.] Ib. 50/23.
Leane

2. transf. Of land or soil: Poor, unproductive, exhausted. a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 987.
He … gert teile a mekill feild of land, & thocht it was leyne & dry, He socht to saw thare bere & ry 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 138.
For desertions, I think them like lying lay of lean and weak land for some yeers while it gather sap for a better crope

3. fig. Poor, meagre. 1680 Lauder Observes 12.
I mark as extraordinary, for to leive a better stipend to goe to a much leaner