A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Maister-, Master-man, n. Also: maistir-, mayster-, mastir-, -yr-. [ME. maister- (14th c.), meister-man (c 1250), mayster mone (14th c.): cf. MDu. meesterman master, employer. Also in mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dialects.]
1. A chief, leader, ruler, overseer.Also, the skipper of a vessel.a1400 Leg. S. v. 402.
He … vent than To sterk thefis … Thare master man thai sone hym mad Ib. xxi. 757. Ib. xxvii. 484.
Machore … reprowyt the mastir man Of his tary … That he to saile sa lethand wes 1424 Acts II. 8/1.
A wyse man … the quhilk sall be haldyn dekyn or maister man oure the layff [of each craft] a1500 Sir Eger 2638. c1475 Wall. iv. 87.
The fyve to thaim retornde … ; The maistir man … straik he c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1779.
The maister men gan to ga wylde 1591 Newes from Scotland in Crim. Trials I. ii. 254.
Ye and thay tuik the sea, Robert Greirsoun being youre admerall and maister-manne, … in riddillis 1616 Orkney Witch Trial in Dalyell Darker Superst. 536.
Ane great number of fairie men … [together with] a maister man
2. A mighty, powerful or influential man; a magnate, a great lord, a mighty warrior.a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1248.
Of haly kirk the cure had tane A paipe of Rome, a mastir man Ib. 853, xxxi. 759, xxxiii. 34. c1420 Wynt. vii. 1387.
A mayster-man [v.rr. mastyr-] cald Feretawche … And othir mayster-men thare fyve Agayne the King than ras belywe 1456 Hay I. 216/26. Ib. 232/18.
[If] the subject had bene als evill to the haly papatis as the maister man was a1500 K. Hart 544.
Quhow sic ane maister man so sone suld rys … The Kingis folk to ding and to suppryse 1535 Rec. Earld. Orkney 219.
Than ar thaj bundyn … to tak nay maystermen in thar defence or suple bot equhell men and the laow
3. The person in charge of something: cf. Maister n.1 12 b.a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 757.
Of thare halowis [pr. halorbis] the mastir-man [L. comes sacrorum]
4. A master of a craft. = Maister n.1 14.1631 Kelso Glovers 10.
That it shall nott be laufull for any maisterman of the craft to fie ane servant … for shorter spaice nor ane whol year 1647 Douglas Bequest 25 Sept.
That na masterman of any of the saidis craftis ressave ane new prenteis quhill [etc.]