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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.

Merlȝeo(u)n, Marlȝeoun, n. Also: merlyeoun, -ȝown, merleȝeoun, merlion, meryellone, marlio(u)n, -eoun, -yon, marl(e)ȝon. [ME. merlio(u)n, -lyo(u)n (c 1325), e.m.E. meryllon, marlian, murleon, aphetic f. OF. esmerillon: cf. Marling n.] The merlin, the species of small falcon.Also uninfl. as a coll. plur.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 638 (Asl.).
Than rerit thire merlȝeonis [B. merlionis] that mountis so hie 1517 Treas. Acc. V. 129.
To the man that brocht the merlȝownis fra the lard of Spot 1567 Sel. MSS. Q. Mary 189.
I have some merlȝeons to send you, but be resson of the waiknes of ther fedders wer not able to be careit at this present 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 178.
The said Viracke, who went out with ane hauke or meryellone, as thocht he had bene going to hauke 16.. Craven Ch. in Orkney II. 144.
Yor lo. shall resaif ane merlyeouncoll. 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 363.
Foure luris for merleȝeoun price of the pece iiij s.(b) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 1272.
Gud war to him he war in Macedone Playand with sparhalk falcon and marlȝeoun c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 90.
Thik was the clud of kayis and crawis, Of marleȝonis, mittanis and of mawis 1531 Bell. Boece I. xlii.
Of fowlis sic as leiffis of reif … , as ernis … goishalkis, sparhalkis, marlyonis 1581-1623 James VI Poems II. 91/3.
As falconis are by nature faire of flicht … As marlȝonis haif in springing greatest micht 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 8.
Divers kinds of halks doe breed in Southeriand, such as falcons, marlions, jeyr-falcones

b. Attrib. and possess.(1) 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 363.
iij dosane of merlȝeoun huidis price of the dosan vi s. … vj dosane of merleȝeoun bellis 1587 Treas. A cc. MS. 72 b.
Aucht marleoun huidis, xl s. Tua dosane of marleoun bellis, xl s.(2) 1597 Edinb. Test. MS. XXX. 162 b.
Twa dussane of halk and marlionis bellis at xvj s. the pece Ib.
Threttie sax halk huidis and marliounes huidis at ij s. vj d. the pece