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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.

Mont, Munt, Mount, v. Also: montt-, mwnt. [ME. (14th c.) and e.m.E. mounte(n, mount, OF. munter, monter (F. monter).] To mount, in various senses.

1. intr. To ascend, rise, go upwards, in various specific applications.Freq. said of birds etc. mounting or soaring into the air.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 638.
Thir merlȝeonis that mountis so hie 1528 Lynd. Dreme 94.
We mountyng in the skye a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 918 (Wr.).
To mount above the moone(b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 62.
And quhen that he did mont on he, All fowill ferleit quhat he sowld be 1528 Lynd. Dreme 512.
Than montit we … Up throw the heuin callit christallyne 1530 Id. Test. Pap. 157.
Sweit bird … be war, mont nocht ouer hie c1590 J. Stewart II. 94/515.
Quhill Apollo thryse haid montit suir In gouldin cart(c) a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 145 (L).
As Icarus … I muntit heichar nor I mycht(2) a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 345 (W²).
I was effrayit to mount so heich a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1804) 173.
They montit [sc. up the ladders] with the better will 1618 Lithgow Poet. Remains 25.
If I should mount [sc. on Fortune's wheel] 1643 Bk. Pasquils 144.
Thou'lt mount its treu but upe the ledder c 1650 Lithgow Poet. Remains 268.
David from dales to rockie deserts mounted [: hunted](3) 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 340.
Ane coup of siluer quhilk montis be ane deuis & demontis(4) 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 91/9.
Quhen he entrit in the pulpatt … the fume of the vyne montit on his harnes

b. fig. or in fig. contexts: To ascend, rise, climb, etc. 1456 Hay II. 164/11.
Quhen thai mount in governaunce 1567 Sat. P. vii. 226.
Thair laude and fame sall mont abone the skyis c1590 Fowler I. 186/11.
Her state and … myne … Now louting lowe, now monting high above 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 6.
He that mounts higher then he aucht falls laighir then he wald

c. To munt doun, to descend, hence fig. to decline, diminish. — a1568 Balnaves Bann. MS. 139 a/70.
Fra tyme scho se … The brawin away doun muntis [: huntis]

d. ? To ‘rise’, become erect, or ? to ‘mount’ for copulation. — c1590 J. Stewart II. 39/335.
In vaine he vrocht for he vold neuir mont

2. To amount or be equal to (tyl), also unto, a certain sum, number or quantity. c1420 Bute MS. 175 b.
Qwhen the [waw] … is at xiiii mark of the payment, than it montis tyl iii lib. viii d. sterlyngys the nayle montys tyl ii s. & i d. sterlyngis 1563 Reg. Cupar A. II. 277.
And mwntis in money to [etc.] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 127.
Quhilk mountis to nyne personis 1577 Reg. Privy C. II. 657.
Monting to 1591-2 Rob Stene 1.
His iowaillis [etc.] … Wald mvnt vnto fourty thowsand

3. To mount (on, also to, horseback); to mount (a, or one's, horse). a. intr. b. tr.a. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 55.
Hengist … montit on his hors c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 481.
Be that, Talbart on hors mountit 15.. Clar. i. 1056.
Syn on thair horsis muntit baith on height Ib. iv. 1649. a1586 Lindsay MS. 63.
He … montit to his palfray and went furth hestelyb. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 89.
[He] kist it afore he montit his hors

c. P.p. Seated on a horse or other riding animal, (having) mounted.Also weill (etc.) montit, = riding on a good (etc.) animal, well (etc.) mounted; perh. also, in some instances, = equipped with a good (etc.) animal and/or riding-gear: cf. sense 9.(1) 1513 Doug. v. x. 48.
Julus … Come … montyt on a Sydon steyd Ib. vii. v. 3.
Eneas messyngeris … Returnys, montit hie on hors ilk ane Ib. x. 56. 1558 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 151.
He sal be montit on ane mule a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 84.
Thai anis montit on hir bak Thay think [etc.] 1609 Crim. Trials II. 294.(2) 1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 137.
The Scottis men of arms weill monttit and in ordour c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3033.
Off hors men montit galȝeardlye a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 68.
Bot rydis rycht softlie on a meir Weill montit in thair rydding geir c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3164.
Wer nocht the king wes so weill montit [: comptit] 1609 Hume 170/106. 1671 Irvine Mun. I. 110.

4. tr. a. To ascend (the throne). 1687 Shields Hind Let Loose (1687) 365.
This man or monster rather that is now mounted the throne

b. To mount (guard). 1679 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 367.
A considerable number of the nighboures does munt the guaird

5. a. In passive, To be raised or lifted (up etc.). 1599 Rollock Wks. I. 301.
Luke that thy eie be mountit up above al thir eirthly thingis c 1605 Black Bk. Taymouth 40.
The gallows, … in the heichar parte quhairof Alester M^cGregour … himself wes mountit abone the laiff

b. tr. and fig. To raise, elevate, exalt (a person) in rank, power or the like. a 1546 G. Wishart in Misc. Wodrow Soc. 13.
Except we be elluminat, styred up and mounted, by the grace of Chryst c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 320.
Quhilk montit thame on sic a prydfull wyse 1567 Sat. P. vii. 44.
To se ane monstuire … Abone the rest heich mountit vp in gloir 1581 Sempill Ib. xliii. 104.
Fortoun montit neuer man on hicht Bot [etc.]

c. ? To increase; to reckon or charge at an increased rate. 1627 Orkney Rentals iii. 94.
According to the rentell, quhilk to our knawledge can not be valued nor munted heigher nor it is alreddie

6. To set (a cannon) upon, also on, its stock or carriage. Also absol.Perh. the orig. notion was that of lifting or raising it onto the stock: cf. Monting vbl. n. 2.(1) 1566 Inv. Wardrobe 166.
Twa battartis of found mountit on thair stokkis 1580 Reg. Privy C. III. 319.
Ane battirt … montit upoun ane auld stok(2) 1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 360.
absol. Ane hundrith faddome of greit towis, … to lift and mont to carie and to woup brokin stokis and quheillis

b. To fit or equip (a cannon or other gun) with its stock or carriage and other appurtenances and so make it ready for use. c. P.p. (Of a cannon) fitted or equipped with (the stock etc.).b. 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII. 389 (see Monting vbl. n. 2 c). —1565 Reg. Privy C. I. 402. 1566 Ib. 446.
Artailyearie and necessar munitioun, quhilk servis to na use gif it be nocht montit and dewlie acowterit 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 107.
Ane gros culvering, monted for the wallis, and nocht for the feildis Ib. 108. 1577–8 Warrender P. I. 135.
I hawe mowntit all his ordynans new 1583–4 Reg. Privy C. III. 639.
Upoun materiallis neidfull to mont the cannonis and ordinancis 1589 Cal. Sc. P. X. 261.
Everie hagbutter … with his hagbutt and flaskes well mounted and in good ordour 1638 Dumbarton B. Rec. 56.
Thay saw ae brasin piece muntit lyand abune [on board a ship]c. 1581 Mar & Kellie MSS. 34.
The gros culvering of bras with stock quheylls and haill iryne grayth mountit pertenning therto Ib. 35.
Ane demie culvering … montit with stock, quheillis, iryne werk, charge [etc.] 1585 Elphinstone Mun. 193/1.
Three myanes of found with … quheillis and extrie tua thairof mountait with plait quheill and buschit with irne

d. To fit out and get ready for use (arms generally). 1646 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 90.
To provyd and munt the armes they have with all … speide

7. To set (cannon) in position on or upon (something) ready for use; also, to set in position and aim (cannon) at (a target).The orig. notion may have been that of lifting or raising into position.(1) 1570 Leslie 285.
The Inglismen … caused mak ane litell hill of erd, and caused mont and place gret ordinance thairupoun a1578 Pitsc. II. 89/16.
The Frenchemen … montit artaillȝe on the colledg stepill and in lyk wayis wpoun the wallis of the abbay kirk and cudemnit all the close [etc.] Ib. 265/34.
The men of weir that war in Leith muunted thair small ordinance vpone the trinchis of Leith for feir of Edinburgh 1650 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 615.
They … demolisched the haill houssis in St. Marie Wynd … that thai mycht haif frie pas to thair cannoun quhilk thai haid montit upone the Neddir Bow(2) a1578 Pitsc. II. 284/26.
[They] had monted ane cannon at the said hous

8. Appar., to lift or raise (one's pike) ? off the ground or ? in some other way.A term of military drill. 1627 Kelly Pallas Armata 23.
The tearmes of command in our Scots language: … 5. Ouer end, or setdown your pick. 6. Mount your picke. 7. Traill your picke Ib. 24.
This posture, advance or mount your picke (which the French calleth Pique en haut)

9. To fit out, furnish, equip, a. furnishings or garments, with trimmings or appurtenances, b. a person, with clothing, c. a person with (of) a horse and arms.a. 1632 Inv. Newark 2 a.
Ane gingillan grograin bed with nyn scoir of ellis lugit lace of blew and orriange to mount it with Ib.
Tapestrie carpitis and … beding quhilk is not in the compt and nott mountit Ib. 3 a.
Ane grograin bed with laice to be mountit with ane grein rug to it 1680 Cunningham Diary 116.
For 8 dozen buttons to mount an old suit for myselfb. 1680 Cloud of Witnesses 50.
Yet He mounted me better than ever I was before with cloaths, and wonderfully provided mec. 1684 Cloud of Witnesses 230.
Sir, I had not the worth of a spur whang of any man's, but was mounted of horse and arms of my own

d. To furnish with clothing or equipment, to clothe or equip (persons). e. To serve as fittings or appurtenances for (furnishings). 1627 Bk. Carlaverock II. 92.
I think the ten suttis of apperell … will serve to mont them all [sc. certain soldiers] 1676 Douglas Corr. 276.
Send so many gilded leather skins as ye thinke will mount the hingings of the hall

f. To set up or fit out, in other applications. 1661 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 353.
He aboad with him … ten dayes helping him to mount ane covering loome 1695 Cullen Kirk S. II. 13 Jan.
There is ane isle on the southside of the church of Cullen which is well mounted and cyled