A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1375-1420, 1473-1515
[1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
North-half(f, n. Also: northe-, northt- and -halfe, -halve, and northalff, northalve. [ME. norð-, northhalf, appar. not recorded after the 14th c., OE. norð healf: see Half n. 3 b.] Chiefly in the phr. on (apon) (also a, in) (the) north half (of).Cf. North-side n. 2, North part n.
a. (On) the north side (of), (to) the north (of). b. (In) the northern part or quarter (of).See Half n. 3 b and Anorth prep. for further examples.a. 1375 Barb. ix. 309 (E).
To mak all fre That wes on the north halff the Scottis se 1375 Ib. xx. 325.
He … left the grunȝe of Spainȝe On northalff him 1386 Rot. Sc. II. 85/2.
On north halve and on west halve the forseide castel c1420 Wynt. i. 1214.
On north half it is rynnand syne A wattyr that is callyd Alvews 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I. 175.
The land lyand on the north half of the gate of the castale burn 1474 Treasurer's Accounts I. 50.
To a currour passand on northalue Forth c1515 Asloan MS I. 187/27.
Northhalf the Scottis se duelt neuer Brettoneb. 1417 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 249.
My tenement … liand on northe halfe the forsad burch c1420 Wynt. viii. 3093.
In the north halff off the new kyrke … ane arch he gert men wyrke
c. On north half, on the northern side, to the north. 1487 Brus xix. 316 (C).
The Scottis men war than liand On north half neir [E. On northhalff Wer] toward Scotland
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"North-half n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/north_halff>
