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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Nun, Non(e, n. Also: nunne, nune, nwn(e, (nouin). [ME. nun(ne (Ancr. R.), nonn(e (c 1290), late ME. nune (Prompt. Parv.), e.m.E. also noon(e (1523), non(e (c 1550), OE. nunne.] 1. A nun.(a) 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 49.
Pryorese of the nunnys of Hadyngton c1420 Wynt. vi. 1826.
In habyte off relygyowne, A nwn [v.rr. none, nwne] mad be professyown c1420 Ib. v. 1572. 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 292/19.
With relegious wemen, as nunnis 1492 Ib. 294/9. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1261. 1540 Ib. 3658. c1552 Id. Mon. 609. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 110/21. 1565 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 651/1.
To the said Jane ane nunnis portioun within the abbacie of Northberuik 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis (1868) 179.
The seily nunnis keist up thair bunnis 1567 Ib. (S.T.S.) 188.
Nunne 1568–9 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XV. 34.
The lands … of the freiris and nunnys 1662 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XXII. 220.
Janet Paton, termed the nun, was a great one(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxv. 121.
Til ane abbay Quhare haly nunis can duel c1420 Wynt. vii. 266.
Scho wes mayd nwne [C. none] and deyd virgyne 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 31.
Of ony kirkis landis, freiris landis, nunis landis or commoun landis a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 39.
Prestis, nwnis and haill rabell of that dewillige sowrtt of papistis a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 63.
Nunes(c) c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace i. 164.
Nonnys 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 293/8.
The ante cryst salbe ingenerit on a non 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 908.
The sillye nonnis did ȝeild thame haistelye 1530 Ib. 928.
As did the holy nonnis 1531 Bell. Boece (M)II. 360.
Becaus the nonnys war of evill life(d) 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xi.
Ane nouin

b. Attrib. in place-names. 1421 Inchcolm Chart. 48.
Jacentibus in le Nun gate et Nunsyde [of Haddington] 1489 Acts Lords Auditors 137/1.
Liand in the north parte of the Nvngate of Sanct Martine 1572–3 McCrie Knox 498.
The Nunland liand in the parochin of Haddingtoun 1587 Acts III. 437/1.
The west pairt of … Northberwick callit the Nungait 1608 Milne-Home MSS. 189.
Nunmeadow, Nunbutts, Nunflatt 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 125.
A nunry having the lands called Nuntoun and the Nun-mill thereunto belonging

c. Nunes threid, ‘the fine white thread spun in the convents of Italy and Flanders’ (C. R. Beard).e.m.E. nuns thred (1631). 1625 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I. 138.
Tua vnce of nwnes threid pryce of the vnce x s. 1628 Edinburgh Testaments LIV. 280 b.
Sex pund wecht of nunes threid at iiij merkis the pundis wecht 1633 Ib. LVI. iii b.
Nwnis threid 1644 Ib. LXI. 16 b. c 1644 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B. 65.
For kneittingis & nuneis threid

2. In Douglas: A priestess or votaress of a pagan deity. 1513 Doug. iv. vi. 41.
As quhen thir nunnys of Bachus Ruschis and relis [etc.] 1513 Ib. ix. 21.
Ane haly nun, a ful gret prophetes 1513 Ib. i. v. 77, vi. i. 77, x. i. 1513 Id. Comm. i. v. 81.
Consecrat a nun onto the goddes Vesta