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

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Prime, Pryme, n.¹ Also apparently erroneous form: pryne.[ME (c 1200) and e.m.E., OE prím, F. prime (1119 in Greimas), late L. prīma the canonical hour and its office, f. L. prīma hōra the first hour in the Roman reckoning, or 6 a.m.]

1. The ecclesiastical hour of Prime or the office said at that hour. Also comb. in prime-mes.The office of Prime began at 6 a.m. or sunrise: see the etym. note. 1328 Reg. Episc. Morav. 287.
[In officiis divinis … ut … teneantur officiando interesse in choro ecclesie cathedralis matutinis, prime, majori misse] ?a1500 Remembrance of the Passion 623.
The houris of oure ladyis dollouris … .At prime scho followit him to Pilotis place 1501 Treasurer's Accounts II 62.
To vj priestis of the College of Strivelin … quhen tha began to sing prime and houris a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 470.
At prime a1538 Abell 113 a.
He come dailie to lady mes pryme mes quhen he held cheptur & hie mes & eynsang quhen he wes nocht stoppit

2. The first hour of the day, i.e. six a.m. or sunrise; more loosely, early morning.Also prime of the day.(1) 1375 Barb. xv 55 (E).
Sa knychtlik … [they] rid That pryme wes passyt or men mycht se Quha [etc.] ?1438 Alex. ii 667.
To-morne at pryme thow sall him se 14.. Acts I 335/2.
At thai by gudis befor the lauchfull hour that is to say prime [L. horam primam] in somer and the thrid hour in wynter a1500 Henr. III 153/84 (Bann.).
Minister this medecyne at evin to sum man And or pryme be past … Thay sall blis ȝow a1500 Sir Eger 857.
On the eight day of the prime a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2248.
To morne be pryme Ȝour son sall … all declare 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 672.
Awaitit heir sen prime 1570 Satirical Poems xxi 87.
And, had thay force, or it war pryme, Ȝe wald se thair intent(2) c1450-2 Howlat 40 (A).
Be pryme of the day I herd [etc.] a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 23.

3. The first appearance of the new moon. c 1560 Exchequer Rolls XVIII lxxiv.
Marche, eftir the first T, Luke the pryme whenevir it be. The thrid Sonday, I wis, Evirmair Pasche day is; And gif on Sonday fallis the pryme, Tell it for ane a1568 Bannatyne MS 83 b/3.
Lyk as the mone chaingis befoir the pryme Sa [etc.] 1571 Inverness Rec. I 207.
My lord Huntle hes ane fischeing callit the Fre Schot within the watter of Ness … the said nobill Lord nor his tackismen war newyr in wse of the said Fre Schot bot the begynnyng of the samyn to be at the nixt pryne [sic. in pr.] efter Beltan yeirle a1605 Montg. Flyt. 358 (H).
Ilke moone be thow madd, Fra past be the prymes [: tymes, crymes, raterrymes] 1687 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 147.
It hath been excessive rains … which makes true the common proverbe that Saturndays chainge and Sondays prime once in seven years is out of time

4. The first season of the year, springtime.So also e.m.E. (1541) and OF. c1590 Fowler I 120/66.
I saw the frost with roses mixt the harwest with the pryme