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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Raisin, Rasin(g, n. Also: raisine, -ing, raysin(e, raissing; rasine, -inge, -yn, -eine, -ain, -on(e, razine, rassin(g, -yn; resine, -(e)ing, ressing, -yng; reison, reysyng; reasin(e, -ing(e, -eine; (reasom); raeseine; rasuin. [ME and e.m.E. raycin (1278), raysyn (14th c.), -on (1533); rasyng (c1400), razin (c1450); reisyn (13..), reyson (Wyclif); resyn (1348–9), reasyng (1485), etc., OF raiz-, razin, reis-, resin, roisin, etc., pop. L. *racīm-, L. racēmus a bunch of berries or cluster of grapes.]

1. A grape; a cluster of grapes. Also, a representation of either of these.(1) 1456 Hay II 136/3.
Suppos he ete in the sesone … ane unce weight of rasins of gude rypenes and suetenes Ib. 140/26.
Bot of all wynis the best ar thai that growis [etc.] … and that the rasynis be in mydlyn way of suetnes [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. MS 245b.
The wyn [is made] of mony rasingis and beriis 1494 Loutfut MS 41a.
Grappes of raisin has rycht gret vertu in noblesse 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 26.
Of fructis, feggis, bytter almondis, dry rasingis, sowr apill or peir, orange [etc.](2) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 11324.
The cormis of the rasing all halelie was Off rubyis … and of topas Ib. 13537.
Off gold was all the veingȝe trie … And precious stanis the rasingis

b. Raisings of the sone. 1598 Household Bks. Jas. VI I 10 May.
Raissingis of the sone 1617 Edinb. Test. L 37.
Reaseines of the sone 1618 Montgomery Mem. 280. 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII 185.
Reasingis of the syne 1642 Ib. LX 181.
Rasinges of the sone

2. A dried grape, a raisin.In some quots., perhaps a further instance of 1 above.(1) 1492 Aberd. B. Rec. I 419.
Aplis, … feggis, raysinis and al vther froitis 1578 Ib. II 31.
Raisingis 1593–4 Mar & Kellie MSS 41. 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI 15 Feb.
Ane pund raysingis 1615 Reg. Privy S. 21 Nov.
Raissingis 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 75.
Raisines(b) 14.. Acts I 305/2.
Almondis or ris fygys rasynys or vthir syk thyng … at the furth passyng four peniis 1496 Halyb. 16.
A gret top of rasainis, cost 5 s. 1497 Ib.
Rassins Ib. 116.
Rassynis 1503 Ib. 271.
Raysins 1560 Treas. Acc. XI 28.
For twa toppis of rasingis viii li. x s. 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Acintum, lytill kirnellis in rasingis [1617 raisings], apillis and vther frute 1591–2 Ayr B. Acc. 171. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Rasing 1603 Philotus 183.
Ane cup or twa with muscadall, Sum vther licht thing thairwithall, For rasins or for capers call 1612 Rooseboom Sc. Staple App. 112, cxxxii.
For lossing and carying ilk Inglisch trie of rasingis 1620 Jedburgh Town C. Rec. 7 June.
Fegis rasonis and sicklyke eating meats to be sold … upon any Fair day 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 10.
A blak rasing is alse guid as a quhyte ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 91.
& guttas rasuinibus implet amaris 1649 Dumfries Treas. Acc. MS p. 26. 1661 Acts VII 253/2.
Rasines 1667 Edinb. B. Rec. X 26.
Raseines 1668 Boyd Fam. P. No. 289 (?14 May).
Rasones 1689 Lorimer St. Cuthbert's facing 112.
Razines(c) 1586–7 Waus Corr. 380.
Geif ye haif nocht coft faggis and ressyngis ye sall lat thame alon 1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 33b.
For vi pes reseing 1601–2 Montrose Treas. Acc. 4.
Resingis 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 125 (see Corf n.).
Ressingis 1614 Rec. Earld. Orkney 382.
Resingis 1664 Misc. Maitl. C. II 520.
For … resines 1670 Boyd Fam. P. No. 299.
Resings(d) 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 53.
Monsieur Viracke … brocht some oranges, some reasins [etc.] 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI I 27 March.
Reasingis 1621 J. Bell Acc. Bk. in Glasg. Her. (1864) 25 June.
Reasinges 1687 Stirling B. Rec. II 329.
Ane pund reasines(e) 1615 Edinb. Test. XLVIII 182.
Ane steik of raeseines(f) 1673 Leith Customs 6.
225 pound reisons, £1 7 s.(2) c1580-90 Rules of Health.
Lat all ȝour la. meittis be of gude nureisment, lychtt, tender and esy of digestioun. As … eggis, rasingis of all sortis [etc.]

b. Curratis raisings, raisings of (a, de) Cure, of Corinth, raisings Curd, raisins of Corinth, currants. 1503 Halyb. 271.
xii li. raysins curratis 1508–9 Rentale Dunkeld. 212.
[Raisins … of] Cure [pr. Ture] 1517 Caldwell P. 56.
Rasings of cure 1517 Lanark & R. 195. c1550 Edinb. Univ. MS No. 553.
Rassingis curd 1575 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 657/2.
Feggis, … rasingis of cuir 1586 Edinb. Test. XVII 22b.
Rasingis acure 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI I 17 March.
Twa pund reysyngis decuir 1613 Conv. Burghs II 395.
Item, for lossing and careing ilk little barrel of fegs raisingis of Corinth or vtheris 1624 Edinb. Test. LII 172.
Half ane trie raisingis of the sone ane half ane trie raisingis of the cure

c. Great, small raisings. 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI I 10 Jan.
Ane pund gryit resingis 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 311.
Great rasingis 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 3 Oct.
For small reasings 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII 75.
Certane great rasings of cleane wecht

3. transf. ? Applied to the berry of certain species of Ribes (the black and red currant. Cf. Eng. currant, which underwent a similar development). But perh. merely erron. for Raser n.¹Also attrib. 1500-1699 Herbarius Latinus Annot. cxx (Bot.).
Ribes, rasone berry trie Ib. (Adv.).
Reasoms of the coran tree