A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1585-1687
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(Sinny,) Synny, n. Also: sinni, cinnie, sinnay, siny, -ie, senna, sunny, sony. [e.m.E. sena (1543), senna (1693), mod. L. sena (1480 in Latham); cf. late ME sene (c1400), OF séné (13th c. in Larousse), med. L. sene, f. the Arabic.] Senna; the dried leaflets of the senna plant, used for medicinal purposes. Also attrib. with -levis. — 1585 Edinburgh Testaments 253b.
xvij pund of synny price of the pund xxj s. iiij d. 1596 Elgin Rec. II 45.
Scho gaiff spurge and pouder cinnie to William Youngis barne 1687 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 137.
I took a potion of physick of the infusion of two drams of senna —attrib. 1598 Edinburgh Testaments XXXI 350b.
Of sinnay leivis thrie pund wecht at xxx s. the pund 1615 Edinburgh Testaments XLVIII 271b.
Ane pund weycht of sinni leifis price xl s. 1631 Edinburgh Testaments LV 35.
Sinie 1632 Edinburgh Testaments LV 279b.
Siny 1645 Edinburgh Testaments LXI 117b.
Certane sony leaves … and sony ginger 1647 Edinburgh Testaments LXIII 215.
Sunny
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"Sinny n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/sinny>
