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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Van(e, Vain(e, n.¹ Also: wan(e, vayn(e, waine, wayn(e, vene, vein, veyne, wen-. [ME and e.m.E. veyn(e (c1290), vein(e (1297), vayne (c1340), wane (c1450), vaine (1523), vane (1655), OF veine, vaine, L. vēna.]

1. A vein, one of the vessels in which blood is carried through the body. Also pl. and in fig. context. b. In instances where veins are perceived as carrying emotions through the body.sing. ?1438 Alex. ii 4657.
On him was nouther sennoun nor vane [F. vainne] That thay na mouit war ilkane a1500 Seven S. 1561.
The tother arme than gart he bynd And bad the barbour strike the vane That scho mycht bleid alsmekle agane c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 8/35.
Quhill blude birst out at everie vane Thai scurgit Him 1533 Boece 320a.
Be ane catarr stopping the vane of the lichtis, he deit a1568 Scott ix 34.
Ane hairt of ȝouris bayth vane and nervis(b) c1420 Liber Calchou 450, 451.
The hede vayn … that is callyd sepahlica that lies nest abowin the hart wayn that is called the cordyak in the bouat of the arme c1420 Wynt. ii 432.
Fra that [sc. the middle finger] to the hart, he sayde, Ane [e]wyn strekande wayne [W. vayne] wes layde 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4558.
I am expart trewlie Of euerie vaine within a mannis bodie … or ȝit in ane woman, In drawing blude thairof greit craft I can 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 33.
Gif swelling or dolor appeir in the heid or crag, oppin the vaine callit cephalica 1571 Misc. Bann. C. III 119.
Doctouris Caldvall and Goode com and visitit me, and declared I had the agew … A vayne of my rycht arme vas oppened, I laten bloud, ten or xij unces 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. Prov. No. 59.
Poysoun pearseth ewery waine 1622-6 Bisset I 15/17.
Into the law, of Moyses, we may reid … He that cuttis, the hand or any vaine … suld ressave sic punisment … Conforme to auld consuetuid and wount 1657 Balfour Ann. I 203.
Johne, earle of Mar, … was sentenced to have a waine in his lyge oppinid, and in a bathe to blood to death a1699 Skene Agric. MS (ed.) 69.
They will know a good milk kow by a milk vaine that comes from her oodder athort the rimme of her bellie(c) 1634 Wedderburn Gramm. 15.
Varix, a bolden veyne 1710 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 23.
For blooding in the jouglar vein £1 1 s. 6 d.fig. 1513 Doug. iv i 2.
The queyn … In euery vayn nurysys the greyn wound 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xiiii.
Mourne not for death the dore of hope now, but for Sinne Deathes mother that so our sorrowe may vent at the right vainepl. 1375 Barb. vii 173.
Quhen he had etyn hastily He had to slep sa mekill will That he mocht set na let thar-till, For quhen the wanys [C. vanys] fillyt ar Men worthys hewy euermar And to slepe drawys hewynes ?1438 Alex. i 1016.
Lycanor smot ane knicht sa fast That of his nek the vanis brast a1450 Fifteen Ois 58.
Thy handis … Wes … naillit on the croce, And in Thi wanis left na force a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1002 (Asl.). a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 450.
Thai … Saris His senonis & stoundis all His wanis 1531 Bell. Boece II 62.
Ambrose havand na suspition, tuke the drink, and wes commandit be Coppa to tak rest … that the vennom micht skail throw all the vanis of his body 1533 Bell. Livy I 185/5.
The wame … diffoundis the blude … throw al the vanis of oure body 1570 Leslie 43.
The Erle of Mar … wes convict of ane conspiracie be witchecrafte aganis the king; and thairfore … they cutit ane of his vanes and causit him bleid to dead 1596 Dalr. I 287/10.
His body heirby is wasted and consumet: heir perfytlie may be seine throw all his vanes, synnounis, banes, how thay naturalie had beine wrocht(b) c1475 Wall. i 361.
Blynd he was … Throuch hurt of waynys [1570 vainis] and mystyrit of blud 1505 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 102.
That he knaw anotamell, nature and complexion of euery member humanis bodie, and inlykewayes he knaw all the vaynis of the saymn thatt he may mak flewbothomell in dew tyme a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 260 (W).
My vaines with brangling like to brek My punsis lap with pithe a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 307.
Seing Gods trew religioun … parrellit 1587-99 Hume 73/177.
Sanguisugs quhilk finds the feeding gud, Cleaues to the skin quhile they be full of blud, Quhile all the vaines be bludles, dry and tume c1600 Medical Recipes 87b.
In that tyme opin no vaynis in thois partis(c) 1490 Irland Mir. II 40/16.
Wenysb. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1043 (Asl.).
Wounderle wirkand out throw all my wanys The flude of sorow sa ferslie in me foundis 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 99.
Comfort ȝour man that in this fanton steruis … Quaiking for feir, baith pulsis, vane and neruis a1568 Bann. MS 239a/17.
Lufe … Quhilk did my hairt in pecis kerve And pers throw every vane & nerve a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 243 (W).
Now na bluid in me remaines, Vnbrunt and bruilȝeit throw my vaines Be luiffis bellowes blawin c1590 Fowler I 57/264.
I also know how in his bonis the raging flam dois lurk How in his vanis the hiddin hurt dois his consumptioun wurk a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii 24.
Cupid … doun he sent [an arrow] Quhais frostie head … Bedeazit evry vane

2. A seam or deposit of minerals intruded into a joint or fissure in rock. 1490 Irland Mir. II 77/31.
And suppos that sempil pepil can nocht discerne betuix the vane and the mater of the gold [etc.] … the man of craft be his art and sciens can discerne and distinge betuix thame 1531 Bell. Boece I 52.
Thir philosophouris answerit … sa far as thay micht conjecture, thair was more riches and proffet to be gottin within the vanis of the erd of Scotland, than above; for it was more gevin to winning of minis and metallis, than ony production of cornis 1596 Dalr. II 247/31.
In Clidisdale war funde in Craufurd mure vndir the erd sum vanes ful of golde 1608 Reg. Privy C. VIII 40.
[The Lords … ordain that the said ores and metals,] bettir and worse as thay ar wonne furth of the vayne [shall be weighed and barrelled by the said commissioners according to the troy weight of England] 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 178.
The vaine lay … not above 1 fathome, of 4 or 5 thicke, from ligger to hinger neere foure fathomes 1683 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 200.
[The generall of mines shall] give right and possession to all who shall … undertake the working upon any veins of mettall

3. a. A vessel which conveys sap in plants. b. One of the veins of a leaf.a. 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 255 (Sm.).
Welcum support of euery rute and vane, Welcum confort of alkynd fruyt and graneb. 1513 Doug. xii vii 76.
Dittam, the herb sweit Of levis rank, rypit, and wondir fair With sprowtis, sprayngis, and vanys our alquhar

4. A thin strip of material, etc. added to a garment for contrast or ornamentation. 1539 Inv. Wardrobe 33.
Ane gowne of crammasy satyne heich nekkit with ane small vane of crammasy velvot 1539 Inv. Wardrobe 34.
Ane coit of fresit claith of silvir vanit with ane small inset vane of gold 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 74.
To be ane cote and ane pair of hois of the Italien fassoun, and to jeit the cote witht thre vanis aboute the taill, xj elnis blak velvet of Janis 1568 Edinb. Test. I 212b.
xx dosane of plane quhite glufis for men price of the pece xviij s. … of almit ledder to be vanes estimat to thre li.

5. a. A natural channel in the earth through which water flows. b. A channel or flow of water.a., b. c1420 Wynt. iii 310.
Rycht hastyly than begouth to bryst Owt off a [tuythe] off that chek bane Wattyr clere in to gret wane 1551 Hamilton Cat. 177.
The watteris of the wellis springis fra syndry vaynis of the erde and cummis to the wellis 1580 Skeyne Descr. Well Introd. 11.
Under the verie hill ther runs a spring of water, and another veyne of the same water in the midst of the channel of a litle brook 1611-57 Mure Psalmes cxiv 7.
Jacob's God … who the veynes of firmest flint … His water conduits maks

6. Literary talent or ability. b. Talent or ability in general. 1513 Doug. i Prol. 19.
Maist reuerend Virgill … Quhy suld I than, with dull forhed and vayn, With rude engyne and barrand emptyve brayn, … Presume to write quhar thy sweit bell is rung a1585 Polwart Flyt. 641 (H).
Thy withered vane is damnified and dryd c1590 J. Stewart 52/152.
Confessing, oft sic mateir till imbriwe Vaeik is the vigor of my viddrit vaine a1605 Montg. Sonn. ix 2.
Of Mars, Minerva, Mercure, and the Musis, The curage, cunning, eloquence, and vain Maks [etc.] 1604-31 Craig ii 157.
Come liue with mee, and thou shalt proue All pleasures that a poets vaine Can find on mold 1631 Misc. Bann. C. I 239.
It is a discredite to the clergie … that the psalmes sould be soong in the kirk translated in meeter be a courteour or commone poet when ther is no such raritie among theme of learned men … For courteours ar commonlie suspected be the people as prophane, becaus they imploy often there vane on bad purposes as often as on good 1626 Garden Worthies 68.
Come, come, weill worthie, famous, & most fit [sc. David Lindsay] To march among thir mightie men of sprits … For thy worth those worthies thé inveits That of thy vene divyne … they may participatb. c1590 Fowler I 116/113.
His lyfe so long his high ingyne and greit abundant vane Did mak him than to vndertak … For to [etc.]

7. a. A characteristic, personality trait. b. A topic, theme.a. a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 39/50.
Off our wanthrift sum wytis playis And sum thair wantoun vane arrayis Sum the wyt on thair wyffis layis That in the court wald gang so gayb. c1590 Fowler I 190/5.
Suppose I payne in this my constant vayne, Which is bot vayne, though it be constant kythd 1626 Garden Worthies 148.
Sage sacred muse … Refang thy flute … t'extend and straine Octav's in voe, ov're everie common vene