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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Abone, Abune, prep. and adv. Also: abon, abonne; aboyn(e, aboin; abun, abwn(e, abwnne, abwin. [Contracted from abuvin Abovin, by elision of the intervocalic v. The pronunc. is best indicated by the spelling abune, but the more usual form is abone, to avoid the juxtaposition of u and n. In mod. Sc. abune and aboon are used. See also Aboun.]

1. prep. Above, over, higher up than, in respect of place or position.(a) 1386 Bk. Carlaverock II. 418.
Alswele vndir erde as abone 14.. Acts I. 33/2.
Ilke broustare sal put hir alewande … abone hir dur 1456 Hay II. 50/17.
As the jakkis ar abone the hauberkis c1475 Wall. ix. 1754.
Abon Closbarn Wallace approchyt ner c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 90; etc.
Thow saw the saill abone my heid up draw 1545 Elgin Rec. I. 84.
Sche ȝeid … sark alane and hir hayr abone hir eyne 1570 Sat. P. x. 3.
As I lay … on bed abon the clais Ib. 18.
Abone the Nauil, and out abone the hanche 1596 Dalr. I. 14/11.
Abone Galloway is Silurie 1608 Crim. Trials II. 260.
Vpone ane prik of irne abone the Tolbuth 1610 Peebles B. Rec. 359.
That nane raid [= ride] abone nor behind na laid c1650 Spalding I. 53.
Just abone Ballindalloche(b) 1456 Hay I. 8/30.
The frost … is liftyt abune the aire 1458 Liber Aberbr. 104.
The corsstane abwne Cargfuryngis 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 176.
Abwin the hie buird … and abuif the southt buyrd 15.. Clar. i. 671.
With croune of gold abune hir hairis bricht a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 323.
The Cherries hang abune my heid

2. Over or above in respect of rank, dignity, authority, or rule. 1456 Hay II. 21/30.
Abone thame dukis, erllis, and barouns; and abune thai kingis and princis c1460 Thewis Wysmen 179.
Abwne thare Ire … Thai have hail domynacioune 1490 Irland Mir. I. 161/15.
God honorit oure nature … abon the angellis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 326.
I crew abone that craudone, as cok that wer wictour c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 155.
I was set vp abone the laif c1550 Rolland C. Venus iii. 114.
Gawine Dowglas … abune all buir the bell 1562-3 Winȝet I. 66/2.
Wikit persones … hes sumtymes reule abone the peple a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. xiv. 49.
Preis nocht to be exaltit abone uther

3. Above, higher or more than, in respect of degree or number. 1456 Hay II. 115/19.
God … abone all otheris has maist illumynit the philosophouris 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. 307.
Speciali aboyne all the laif of my landis a1500 Bk. Chess 530.
Abone all thing it semys weile a quene 1533 Gau 34/20.
God the fader hes ane natural sone … the quhilk is abune our onderstanding 1570 Sat. P. x. 75.
He did leirne to lufe Gode abone all 1570 Leslie 31.
Quhair thair wes abone five thousande men slaine 1585 Bk. Carlaverock I. 265.
My haill skaith extending abone a hunder thousand merkis

4. adv. Above; in (or into) the higher or upper place or position. a1400 Leg. S. xlv. 216.
Walland oyle & pyk alson He gert cast thare abeone c1450-2 Howlat 892.
Off alkyn colour most cleir beldit abone a1500 Seven S. 545.
Quhen the baire saw him abone, To ryfe the rute than schupe he sone 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 291.
Tua antependis for the altair, ane undir and ane abone 1533 Gau 49/29.
He is the same quhilk passit vp abwne to the heuine c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1708.
Lyke … emottis travelling in to June, Sum under wrocht, and sum abone 1567 G. Ball. 123.
To sinnaris als … Grace cumis from abone a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxiii. 32.
Throuch Christ his sonne Who sittis abonne a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 100.
That tune, Quhilk birdis corroborate ay abune 1596 Dalr. I. 30/30.
Abone or vppirmer, vpon Leuin, is the toune

b. High in the musical scale. a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. xxxi. 14.
The tribbill wantis that sould be swng abwne a1605 Montg. Misc. P. iii. 14.
Sing sho tua notis, the one is out of tone, As B acre lau and B moll far abone

5. High in rank, authority, etc.; in a position of power. a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 516.
Syne eftir lang that this wes don, & Cristine men ware abon [etc.] 1456 Hay I. 36/29.
Oft tymes sum men wenis to be at outhe and abune that is at undir Ib. II. 164/32.
Thou sall cum abone of all thyne undertakingis a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 276.
Sa Inglis tykis in Scotland wes abone c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 278.
They will that Vesta be abone In all estait c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiii. 27.
Ȝitt causit I him [David] to ring abone

6. Higher or greater in amount. 1510 Reg. Privy S. I. 327/2.
[A] benefice of xl lib. or abone Ib. 526/1.
Beneficit of ane hundreth pund be ȝeir or abone

7. Used before past participles, as abone dividit, expremit, mentionat, namit, nominat, rehersit, specifeit: cf. these words. 1487 Buccleuch Mun. II. 89.
Thir condissionis ande pwntmentis abwne expremyt 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 113.
Be this ordour abone rehersit 1562-3 Winȝet I. 8/27.
The vtheris degenerat ignorantis abone specifeit 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 134.
The dettis abone mentionat 1609 Montgomery Mem. 253.
The said … cautioneris abonenominat 1622-6 Bisset II. 343/14.
Fyncormacus abonnenemmit 1658 Paisley B. Rec. 100.
Within the bounds abonementionat 1660 Montgomery Mem. 325.
Left by us in legacie … in maner respective abonedivydit