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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.

Canves, n. Also: canvese; canwes, -wais, -was; canues, kanues; canvos, -uos, -veus, cannvus, kenwous. [e.m.E. canves, canues, ME. canwas, canuas, canevas (1260), ONF. canevas. See also Camves and Cammes.The earlier form canevas occurs in 1329 in Exch. R. I. 135. The forms canues and canuos may also be read as cannes and cannos, agreeing with Cannowse and Eng. dial. cannas, canness.]

1. A canvas.Bartane or Bertane canvas: see Bertane n. 2.(a) 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 16.
x elne of canves to mak Nikky and Bell a bed to ly on in the Kingis chalmire 1474 Ib. 24.
Ane elne of canves to the Kingis brigintynis 1482 Edinb. Chart. 169.
Of the hundreth sail canves ij s., and of the grete canves of the crovne ij d. 1511 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 134.
Anent the voydour callit cord and canves … of pakkis of lint 1531 Treas. Acc. in Crim. Trials I. 276.
For vj quartaris canves to stent thare doublettis 1546 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 121.
Certane canves bocht … within the towne of Leyth fra the Frensheman that last arryvet 1552 Reg. Privy C. I. 130.
Ane ebill sufficient fitman … cled in … ane new doublett of canves 1589 Conv. Burghs I. 301.
Provyding all … liegis bringing wictuall … be seruitt hous maill frie thairof, with canves and siffis 1590 Edinb. Test. XXII. 72.
Ane pece of vpricht canves 1612 Bk. Rates 318.
Canves called Dutche and Barras canves Ib. 319.
Vandalose or Vitrie canves(b) 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 21.
j elne of canwes 1488 Ib. 80.
In a poik of canwes … within the said coffre Ib. 91.
For a poyke of canwys to twrs the Kingis claythis 1494 Ib. 253.
To be sailys to the row-barge … viij^xx ell of canwes 1498 Halyb. 165.
A roll off canwas 1510 Rentale Dunkeld. fol. 77.
Ane eln of Bertane canwais 1534 Treas. Acc. VI. 200.
For xxxvj elnes … blechit Bertane canwes 1537 Ib. 463.
To by canwes to be stallis and bosteris to the Kingis hors in the schip 1597 Bk. Rates 3 b.
Canwes callit tiftit canues(c) 1490 Acta Conc. 158/1.
Thre cuschingis, j^c hemp, half hundrethe canues 1499 Dunferm. B. Rec. 106.
The vrangvis spillyne of ane web of canues 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 145.
For ij new wol pakis of new canues c 1578 Maxwell Mem. I. 311.
He had … ane Lyouns canues dowblatt 1597 Treas. Acc. MS. 51.
iij quarteris stenting kanues 1597 Bk. Rates 3b.
Canues callit poldame … Rowane canues … Lioun counterfit canues 1614 Dundee Shipping L. 252.
Tua baelis of canues(d) 1552 Reg. Privy C. I. 136.
With … new hois, and new dowblett of cannvus at the lest 1565–6 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 97.
10 bostaris with polyeis of canuos 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV. 231 b.
Four elnes … of small kenwous … xv elnes of kenwous 1603 Montgomery Mem. 246.
Ane par of quhallbon bodis, the on syd vith teffitie, and the oder syd with small canvos 1617 M. Works Acc. XV. 43 b.
For a elne of canveus to lyne a sadle withattrib. 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 86.
Gottin … in a canues poik within the said box tuelf hundreth and sevin angel nobilis 1509–10 Reg. Soltre 163.
For ane canues claith abone the bukis behind the hie altar

2. A piece of canvas; a canvas sheet. 1507 Dunferm. B. Rec. 163.
A canwes, … a coirlet of blew worsat 1562 Will Agnes Betoun 225.
v canuessis and ix sekkys 1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV. 99.
Ane dosone of elnes of tueill to be hir ane canves 1593 Brechin Test. I. 115.
Scho leiffis to Iohn Kingȝow her sovme of tene merkis monie and ane canves 1596 Edinb. Test. XXIX. 321 b.
Tua canues with ane beiring scheit 1630 Bamff Chart. 224.
Thrie meall tubs, sewin seks, and twa canvosses