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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.

Clene, Cleyn(e, Clein(e, a. Also: clen, cleinne, cline, cleen(e, clean(e. [ME. clene, OE. clæne. Cf. Clane a.]

1. Free from dirt or stains.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. i. 263.
The stryndes … Rynnand throw gravaile quhyt & clene c1420 Wynt. v. 1401.
That tyme Cryst in clathis clene Wes swelyt 1456 Hay II. 143/35.
A fair fut-schete, quhite and clene c1450-2 Howlat 673.
Braid burdis … Cled our with clene clathis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 612.
Ane knight, Closit in clene steill Ib. 683.
Clowis of clene maill a1500 Seven S. 1542.
The fylit clathis away thai drewe, And with clene napry cowerit newe c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiv. 73.
Sic fowll tailis, to sweip the calsay clene Ib. xxxiv. 35.
Go clenge thé clene and cum to me 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 141.
That euery nychtbour on euery Setterday at evin mak clene fornent thair awin hous 1549 Compl. 7/27.
That nobil kyng … resauit that litil quantite of cleen vattir 15.. Wyf of Aucht. 13.
He … saw the wyf baith dry and clene a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlviii. 109.
Our ship wes clene and saillit very fast 1602 Conv. Burghs II. 152.
To sie that the watter of Clyid … be keipit clene, and vnpolutit … with deid caryouns(b) 1456 Hay II. 31/32.
Ane othir poynt … is to halde his armouris cleine and faire c1450-2 Howlat 201.
Thai … airly will rys To kepe the college cleine a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 478.
The sone, as cristall sa cleyne, In scheildis thai schaw 1550 Breadalbane P. (Reg. H.) No. 73.
The said Iohne sall hald ane sufficient wetchman … he kepand the tour heid cleyn 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 358.
For keiping of Leith Wynd cleine, but middings 1589 St. A. Kirk S. 652.
That … the pulpeit and daskis in the kirk be sowpit and haldin clein 1596 Dalr. I. 93/28.
This thay did to keip thame cleine frome all filthines 1635 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 31.
Mathow vndertakis to sweip and keip clein the haill battilingis and spoutis, … of baith kirkis 1669 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 255.
He … sall clenge and make cleine the same [stands] ilk Saturday, with the calsie wheron they ar sett

b. Clear of, free from, something. 1375 Barb. xiii. 443 (E).
Quhen that the feld sa clene [C. cleyn] was maid Off Inglis men, that nane abaid 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 24.
To keip this countrie cline fra forrane strangeris

c. Free from impurities or foreign substances. 1478 Acta Aud. 63/2.
Withhalding fra the said Elys … wif lxvj boll of clene broddit aitis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1275.
Banrentis and baronis … In clathis of clene gold 1507 St. A. Baxter Bks. 85.
All baxteris sall have breid of quheit, sufficient gude and clene stuff 1513 Doug. i. vii. 29.
Quhen … thame list swarmys furth bryng, Or in camys inclus thar hwny cleyn 1526 Carnwath Baron Ct. 30.
To gyf … ix ellis of ell braid claitht of ilk stan of clen vow 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 112.
Of clene gold wowyn in frenȝeis liiii unce 1544 Ib. VIII. 307.
Ane small barrell of pulder contenand v stane … clene pulder 1608 St. A. Baxter Bks. 72.
Eat-bredd … of cleane eatmeill, onmixit with ony vthir stuffe 1616 Edinb. Test. XLIX. 160 b.
Thrie buistis of browne clein candie 1642 Stirling Merch. Guild 58.
Butter, ayther fresh or salt, fowl or clein 1662 Edinb. Test. LXX. 274.
lx bollis … of good cleine quheitt with thrie bollis … of bleckit quheitt

d. Free from disease or infection. 1499 Prestwick B. Rec. 36.
That na … brousteris sell ony aile till man or weman bot to kennyt & clene folk 1513 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 139.
That na infectit persoun … convers with clene folkis vnder the pain of deid 1528 Ib. 232.
The counsale … chairges all maner of lipper folkis that … thai convers nocht amang clene folks 1549 Compl. 34/24.
Quhen the plag of pestilens occurris, ve ar solist to seik ane cleene duelling place 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5963.
Thocht he war the clenest man thairout, Maist fair of face [etc.] 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 419.
Ihonn Forest … to serue in the clene mwre as ane clene clenger 1647 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 119.
That Iohne Walker … be cleangit and be maid ane cleane cleinger

2. Morally pure or blameless; chaste.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xli. 170.
Quha enteryt thare Suld cume of it fer clennare c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1518.
Pollicene, The kynges doughtre, virgyne clene c1420 Wynt. v. 4838.
Scho madyne clene was as beforne Ib. vii. 610.
Lemman had he nane na wyff; Bot clene and honest wes hys lyff 1456 Hay I. 60/12.
Gude lyf … is mekle to pris in men of armes, for quhen thai ar clene, than ar thai hardy as lyoune c1450-2 Howlat 332.
Kene knychtis of kynd, clene of maneris c1460 Vert. Mess 3926, etc.
To her mes with clen hart & gud deuotioune 1490 Irland Mir. I. 13/35.
Thi counsalouris … suld be clene of consciens 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. iii. 530.
Lauborous diligence, gude warkis, clene leuing c1500-c1512 Dunb. xc. 67.
Repent thé, man, and kepe thi conscience clene 1549 Compl. 138/15.
Ane accusar suld be cleene but vice 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1090.
I haue keipit my clene virginitie 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 311.
Godds trew wourd, moist clene and pure a1578 Pitsc. I. 379/15.
To … obey hir husband and keep hir body clene a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxv. 51.
Tua tuins of clene virginitie(b) c1420 Wynt. iv. 1424.
The madyne cleyne 1461 Lib. Plusc. 387.
Thow suld traist that scho was virgyn pure and cleyn 1490 Irland Mir. I. 153/6.
Sche was the moder of God in cleyne and pure virginite 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 55.
A cleyn sacrifyce … maid I syne Ib. vi. 202.
This haly religyus woman cleyn 1533 Gau 23/16.
Thou sal … be cleyne in thocht and honest in wark Ib. 40/2.
Ane cleyne bairne without ony syne 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 250.
I askit of hyr the caus quhy sche wald not perfyt hyr promys mayd to Patrik. Hyr ansuer wes … that he wes nocht cleyn of his body a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. xxxvii. 34.
No wardlie thing sould thé effray Gif thow till him have conscience clein 1596 Dalr. I. 23/22.
That pure and cleine clostir perteining to the sisteris of the Scheines besyd Edinburghe

b. Devoid of, free from, sin, vice, etc. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv. 225.
He baptyste hyre, & mad clene Of al hyr firste synnis bedene 1456 Hay II. 41/13.
He suld schrive him clene of all synnys and defaultis a1500 Henr. III. 148/64.
O blosum blithe … , Fra carnale cryme that clene is a1500 Doug. K. Hart 936.
That fayr sweit thing … clene of lustis curst experience a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 216.
He … Baptist wes thair, thocht he was cleyne of syn 1562-3 Winȝet I. 26/10.
That I may be clein fra all smot of blame 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 461.
Thay suld be clene of euery vyce, And, speciallie, of couatyce 1567 Sat. P. v. 82.
Keip clene your handis fra wrangus geir a1578 Pitsc. I. 280/22.
Sa lang as the quene keipit … hir body cleine frome leichorie

3. Free from defect; efficient, capable. 1375 Barb. xi. 141 (E).
Quhen the king his ost has sene So gret, and sa gud men and clene Ib. 427.
The king left with a clene mengné a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 397.
Schir Gawayne … With ane clene contenance, cumly to knaw, Said [etc.] a1500 Seven S. 779.
My lord, than said the clerk sa clene, Ȝe have consauit quhat I mene

4. Free from blame or fault; innocent. c1420 Wynt. iv. 30.
Romule … regnand was auchtene Yheris ful in dedis clene [C. cleyn] 1456 Hay I. 134/31.
The purpos in mysdedis makis the man foule or clene 1500 Dunferm. B. Rec. 103.
David Cupir is made cleyne of strublance a1500 Doug. K. Hart 622.
Ȝour self excuse and mak ȝow foule or clene 1524 Carnwath Baron Ct. 13.
My lord folloit Thome Henschaw in iugement for pykre. The inqueist findis him ane clen man thairof, & quittis him of all pykre 1542 Acts II. 417/2.
Our said … lord was present & maid clene and quite tharof c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 646.
[They bade him] Gif he was clene, thair schaw his innocence 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 28.
To mak him self clene of that suspitioun a1578 Pitsc. II. 196/17.
The Erle Bothwell … denyed the cryme, and said … that he was clein of that fact 1589 Reg. Privy C. IV. 343.
Quhill he be tryit foull or clene of the crymes quhairof he is dilait, [he cannot get execution against him] 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 33.
Gif he be made quit, and cleane, all his gudes salbe restored to him 1622-6 Bisset I. 119/14.
Gif they be fundin clene and innocent, the persone complinand salbe punisched with all regour

b. Impartial, fair, just. c1550 Rolland C. Venus iii. 52.
Thir ladyis all war chosin … On the assyis, … And sworne also for to gif sentence clene

c. Free from occupation, or duty. 1573 Sat. P. xlii. 538.
The hour sa spendit, thay ar clene, Euin as the preistis, thair matynis said

5. Pure, unmixed, complete. c1420 Wynt. viii. 4157.
Sum that ware clene Inglis men c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2532.
I dreid ȝour recompence Sal be nocht ellis bot clene confusioun 1560 Rolland Seven S. 562.
Thay heisit vp sails with all thair clene curage 1567 Sat. P. vi. 63.
The clene contrare sall cum to pas but dout 1596 Dalr. I. 166/20.
The Romanis meitis him, furious and wod, … partlie of cleine desparatione