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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Elwand, Elvand, n. Also: ell-, allwand, elvaind, elvan(e, elven. [ME. (rare) elle wande (c 1440), elwonde, var. of elenwand Eln(e)wand.]

1. An ell-measure.(a) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4062 (B).
Howbeit ȝour elwand be to scant, Or ȝour pund wecht twa vncis want 1566 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 236.
To Nicoll Andersoun, maissoun, to hing the yrne elwand in the nether Tolobuith 1576 Oppress. Orkney 18.
The lawful and just cuttell, quhilk is their mesour or elwand quhairwith thai mett thair clayth 1622 Crim. Trials III. 529.
The deponer … desyrit ane sicht of his elwand 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II. 13.
The deane of gild to make ane stampt for merking each merchants elwand 1682 New Mills Manuf. 38.
A couple of allwands sealed by the Dean of Guild 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 366.
A tailyours guise & elwand(b) 1552 Conv. Burghs I. 2.
That the hale borrowis … ressaue their mesouris of the burghis following, viz. … the stane wecht of Lanark, … the eluand of Edinburch Ib. 5 marg.
Tuiching the mesouris; ellvaind, Edinburgh [etc.] 1562 Edinb. B. Deeds 63.
Ane stand of counteris, and ane elvand 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 397.
The said dene of gild … to owersie and reforme the mets and mesouris … with the elvand [etc.] 1599 Crim. Trials ii. 90.
The said Johne Carstairis hes … vsit … grit wechtis and lang elvand, far gritar and langar nor the commoun course of the countrey 1632 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 48.
That the said deane of gild caus stamp the haill merchandis elvandis and wechtis 1655 Conv. Burghs III. 410.
Complaining that the burgh of Pearth had wronged thame in taking severall of thair elvandis, … alledging thair elvand to be schorter nor the elne of Perth 1672 Alford Rec. 183.
John Irving … strack the foresaid Janet Thomsone to the ground with ane elvand(c) 1607 Edinb. Test. XLII. 327.
Ane elvane of birsie 1611 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 322.
That the dean of gild tak ordour with the firlottis of all sortis, and peckis, elvanis, and stanis 1666 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 109.
Thomas Angus [and] Williame Lin sall visit the elvanes and wechtis 1692 Misc. B. Rec. 105.
The said magistrats have produced to the saids visitors their elven, weights, measours [etc.] 1696 Conv. Burghs IV. 212.
That they … hade the priveledge to sease all light weights and short elvans … in all the fairs

2. The belt of Orion. 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 153.
The son, the sevyn starnys, … The elwand, the elementis, and Arthurus hufe