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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.

Ganging, vbl. n. Also: gangyn, -in(e, -ene, geanging. [Northern ME. (a 1300).]

1. a. Going, esp. to a place or person. ?1438 Alex. i. 554.
Thow sall thank haif of the king, And grete reward for thy ganging Ib. ii. 2421.
Hir fare cuming and hir ganging 1464 Peebles B. Rec. 150.
In tym of gangyng to the kyrk or another neidful erand 1503 Lanark B. Rec. 12.
For the gangyn to James Hammylton … for the owt reddyn off the chakar 1535 Stewart 38429.
The Scottis … Of his ganging so greitlie wes agast, Out of the feild tha follouit all richt fast 1565 Lennox Mun. 266.
The schippis quhilk ar in the revar to schoit at thame in thar gangin by 1587 Reg. Privy C. IV. 162.
Thai … umbesettis thair hie wayes in thair ganging and cuming fra thair parroche kirk 1607–8 Misc. Spald. C. V. 137.
Expensis in ganging to the wod … to fie aickyn tymber

b. Manner or action of walking. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 163/18.
His luking, his ganging, and all his havingis ware mare plesand than ony man can tell 15.. Clar. iii. 2260.
His father … set him doun to rest … Efter his ganging, quhilk was wount to ryde

c. Being carried or conveyed. 1581 Acts II. 214.
Ane article for ganging of fische furth of the realme

2. Ganging to, setting (of the sun), etc. Also with to rest and doun.(1) 1400 Melville Chart. 16.
Betwixt the sune rysing and the ganging too of that ilk 1465 Colquhoun Chart. II. 293.
Apon a day betuix the sone rising and the sone ganging to 1497 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 72.
Nocht passand to the Inche … be Monounday at the sone ganging to 1520 Reg. Panmure II. 294.
A day betwix the sone rysing and the gangin to of the samyn 1533 Bell. Livy I. 283/1.
He commandit all … to mete him in Campus Martius afore the son ganging to c 1556 Prot. Bk. W. Douglas 285.
Vpon ane daye betuix the son rysing & gangene to of that ilk 1581 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 407.
Betuix the rising of the sone and ganging to thairof 1598 Ellon Presb. 22.
About the ganging to off the skye 1607 Dundonald Par. Rec. 153.
Johne Fullartoun … accused of wiolating of the Saboth by seting ingill to the kill … confessit he did swa at geanging to of day licht(2) 1416 Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 247 a.
Apon a trinite sunday betwysse the rysinge and the gangyn to rest of the sone 1474 Aboyne Rec. 17.
Betwixt the son rising & ganging to rest of the samyn(3) 14.. Acts I. 357/2.
The court salbe haldyn … betwene the risyng and the gangyn doune of the soune 1490 Acta Aud. 142/1.
Betuix this and the said day of beltane or the sone ganging done of the samyn 1532 Douglas Bequest IV. June 8.
Betuix the sone rising and gangine down on the sammin day 1571 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 115.
Vpoun ane day betuix the sone rysing and ganging doun of the same

b. The close or end (of a service). 1588 Conv. Burghs I. 275.
They sall conuene in the Over Tolbuith … be sax houris in the morning, and remane thairin to the ganging to of the said preching

3. a. Working (of a mill). 1497 Acta Conc. II. 77.
The away letting of the watter of the sade dam and stopping of the ganging of the sade … myln 1512 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 109.
Quhelys, stanis, trynnilis, irne and tymmyr that ganis for the ganging of the said mylne 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 278.
That he … sall na wyis molest Johnne Erskin … , in berging, using and ganging of the mylne

b. Carrying on, prosecution (of a suit). 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. (MS) XX. (Jam. (1825) s.v. Ganging).
The bailye continevit the ganging of the actioun

4. Attrib. with clathis, cote, goun, plaid; staf, club.(1) 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 251.
For iij elne blak gray, to be ane patroun for ane Almane ganging cote 1546 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XXI. 52 b.
Ane ryding gowne of quhite, … ane ganging gowne of Inglis quhite 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 400 b.
All the said … Dauidis ganging clathis, sik as sarkis, doublattis, hois [etc.] 1584 Sat. P. xlv. 569.
His sarkis, his schone, his ganging gowne 1607 Edinb. Test. XLII. 361 b.
Scho leuis to … Katrene Murdoch hir vering vylecoit and hir ganging plaidis(2) 1542 Acts & Decr. I. 141.
Ane ganging staf of bressale 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Scipio, a ganging-staff 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 20.
The said Johne … saw the said Symon lifting his geanging club to stryk him thairwith 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 429.
He … tooke his ganging stalffe from him and brake the same