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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Kin, n. Also: kin(n)e, kyn(n)(e, ken(e, keine, keyne. [ME. kyn(n, kin(n)e, west. cun, kun, south-east. ken(ne, OE. cynn.]

1. One's relatives or kinsfolk, collectively.Freq. coupled with words of similar meaning, as allya, anherdance, frend, etc., q.v. for some further examples.(1) 1375 Barb. ii. 112.
Throw hym I trow my land to wyn Magre the Clyffurd and his kyn a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 107.
His kyne in his ȝouthede To serwe the feynd hym offerit hade 14.. Acts I. 8/2.
He sal assyth to the kyn of hym slayn 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. No. 53.
I as ane of yhour poer kyn gif it likis yhow requeris yhow of help c1475 Wall. i. 307.
Our kyne ar slayne, and that me likis ill Ib. iii. 238.
Thar kyne may ban that euir we hydder socht a1500 Henr. Fab. 2086.
And thow war hangit, carll, and all thy kyn a1500 Bk. Chess 585.
Thus hir defoule sho opinnit to hir kyn a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 410.
Homage to Edward Langschankis maid thy kyn 1520 Thanes of Cawdor 139.
I sal keyp me my kyne and al that I may let onedowne ony skaith to the said Sir Johne c1552 Lynd. Mon. 780.
Be this men suld leif all thare kyn, And with thare wyffis mak dwellyn(b) a1400 Leg. S. v. 67.
Mony ane Of hir kine, wiffis and barnys Folowit hyr 1495 Chart. (Reg. H.) No. 596.
For ws … oure barnis, kin, frendis, alias, anerdans & smal branchis of kin c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvii. 19.
Ill won geir riches not the kin a1500 K. Hart 532.
Sadnes … wes of Ageis kin 15.. Christis K. 34.
Thocht all hir kin suld haue bein deid Sche wald haue bot sweit Willie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6357.
Bot quhen its win, few of ȝour kin, Nor ȝit ȝour self perchance sall spend it 1570 Leslie 300.
The most part of thair kinn rewined a1605 Montg. Flyt. 495.
The kinne of that, be the cry, incontinent kend it a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1493.
Weils him & wo is him that hes a bishop in his kin a1628 Carmichael Prov … No. 1181.
Manie aunts, manie emes, manie kin but few freinds 1633 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 16.
Left in legacie … for … intertenying of bursouris … of his poor kine 1640 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 166.
I sall put a buckie in her scheek for that, that all hir kinne sall never get out(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 1443.
To … lewe all warldis welth & keyne Reward in lestand lyf to wyne(2) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 444.
Fra kyne & cunctre bath I ȝed Til Alysandir 1397 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 33.
Witht the consel of my kyn and frendis c1420 Wynt. iii. 512.
Owt off that cuntré Fra kyth and kyne wes flemyd he Ib. vii. 1782.
Bathe kyn and kyndnes he foryhet c1420 Ratis R. 347.
Gif thow has owthir frend or kyne a1497, 15.. Gray MS. v. 28.
Fathir & mothir, … & kyn & barnis that we luf best c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 13.
Now will I … tak my leif at cuntriemen and kyn 1549 Compl. 104/10.
[To] refuse there cuntre, there surname, and kyn & frendis 1553 Lanark B. Rec. 28.
Tha war kyn and allia to the said procutur 1554 Crim. Trials I. i. 372*.
To assyth, the partye is content to gyf to the kyne, wyf and barnis [1000] merk(b) 1533 Gau 16/6.
Thay … that lys wit[h] thair kine and bluid a1578 Pitsc. I. 14/13.
Alexander Erle of Douglas beand potent in mair kine and freindis Ib. 26/6.
He inlyk maner suld gadder his kin and freindis … and … pas fordward vpone the Hamiltownis Ib. 328/19.
Put to the horne witht all his kin and freindis 1626 Justiciary Cases I. 42.
Quhairas criminall lettres ar direct at the instance of the kin and freindis [etc.] 1672 M. Bruce Rattling Dry Bones 31.
The question is … now adayes, … What says kin, friend, and alayer?(c) 1491 Lennox Mun. 143.
Al rankour, … done to him be the said master Mathow, his ken or frendis 1515 Douglas Corr. 318.
Without the assent … of alle our ken, freyndis and partyetakers 1593 Wemyss Chart. 218.
For thame selfis, bairnis, keine, … alye, … compleses, servandis

b. The nerrest of the kin, = next-of-kin. 1432 Acts II. 21/1.
He sall pay … the croy to the nerrest of the kyn of the slane man 1540 Ib. 377/2.
The nerrest of thair kin to succeid to thaim sall haue thair gudis 1547 Reg. Privy S. III. 396/1.
The nerrest of the kin of quhatsumevir persoun … that happinnis to be slane

2. Kinship, relationship. b. (Nere) of kin (closely) related (to, till one). Also, (of the second, fourth, etc. degree) of kin (to, till). 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. No. 53.
Because of kyn and the grete lewtee that I traist in thaim a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 191.
I am your cousing of kyn, I mak to yow knawin 1596 Dalr. I. 260/15.
The 4 stemm, or digrie of kin and blude, suld heir be imprentedb. (1) 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. No. 53.
Syn that I clayme to be of kyn tyll yhow a1500 K. Hart 610.
Gif that ȝe war of kyn and blude to me c1575 Balfour Pract. 513.
Na persoun … bot gif he be of kin and blude to him that is slane 1622-6 Bisset I. 293/10.
As gif he be … of kin and alia to the pairtie 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 219.
Sense of death is a sib friend, and of kin and blood to life(2) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 7.
He of kyne wes nere To Jhesu & his modir dere a1585 Maitl. Q. xxiii. 10.
We war of kin so neir 1587 Carmichael Etym. 4.
Neir of kin(3) 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 44.
Sa that I am bot of the feirde degre of kyn tyll yhow the quhilk in alde tyme was callit neire 1617 Crim. Trials III. 422.
Mr. Alexander Coluile can nocht be judge in this cause, in respect he is fourtis of kyn to the Countes of Errole a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 268.
George Jhonstoun, and Hendrie Elder, who wer secunds of kin to the persewars

3. A kinsman or -woman. a1500 Colk. Sow ii. 27.
He … inquireit … gif scho war his dochter or kyn 1513 Doug. x. viii. 83.
My tendir get, my kyn, and blude a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 324.
Thy curst kyn Deulber and his allya

4. A body of kindred or blood-relations; a family, tribe, or race.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 912.
The pape and the patriarkis, … I am cummyn of thar kyn be cosingage knawin a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 356.
Densmen of Denmark ar of the kingis kyn 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 72.
That land now knaw I destinate to our kyn Ib. vi. xv. 60.
The Romanys blude and kyn a1568 Bann. MS. 28 b/29.
Making a maid of our pure kin For to be callit Mater Christi 1587 Coll. Rebus Alban. 97.
Takand the burdyne upoun him of his haill kyn of Clanchattane(2) c1420 Wynt. vi. 2277.
Gyve ony … Hapnyd swa slayne to be Be ony off the Thaynys kyne, Off Fyff the kynryk all wyth-in 1548 Balfour Pract. 511.
That he was of the kin of Clan-makduf 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Clan-Makdvf.
That Spens of Wormestoun beand of Makduffis kinne, inioyed the benefit … of this lawe

b. The race or stock descended from a particular ancestor. Also fig. a1400 Leg. S. xii. 9.
A man, callit Ruben, … come of the kyne of Juda Ib. xxxvi. 1160.
Al thai that come of that kine [i.e. Herod's wife] … brane wod ga thai c1508 Ch. & M. Prints vi b. 49.
Hevin … That ordanyt was for Abraham & his kyn c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 520.
Ony creatur of the kyn of Adam a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 388.
Of that kin come Dunbar of Westfelde knyght 1513 Doug. xi. xi.
Quhou that Opis was doun from Dyane send, And of quhat kyn Camylla was discend a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxix. 16.
Heading. Bayth the riche and the pure Ar al … of Adamis kynfig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 33.
Quhen seruit is all vdir man, … Kyne of Rauf Colȝard and Johnne the Reif 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 77.
This cuntre is full of Caynis kyn And sik schire schrewis 1570 Sat. P. xxi. 6.
The mark that God gaif in his grief To Cains cursit kin

c. Hede of kin, see Hede n. 10 b and cf. Kenkynolle n.

5. Ancestry, familial origin, extraction; the rank or position deriving from this.Freq. in Leg. S.(1) 14.. Acts I. 299/3.
Al thir that ar lawer than thir in kyn ar callit carlis c1420 Wynt. iv. 2634.
For off that hous and that famylle He wes off kyn and off renowne a1500 Henr. Fab. 584.
Proud men … vanegloreous Of kin and blude a1500 Rauf C. 927.
The gentill Duches, Dame Jane, that clamis be hir kin Angeos and vther landis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1157.
Ilk knyght ane cumly lady, that cleir wes of kyn(2) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 1039.
We ar of ryall kyne Ib. iii. 92.
Of kingis kyne Ib. xxv. 233.
Of nobile kene Ib. xxxiii. 423.
Cummyne … of the best kine That Capados is duelland in Ib. xlii. 9.
Of carlis kine ?1438 Alex. ii. 4817.
Clarus is … of hie kin of thame of Troy a1500 Henr. III. 17/398.
Scho was of nobill kin a1500 Lanc. 2314.
He … Is hardy, strong, and of gret kyne 1513 Doug. xiii. ii. 86.
Lavinia … Of Troian kyn [v.r. kine], with blude Italian … mydlit a1538 Abell Chron. 29.
Trumpuris [etc.] … wes his familiars, of carlage kin Ib. 99 a.
He was of law kin for it is said at he wes a schomendaris sone a1568 Bann. MS. 135 a/31.
A man may be of grit kin and rycht littill worth a1585, a1568 Montg. P. ix. 41.
Sum vther weicht … That of great kin and clan is cummit

6. In certain adjectival combinations, as alkin, nakin, onykin, quhatkin, serekin, sikkin, sumkin, that kin, thiskin, = (of all or every, of no, of any, etc.) kind or sort: see these words in their separate entries.Representing OE. and ME. genitival phrases with cynna (ME. kynne etc.) or cynnes (ME. kynnes etc.), as OE. ealra cynna déor (ME. alle kynne), early ME. alles cunnes deor, animals of all kinds, of every kind. c1420 Wynt. vii. 1604.
Suspendyt fra benyfyis And fra all othir kyn offys