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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.

Lingot(t, Lignot(t, Lingnot, n. Also: lingatt, lynget, -gott; lignote, -natt, -nate, -net(t; lingnat, -net(t; and Lingno and Leigna. [F. lingot an ingot, sense 1 below (1405 in Hatz.-Darm.), whence also MDu. lingoot. Before the 17th c. appar. only Sc. (whereas ingot occurs in Chaucer and 16th c. Eng.).]

1. A block of metal (usu. gold or silver) which has been cast in a mould, an ingot. Also in lingottis, in lignot, in mould or ingot form.(1) 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 84.
Twa lingattis of gold 1540–1 Ib. VII. 423.
Witht uther gold wark to be meltit in ane grete lingot 1602–3 Reg. Privy C. VI. 529.(b) 1532 Treas. Acc. VI. 73.
Ane lignatt of gold weying iij unce 1602 Colville Parænese 29.
The myneres and meltares do not for all that vilany dispyis the defylit lignot 1608 Mining Rec. 121.
And that thay caus melt the said quantitie of vre … and cast it in ane lignott 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI. 74 b.
Ane littill lignet of gold with tua heidis for ringis 1636 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 106.
[The melted bullion] is poured out in a grit irne modell quhilk is drawen thairto with chanells, quhilk maks it be drawen in forme of lignetts 1670 Fountainhall in M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. (1826) II. 477.
Thir persons were executors to one Hoyll … and had … a bond for some lignates of copper furnished by him to [others] 1674 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV. 132.
They haveing caused melt the haill essayes of silver … , and cast the same in one lignett … the said lignet did weigh tuenty one unces(c) 1540–1 Treas. Acc. VII. 427.
Ane grete lingnot of gold that wes meltit 1605 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 319.
The said lingnet being tryit be the fyre(2) 1538 Acta Conc. Public Aff. 473.
That the kingis grace caus me be furnist with silvir outhir in sindry or in lingottis 1605 Reg. Privy C. VII. 33.
That all sic persons as sall bring in ony gold or silver to the cunyiehous in lignot sall ressave [etc.] Ib. 53.
Quhilks peices being meltit and cassin in lignet Ib.
In lingnat [pr. linguat] 1663 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 450.
[The coins to be coined as follows,] to passe in lignetts thorow a milne [etc.]

2. A mould in which metal is cast into ingots; an ingot-mould. 1549–50 Stirling B. Rec. I. 58.
Thir warklumes … thre gret stedijs, thre lingnettis of irne, item the gret scheris 1583 Cunȝiehous Acc. 6.
Payeit for xxviij lyngetis [v.r. lyngottis (Treas. Acc. MS. 134)] to cast the melted siluer in, ilk peice cost viij s. 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 204 b.
For ane lignett to James Achesone to cast his essayis in, xx s. 1635 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 46.
In the meltinghous … ellevin single casting lignetts of yrne 1681 Consideration Scots Mint (1691) 34.
There was in the mint-house some silver called sweeps, which are small … grains bruched off the moulds and lignots immediately after casting