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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ma, v. Also: may, mai. Inflected mais, mays, mayis. [North. and north midl. ME. ma (a 1300), inflected mas(e, mace (a 1300–c 1485), reduced f. Mak, Make v.Only in verse (as appar. also in ME.) and chiefly early.]

To make, in various uses of Mak v.(1) 1375 Barb. i. 33.
Off thaim I thynk this buk to ma Ib. iv. 561, x. 360. a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 143.
Licht & merknes I can ma Ib. ii. 1140, xix. 523, xxxix. 339. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1163. c1420 Wynt. iv. 89.
The Capytole he fyrst gert ma Ib. V. 410.(b) 1375 Barb. iv. 570 (E).
Certane day to mai [C. may] The fyr(c) 1375 Barb. xi. 368.
Ane vax-cayme that beis mais [:vas (= was)] ?1438 Alex. ii. 2186. c1420 Ratis R. (S.T.S.) 176/1.
In waist natur na-thinge mais [: hais (= has)](2) 1375 Barb. v. 9.
Quhen … the treis begouth to ma Burgeonys Ib. vi. 234.
He … strikand, rowm about him mais [:rais p.t. (= rose)] Ib. xiii. 603.
Wattir for to ma a1400 Leg. S. iii. 282.
The fend … a tempeste son cane may Ib. xxi. 226. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1338. a1500 K. Hart 372.
Now I traist gret melody to ma(3) 1375 Barb. ii. 330; 1535 Stewart 7065.
Multitud mais na victory ?1438 Alex. ii. 2367.
Quhilk of thir tua maist ioy ȝow mais [:fais (= face)] Ib. 3137.
Mais freinship with gude hart and will! c1420 Wynt. viii. 5430.
How man may his awyne fortowne ma c1420 Ratis R. 189.
The taist … mais defferens and departing Betuex suetnes and vthir thinge c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2498.
The erd remanis and na profit ws mais c1460 Thewis Wysmen 16. a1500 K. Hart 655.(4) a1400 Leg. S. x. 337.
Yrtacus … A congregacioun has gert ma ?1438 Alex. ii. 380.(5) c1420 Wynt. v. 3891.
Yhoure purpure may noucht preystys ma Ib. 4062. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 841.(6) 1375 Barb. xvi. 594.
The king aucht weill to ma Of ȝow ?1438 Alex. ii. 5680. c1460 Consail Vys Man 100. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 1281.(7) 1375 Barb. xi. 340.
He said the rerward he wald ma a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 50.
Crystofer & Theodera To this a verra prowe ma may ?1438 Alex. ii. 7722.
Quhen luffaris … haue laser thame allane … bot ane quhyle mais ane day(8) 1375 Barb. xii. 250.
Thai … Mais thaim to fycht c1420 Wynt. iii. 608.
He slew … all tha That he couth trow that wald thaim ma For tyll succede tyll hym as kyng Ib. v. 3797.
Thow mays [W. mayis] thé agayne God to wede(9) 1375 Barb. i. 510.
Rycht mays oft the feble wycht Ib. xix. 434. a1400 Leg. S. i. 642, xviii. 84, etc. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1667.
[Winter] the waleis mais All wete c1420 Wynt. v. 594.
He … bade wyth barne thai suld hym ma Ib. i. 1042, 1730, vi. 1754.(10) 1375 Barb. i. 226.
Fredome mays man to haiff liking c1420 Wynt. Prol. 75. Ib. iv. 1986.
Quhen wantones mays thame to rys(11) a1400 Leg. S. xix. 61. ?1438 Alex. i. 294.
My steid, that now sic steiring mais [: pais (= pace)] Ib. ii. 1449.(12) 1375 Barb. ii. 6.
That he ma till his men gud cher Ib. 469, etc. Ib. xi. 482.
The King bad thame thai suld ma Na contynans that it war swa a1400 Leg. S. ii. 475.
For-thi suld thu [sc. Rome] gret joy may Of sic hirdis Ib. xxxi. 240, etc. ?1438 Alex. i. 3034, etc. a1500 Henr. Fab. 510. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 796. c1475 Wall. x. 598.
On kneis he fell, far contenans can him ma a1568 Bann. MS. 77 a/46.
Thocht thow grit murnyng may Ib. 225 b/11. Ib. 227 a/3.
I may no mirthis ma(13) 1375 Barb. i. 249.
Than mays clerkis questioun … That [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. i. 697, ii. 422, xxi. 164, xxxvi. 352. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2977. c1420 Wynt. iv. 371.
Bot throuch thame quhen that he is swa Trawalyd that he mon ansure ma The ansuere that he to thame mayis Offt dowbyll wnderstandyn hayis Ib. i. 1664.
May c1475 Wall. i. 105. a1568 Scott xiii. 33.
Sum anss[we]r ma(14) a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 570.
In honeste sic band to ma c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2048. ?1438 Alex. ii. 160, etc.(15) 1375 Barb. xvi. 303.
The Kingis … thair manrent till him can ma Ib. xix. 232. a1400 Leg. S. x. 512, xlviii. 244. ?1438 Alex. ii. 9545.
Na sheild helping micht ma c1420 Wynt. v. 2764. c1460 Regim. Princ. 21. a1500 Lanc. 953. c1530-40 Stewart Bann MS. 36 a/86.(16) 1375 Barb. vi. 397.
He … fand [E. send] a few a trayn to ma Ib. vii. 63.
That he arest rycht thair vald ma Ib. 385, x. 163, xiii. 75, xviii. 316, xx. 154, etc. a1400 Leg. S. ii. 495.
Haly kirk … Of his [Paul's] conuersione mais feste Ib. iii. 272, xxi. 473, xxxiii. 797, 916, etc. ?1438 Alex. i. 430, 1110, etc. c1420 Wynt. i. 768 (see Mak v. 33 a). c1420 Wynt. v. 3786.
Wyth-in the kyrk he durst noucht ga Bot wythoute hys bad to ma He set hym Ib. 4940.
Hys schryfft to ma Ib. vi. 2151, etc. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2536, etc. c1460 Regim. Princ. 21.
As thai caus ma c1475 Wall. vi. 890.
Frendschipe to thaim na liknes wald he ma Ib. 220, etc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlix. 43.
The murtherer ay mvrthour mais [: slais, hais (= has)](17) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 506.
Qvhene scho was coniuryt sa, Sik spek furth cane scho ma