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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.

Malt, n. Also: mault, mald, mal-; also Mat, Mawyte, Melt. [ME. malt, OE. malt, mealt.]

1. Malted grain esp. barley, malt.Also barlik, gersum, ground, grundin malt, see these words.(a) 1375 Barb. v. 398.
All the vittale … As quhet, flour, meill & malt 14.. Acts I. 337/2.
That thai mak baith evill and gude malt all togidder 1436 Ayr B. Ct. 26 Dec.
Tha na wis sal by malt til it cum to the cors a1500 Henr. Twa Mys 105. 1497 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 77. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiv. 56.
Ane browstar swoir the malt wes ill, Bath reid and reikit on the kill 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. iii.
For maskis of malt to the said hors 1519 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 187. 1525 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 114 a.
Four bollis of auld malt sufficientlie preiffit 1532–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 60. c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 90. 1561–2 Inverness Rec. I. 75. 1590–1 Exch. R. XXII. 133. 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 202. 1595 Conv. Burghs I. 468.
That na burgessis … by … wittuall … to … sell … agane … without he convert … the beir in malt, the quheit in floure 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Serplath.
In Orknay … of meille and malt called coist ane last makis ane Scottish chalder 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 274. 1607 Dundonald Par. Rec. 126. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1352.
Soft fyre maks sweit malt Ib. No. 1423. 1641 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 255. 1657 Hibbert P. No. 19.
They say that it [sc. bear] will not be malt for itts old & small 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 295. —proverb a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1641) 98.
The malt is above the beir [MS. the meall] (= he is drunk)(b) 1507 Dunferm. Ann. 185.
Ane chalder of meil, with thre bollis of mault, to be payt at four tymes in the ȝher 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I. 43 b.
In the kell of mault and beir ten bollis 1566 Dundee B. Laws 22.
That na man … dyicht his mault in the kirkȝeard 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 6.
Of mault xij gallons the bol(c) 1521 Wigtown B. Ct. 115 b.
Ane fens maid … of Thom Finlason behalf on the crop … of Wille Broune quhill he war pait of v bollis of the ald mald

2. a. Attrib. in malt-barn, -cobil (-coble), -corne, -firlot, -flour, -girnel, -hous, -kill (-kiln), -kest (= -kist), -loft, -mercat, -poik, -p(o)undler, -schuill (-shool), -scop, -sek, -sellar, -settin(g, -stead, -steeding, -steip, and comb. in -buying, -making. Also Malt-court, -makar, -man, -milne, -silver.(1) 1519 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 189.
To big vpoun the saidis akeris duelling houssis, malt barne, kill and cowbill 1575 Edinb. Test. III. 284.
In his malt barne nyne bollis malt 1582 Perth B. Ct. 3 Apr. 1609 Inchaffray Chart. 171. 1627 Rep. Parishes 173.
In respect of the brewstedis, killis, maltbarnis bigit thairon 1650 Dunferm. Kirk S. 36. 1668 Milne-Home MSS. 194. — 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xcv.
Thear wos ane greawe fownd withe ane bread stone on euery quarter thearof efter the forme of ane malt cobile 1663 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 204.
Alexr Charles, wright … being imployit … to mack and set vp ane malt coble in ane barne 1680 Banff Ann. I. 159. — 1595 St. A. Kirk S. 808.
That nane … saw treis, dicht malt corne … in the kirk yaird — 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 164.
Ane malt firlot, meall firlot, ane peck, ane lippie — 1623 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I. 92.
In land meillis four meillis of malt flour — 1567 Bamff Chart. 71.
Ane mekle mele girnell, … Ane malt girnell — 1264 Exch. R. I. 10.
Quedam domus que vocatur malthus 1456 Ib. VI. 254.
Le malthouse de Faukland 1682 Spottiswoode Misc. I. 339.
The links [at Montrose] where are their malthouses and kills and granaries 1686 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 362 (19 Apr.). 1687 Brechin Test. VII. 172 b (see Male n.¹ 2). — 1565–6 Reg. Privy S. V. ii. 25/1.
Unacum domo nuncupato Malkilhous 1633 Edinb. Test. LVI. 91.
In thair malt kill malt loftes & sellares nyne chalderes of beir & malt 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 249.
The Master, to improve Beully, … resolves to set up ins and maltkilns in it 1684 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 109.
A most calamitous fyre … which began first in a malt kill — 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX. 189 b.
Lying in his malt kests [94] bollis malt — 1599 Black Bk. Taymouth 333.
Off standis in the malt loft, i 1620 Edinb. Test. LI. 5 b.
In his malt loft aucht bollis malt — 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 27.
In the place quher the malt mercat stands 1681 Lauder Notices Affairs I. 285.
The debate betuixt the toune and shire of Aberdein anent ther malt merkat — 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 354.
Ane sek ane malt poik ane firlott — 1595 Orkney Rentals ii. 81.
6 meils oatmeal … , to be weighed on the malt pondlar 1614 Ib. 145. 1642 Ib. iv. 31. 1685 Fountainhall Decis. I. 384.
Upon the maltpundler of Kirkwall — 1660 Rothesay B. Rec. 46.
Quhen William did gripe the maltschuill to have struckin Thomas 1666 Edinb. Test. LXXII. 110 b.
Fyfteine malt shoolles in a buinsh — 1611 Ib. XLVI. 237.
Tua malt scopis price of baith v s. — 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 189.
Ane towall to ij s., ane malt sek to iiij s. 1662 Crim. Trials III. 610.
He [the Devil] will lye als hewie wpon ws … lyk an malt-secke — 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 578.
To sell thair malt … in thair malt sellaris at hame 1598 Reg. Great S. 224/1.
Cellarium alias malt-siller 1609 Edinb. Test. XLVI. 21 b.
In the malt seller within the hous — 1659 Orkney Rentals App. 121.
That the whole pundlars and bismars … be justit to the malt settin weight — 1634 Reg. Great S. 46/1.
Cum lie maltsteadis, brewsteadis, et croftis 1692 Conv. Burghs IV. 640.
The best house … with malt steeding, brewhouse, … bairne yaird and croft — 1617 Macleod P. MS. (Reg. H.) 1 June.
The maltsteip of the maltbarne(2) 1551 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 14.
Expellit fra malt buying and wheat buying for ȝear … and day — 1519 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 190.
In bigging of houssis, killis, barnis, cowbillis and continuall malt making 1549 St. A. Baxter Bks. 5. 1551 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 14.

b. Comb. with custume, ferme, scat. 1609–10 Ayr B. Acc. 242.
The … malt, nolt, and scheip custumes 1614 Ib. 55. 1675 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 6 Oct.
Settis the malt custome to William Meikel for six punds Scots — 1621 Misc. Spald. C. V. 218.
The laird requeirit full payment of his meill and malt fermes — 1502 Orkney Rentals i. 6.
Tankarnes … payis nather malt scat nor butter scat, we ken nocht quhy Ib. 3, 4, 7, etc.