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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.

Mane-, Man-, Menswer(e, v. Also: main-, mayn-, mean- and -suer(e, -sweir, -suir, -swear(e, -suear. P.t. mane-swore, mayn-, menswoir, (mensweir). P.p. manesworn etc. (see Manesworn). [e.m.E. mansweare (Coverdale), OE. mán-swęrian (p.t. -swór, p.p. -sworen), f. mán (see Mane adv. and Mane-Atht n.). Also in the mod. Sc. and north. Eng. dial.]

1. a. intr. To swear falsely, commit perjury. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 592.
He that swerys craftely Mansweris craftely for-thy c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 70/14.
I haue synnit … be fals wechtis or fals mesouris swerand or manswerand Arundel MS. 252/422.
I … hes offendit thé … in malancoly and glutony, mane swerand and in foly 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Pejero, to mansweare

b. refl. To perjure oneself. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 839.
Fra he mansuorn hym had 1456 Hay I. 248/18.
Quhat wit war it to the King of Fraunce, suppos the King of Ingland war manesuorne, that he suld brek his lautee to manesuere him for company 1531 Bell. Boece II. 195.
That al pepill that … maneswore [S.T.S. mayn swoir] thameself … sal be brint … on thair lippis 1537 Crim. Trials I. 203. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 63.
Quha brekis the secund command? … thai that … mainsueris thame self … to excuse thair fault [etc.] 1567 Sat. P. ii. 5.
Willfullie thai man thame selves mensuir 1588 King Cat. 215/29.
Sinnes … by marchandes … Gif thay mensuer thame selues to cause thair geir selle the better 1605 Crim. Trials II. 454.
[They,] be thair depositiounes, periureit and mensweir thame selffis 1666–7 Blakhall Narr. 13.
You are a baise rascal and a mensworne couard. Feare hath made thé menswear thyself c 1680 Bothwell Lines 76 in Fugitive Poetry I.

2. tr. To swear falsely or blasphemously by (a god etc.), to take in vain (a god's etc. name). c1460 Thewis Wysmen 366.
At wantone plays thai spend ther gud, And mansueris goddis flesch and blud c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 67/22.
Manswerand the haly name of God 1531 Bell. Boece I. 10.
Whoever took the same in vain were no less punished than thay had manesworne thair goddis [S.T.S. mayn sworn the goddis] 1533 Boece i. iv. 39 b.
Gif ony maneswore the samyn [name] thai suld be punyst … as thai had tane the name of goddis in vane Ib. ii. xi. 81 b.
To swere be … name of thare capitane … thinking cryme irremyssibill to maynswere the samyn 1535 Stewart 40627.
(P.t.) Menswoir 1567 G. Ball. 74.
(Pres. t.) Manesweir

3. To refuse or cease to acknowledge, esp. on oath; to disown, disavow, renounce, repudiate, abjure (a person or an oath, attachment, etc.). 1502 Halyb. 269.
The raman of his dettis and v li. g[rot]is that borowit on a pand of myn, he menswern me with ewyll malyssius langag c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvii. 90.
Thir new maid knychtis lay bayth in swoun And did all armes mensweir [M. forsweir] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1185.
Quair, … Heir I mansweir thé; quhairfor, to lurke go leir thé 1535 Stewart 56002.
He menswoir all gentres and denyit That he euer be come of nobill blude 1557 Dundee B. Laws 520.
Gif the prenteis decysse or menswer the craft 1561 Peebles B. Rec. I. 273.
All … fornicatouris … to … separat thame selffis sindry … and speciale thame quhilk hes of before manesworne vtheris 1583 Melvill 158.
The guid ordour of the Kirk … wickedlie to calumniat, fathleslie to mean-swear and malitiuslie to debeast 1596 Dalr. II. 231/30.
That al heresie he had mensworne afor ony man 1612 Highland P. III. 122.
[A Macgregor,] ressauing fauour aboue all vthers of his kin being dispensed from compeirance before the counsall to mensweare his name 1638 Johnston Diary (1911) I. 299.
Quho so oft hes … mensuorne his oaths maid to God

4. To quit (a place) on oath not to return during the term stated.Also, to sentence (a person) to banishment on an oath of this sort. 1530 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 108.
[Those found] doand skaytht to thair nychtbouris … to be mensweir the gud toun for yer and day 1531 Ib. MS. 10 Oct.
We dischargis all nycht waikeris … to be put in the stokis one the morn and to mensweir the town ȝeir and day 1534 Ib. 1 Dec. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6252.
Baneis him and als manesweir the land

5. To deny on oath (? esp. falsely). 1583 Sat. P. xlv. 843.
The man mensueris he saw sic thing a1605 Montg. Flyt. 69 (T).
Mensweirand thow saw thame [stolen sheep]