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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.

Mene time, Mein time, n. Also: men, menne, meine, meyn(e, mean(e, ma(y)n(e, min, myn and tym(e, thyme, teyme, taym. [ME. mene time (1340), mene, meen tyme, e.m.E. mean(e time, tyme: see Mene a.2 3 (and cf. Mene quhile).]Variously written as one or two words.

1. In (into) the mene time, in this or that mene time, in mene time, for the (that) mene time: during the intervening period, in the interim; during this time, meantime, meanwhile; for the time being.(1) 1388 Slater Early Sc. Texts. No. 12.
And in the men tyme we haf heft trevly we sal [manteyn] hir
1407 Ib. No. 65.
With his costes & scathes gif ony be in the mene tyme
1440 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 192.
Al thingis twicheyng the said materies … cessand in the menetyme but preiudice of outhir partie
1489 Acta Conc. I. 116/2.
In the mentyme
1496 Ib. II. 21.
The lords auditours … continewis the sade mater in the menetym to the sade day
1500 Ib. II. 426.
In the mentyme ordanis our soverane lordis clerc of the register til luke … the register
1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 215.
Niniane Forster … strak him … upone his heyd that in the mene tyme the said Johnis harnys come furtht
1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 49.
And in the men taym com word to hem [that, etc.]
1544 Ib. 97. 1572 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxiii.
In the menne time … I rest yowr lordshippes vnfainediy [etc.]
1575 Conv. Burghs I. 38.
We … in the menetyme willis ȝow to tak in gude pairt this dilay of time
1570 St. A. Kirk S. 345. 1587 Acts III. 465/1.
In the mentyme
1600 Ib. IV. 206/2.(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 983.
In the meyne tyme com kingis th[r]e
1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 21. 1397 Ib. No. 32.
In the mein tym … he mon outher mak obedyence ore ells for ga the priory
1478 Peebles B. Rec. I. 183.
And now in the meyntym fra this dayt quhyll the next Witsonday the said Sir Wylyam … sall [etc.]
1513 Doug. vii. iii. 21.
Into the meyn tyme
1522–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 67.
This gudwyff in the meyne tyme blamit hir sone
1554 Prot. Bk. J. Harlaw 95 b.
He mycht perchance be vesyt be God in the meintyme before his hamecuming
1562-3 Winȝet I. 60/8.
Becaus in the mein tyme we are offendit be his layngsum delay
1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II. 175.
In the meyn time
Ib. 211. a1578 Pitsc. I. 14/11. 1584 Waus Corr. I. 286.
In the meintyme my warding will mak thaime affrayit
1596 Dalr. I. 21/11.
The dog nochttheles in the mein tyme barkeng continualie
Ib. 62/28. 1627 Justiciary Cases I.66. 1640 Mouswald Kirk S. 1 July.
If any compleine of his neighboure for sclander and in the meine tyme cannot prove the same
c1650 Spalding I. 217.(c) 1531 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 44.
And in the mayne tyme the saidis tennenttis … sall pas with thair cornys
1531 Stirlings of Keir 342.
In the mane thyme
1557 Rec. Earld. Orkney 108.
In the mane tyme varnit the said Villiam that [etc.]
1564–5 Perth B. Ct. 242 (9 Feb.).
In the mantyme
1652 Honours Scotl. 119.
In the mane tyme ye may be dalling uith Dane till ye sall heir from my lord
(d) 1540–1 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 168.
In the myntime that nane of thair cumpany cum in ony housis … in this toun
1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 229.
Bot in the myn tym I hawe na uthyr esperance
1585 Boyd Fam. P. No. 69 (31 March).
Mintyme
(e) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 30.
Quhill in the meane tyme Bothwel … daylie musterit about the towne
Id. Comm. on Virgil 626.
I am: (in the meane tyme)
1597 James VI Dæmonol. 40.
By witnesses that haue seene their body lying senselesin the meane time
1662 Rothesay B. Rec. 76.
In the meanetyme … the said Donald … constitute Johne … his brother his depute clerk
(2) c1420 Wynt. iii. 66.
In this mene tyme … Ayot chapyde
Ib. vi. 1391.
In this meyne tyme
1535 Stewart 41939.
In that menetyme and quhile
c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1161.
In that meine time
1560 Rolland Seven S. 9608.
In this meane time
1567 Crail B. Ct. 27 Dec.: etc.
And in this man tym Thomas Ben maid his count
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. ii.
In this mene tyme was stark watching … about the Kingis grace
a1578 Pitsc. I. 258/10.
In this mean tyme thair come ane man clade in ane blew goune in at the kirk doore
(3) 1519 Wigtown B. Ct. 81 b.
In mane tyme
1570 Leslie 119.
In meane tyme … the estatis … war convenit
(4) 1456 Hay I. 146/13.
Sen the king payis his wagis … than gif a man gais at his awin plesaunce till his disport, he aw to defalk for the mene tyme
1528 Douglas Corr. 134.
Making mencioune of sic materis as occurrit for that meyntyme

b. In the mene time of, during the period or time of, during. 1399 Melville Chart. 15.
Gif the forsaide landis … hapnys … in the mene tyme of his take throuche commone were distroyit
1565 St. A. Kirk S. 234.
In the mayntym of the allegit contract
1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 124.
In the myntyme of this preparatioun
1575–6 Reg. Privy C. II. 479.
Eftir the committing of the foirsaidis oppressionis in the menetyme of his being at the said Lord Regent complening thairupoun
1570 Leslie 126.
In the meynteyme of thair lying at the seige
1609 Crim. Trials III. 42.
In the mentyme of the stryiff
1622-6 Bisset I. 197/18.

c. (In) the mene time that, during the time that, while. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2200.
Bot the meyne-tyme that he baid thair He persaved [etc.]
c1420 Wynt. ii. 1413.
In the menetyme that this was Twa yhung men in tyll Sythy ras
Ib. viii. 4467.
Meyne tyme
c1515 Asl. MS. I. 204/1.
And in the meyntyme that this weire was in Yngland
1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 151.
In the meantime that the body is casten loose to all dissolutions

2. In absol. phrases: (All) the (this, that) mene time. = c.above. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 986.
The mentyme the Magdelaine Criste in His luf sa cane inflame That [etc.]
Ib. xviii. 563.
Sa that al that mentyme I fylyt sawlis als fer as myne
c1420 Wynt. viii. 3145.
The Erle off Murrawe … All this meyne tyme off Scotland Wardane was

b. adv. Meantime, meanwhile. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlvii. 72.
And than I think, vhen I am far auay, Leist that mein tym blind Love suld thus [etc.]

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"Mene Time n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mene_time>

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