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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.

Mid, a. Also: mide, midd(e, myd, meid, med; also superl. middeast. [ME. mid, myd, mydde, OE. midd.]

1. Signifying that the thing in question is situated in the middle position; central, middle.Chiefly applied to the middle one of several examples. Also mid part and mid center = centre.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xii. 293.
Quhare the feyndis … As in myd place … Be-twene the angelis & the mene c1420 Wynt. ii. 430.
Ryngys … Thaim he gert the myd fyngyre bere Ib. iv. 2342.
Ewyn in to the myd merkete 1472–3 Prestwick B. Rec. 21.
John Sincleris quartar in the myd holmis c1475 Wall. v. 824.
Throuch the myd cost a1500 Seven S. 1668. 1496 Acta Conc. II. 14.
The myd chyngill [of Dee] c1515 Asl. MS. I. 160/23.
The flude rysis maire in the occiane na in the myd se 1513 Doug. i. viii. 21, ii. vii. 39. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 153.
The Scottis, seand the mid battal nakit of the wing 1533 Boece ii. iv. 89 b. 1546–7 Ayr Common Good Acc. 101.
For making of ane mydstanchir to the knok 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 248.
The meid bastalȝe 1562 Charter (Reg. H.) Suppl. 11 Apr.
The mid south quartar of the lang croft 1566 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 89.
The myd thrid of Arkboll 1566 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 100.
The hie burd with twa formis … ane myd burd with twa formis 1565 Crim. Trials I. 469. 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 264. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 32.
The lark quhilk … fro the erth to the meid speir dois ascend 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 29.
The foirsaid quheill … that guydis the midquheill 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 57.
He dang out the knockell of his mid finger 1630 Acts V. 232/1.
That midlyne in the seas whilk is equallie distant and divyding frome the opposite land 1637 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. fol. 60.
The mid kirk of St. Giles 1653 Peebles B. Rec. II. 13.
Ane mid-raw of merchant crames upon the hea streit 1662 Thanes of Cawdor 316.
The midbar of the caise [= casement] 1676 Inverness Presb. 73.
Gask, a mide place betuixt these … paroches 1681 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 8.
Take doune the midwall betwixt the saids two courts 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 164.
Ane looking glas in the mid press(2) 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxii.
The secound and mid part … wes namit Penthland c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2902.
And sa that river … Ran throuch the mid part of the toun 1553 Prot. Bk. R. Lumsdane 15.
Begynnand at the hycht and myd part of ane crage callit Cragdow 1657 Edinb. B. Rec. IX. 56.
The midd pairt of [the floor] to be sex insches higher then the sydissuperl. 1585 Dundee B. Laws 124.
In the middeast part of the rwife of the new tolbuith(3) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 247.
Hell in mid center of the elementis(4) 1518 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 177.
[To] clenge thair calsayes to myd channell [1575 Ib. V.141, to the mid channell] fornent thair dwelling places

b. Denoting the middle portion of the thing in question.Also without article or possessive, and with or without prep., forming advb. phrases.(1) 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III. 252.
Tua pair hos … to his myd thee 1532 Rec. Earld. Orkney 336.
Lyand in the vest part of the mydtoun of Kirkvald 1566 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 225.
By the craig at the leist in the mid craig c1575 Balfour Pract. 580.
That thay … stand not in the mid-streit befoir the dure 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV. 437.
In water to the midleg(2) 1375 Barb. xviii. 132 (E).
Quhen in myd cause [= causeway] war thai 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 104.
At ane tabill sat the Quenis majestie at mydburd(3) 1533 Bell. Livy II. 214/22.
Thai sufferit the inemyis to ascend myd montane 1533 Boece x. xiv. 382.
The ile of Maij quhilk almaist is myd firth 1589–90 Mylne Master Masons 68.
Medwall 1600 Acts IV. 205/1.
He saw the Kingis maiestie cummand furth mid clos butit ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 47.
The said Ellsay being marchand midsea betwixt the said marches

c. Throw the mid (something), through the middle of (it or them). 1513 Doug. iii. iv. 142.
To haue fled til salfte … Throu the myd rowtis of thar ennemys ?1549 Monro W. Isles 3.
Twa lochis meittand utheris throw the mid-ile of salt water 1618 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 371.
Throw the midmoiss callit the Goitt

2. Situated in the, or a, middle or intermediate floor of a building, not in the highest or lowest parts.(1) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 302/26.
The mydhous [in Noah's ark] conseruit clene bestis 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 185.
The window of the mid hous of the javelouris hous 1596 Edinb. Test. XXIX. 200.
The duris and midhousis heiche and laiche to be bruikit be hir peceablie 1621 Perth Kirk S. (ed.) 299. 1625 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 123.
The mid wardhous(2) 1517 Treas. Acc. V. 121.
Upputtand the ij gret jestis in the myd chamir 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 93. 1558 Ib. 294.
To the meid chalmer wondok c 1570 Lennox Mun. 276. 1635 Haddington Corr. 302. 1660 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 548.
Two chambers, one high and a mid one(3) 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 94.
The laich mid buith occupiit be the said David Henresoun 1571–2 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII. 59.
The mydboyth of Sanct James place 1671 Rothesay B. Rec. 212.(4) 1657 Edinb. B. Rec. IX. 56.
Timber staires from the transes to the high mid rowme Ib.
Both for the chalmers and the mid part of the schooll

3. The middle or halfway point of (a period of time or something having duration).

Const. as 1 b.(1) 1456 Hay I. 145/35.
Thair lord suld … geve thaim sum part [of their pay] in the myd term etc. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 122/1.
That was the myd tyme of grace quhen Jhesus suld be borne 1513 Doug. iv. ii. 52.
Begyn scho wald to tell furth hir entent And in the myd word stop 1535 Stewart 44495.
Quhill that mid Merche come neuir pleuche in eird 1549 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) J. de Complude v. Robertson.
The saidis schippis in thair myd viage vpoun the sey 1581-1623 James VI Poems II. 102/25.
Great God … Preserue him in his midrinke [= mid-career] with Thy caire(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxv. 446.
The chyld semyt than fere mare clere Than is the sowne in myd-ȝere 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 14.
The termes are third in hand, thrid at myd terme and the rest at Beltane 1590 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 251.
xx merkis at midvork and the vther xx merkis at the compleiting of the same(3) 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 1058.
Or ever the preiching was midpart done 1607–8 Irvine Mun. II. 247.
To Thomas Boyd provest for his fie mid yeir 1626 Linlithgow B. Rec. 24 Feb.
1^c libras midwork

4. The second of three, the middle (class, brother).Also denoting the second of three generations in hereditary line: = Midmest a. (4). 1584 Melvill 189.
The mid rank thinks it an unthrift to bestow thair childring's berns part of geare in susteining tham at the studie of theologie 1640 Spalding I. 293.
Haueing in his company the mid laird of Geicht 1681 Decis. Lords F. 4.
The mid brothers oye as heir to the youngest brothers son

5. a. Of intermediate size, neither large nor small. b. Of intermediate quality. c. Middle (age, size): also Mid-age n.a. 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 216.
For vij cowntour burdis … of the gret bynd … for iiij cowntouris of myd bynd 1506 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. I. 248.
To my Ladye Syncler my myd stope of silverb. 1575 Dumfries B. Ct. 20 March.
xxij ells of mydhardin coft 16.. Boyd Fam. P. No. 251 c.
3 shilling for ail, 2 shilling for mid drinkc. (1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 297.
He was a man of myd eld & of mene statur(2) c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 79.
Proportionat weill, of mid stature 1535 Stewart 218. a1578 Pitsc. I. 162/16.

6. a. Moderate, not extreme. b. In astronomy: ? Mean, equidistant from the possible extremes.a. 1577–8 Reg. Privy C. II. 665.
To remove the occasioun be sum mid and indifferent way 1603 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 53.
I hoipe … in that to keep … ane midde courseb. 1513 Doug. iv. x. 5.
As the starnys thar myd cours rollys doun 1588 King Cat. I. iii.
The place of the sone euery day according to the astronomicall calculation of his midde or æqual motion Ib. j. iv.

7. Appar. = Evin a. in certain senses. a. Equal in amount. b. ? Equal in kind, or ? honest, true.a. 1465 Wemyss Chart. 87.
Payis till vs … sewyn hundretht markis … be ewyn myd porcionys till ilk ane of vs c 1525 Dunferm. B. Rec. 283. 1574 Balmerino & L. Chart. 69.
Payand at twa accustumat termes … be equale mid portionis 1585 Perth B. Ct. 20 Dec.
Be equall myd portionesb. 1389 Wemyss Chart. 24.
Bath the partys fornemmyt … the gret ath bodylyke has sworn wyd myd fayth gyfyn