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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.

Mine, Mind, n. Also: min, minne, myn(e; meayne; minde, mynd(e; meinde, meynd; moynd. [ME. and e.m.E. myne (1303), mine, F. mine.]

1. A mine for metals or ores, as gold, silver, lead, iron, etc. Also attrib.Also with the names of the metals as defining terms, as goldor goldin-, lede- or ledin-, silver-mine, etc., see the separate entries. Appar. not usually applied to coal-pits, for which see (cole-) heuch or (cole-) pot (-pit), and cf. sense 4 below.(a) 1424 Acts II. 5/2.
Gif ony myne of golde or siluer be fundyn c1460 Thewis Gud Women 306.
Quhar it [sc. wisdom] lay as in myne the gold c1460 Regim. Princ. 172.
Mynnis of gold 1526 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 247. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxi.
Lochquhabir … is full of minis sic as irne and leid Ib. xxxix.
In Clydisdail is ane riche mine of gold and asure 1528 Lynd. Dreme 369.
The mynis of gold and stonis precious [etc.] 1566 Reg. Privy C. I. 483. 1592 Acts III. 557/2.
Be the evill air of the saidis mynis and the danger of the falling of the same 1598 Ib. IV. 176/1. 1612 Ib. 515/1.
Clerk of his maiesties mynis 1650 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 596.
His lead minnesattrib. 1683 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 200.
Instructions for a generall of myns … That he or his deput or the mynmaster be judges in all debaits about myns and levells … That he endevor to collect the myn laws of other nations(b) 1491 Acts II. 225/1.
Ther biggingis … stankis myndis nor doocatis 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 274.
To labour one the mind 1512 Ib. 376.
To pas to Wynlokheid … to wyn mynd of leid 1515–6 Reg. Privy S. 417/2. 1531 Treas. Acc. V. 441. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 33. 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 8/1.
Maister of all myndis of gold and silvir 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 13.
Conservatoure of the myndis of Scot. land 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 554.
The myndis within this realme, specialie of gold, pertenis to our soverane lord 1578 Acts III. 94/1.
That the gold of his hienes myndis … salbe imprentit … in his awin cunȝe 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 131/158. 1602 Haigh Mining P. 12 Oct.
About euerie sink and holl quhilk thay … work in the said myndis and in the easmentis and passageis thairto 1638 Henderson Serm. 418.
The promises, they are like unto rich mynds(c) 1600 Acts IV. 249/2.
All and sindrie meayneis of quhatsumeir qualitie of mettallis, minerallis and materiallis

b. Gold of (the) myne, unworked gold as received from the mine in contradistinction to that obtained by melting down coined or manufactured gold; virgin gold. 1517–8 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 117.
To cunȝe xxx uncis of the fynes of the gold of the mynd without ony uthir commixtion or laying 1526 Acts II. 317/1.
To pay to the kingis grace for ilk vnce of vnmoltynnit gold of the mynde [etc.] 1537 Treas. Acc. VI. 332.
To the capitane of Craufurde for gold of the myne 1538 Ib. 393. 1539 Ib. VII. 159.
xxxvj cronys of wecht … to mix with gold of mynd to mak gentill wemennis chafferonys with Ib. 254. 1540 Ib. 289.
Ane pece of unwrocht gold of the mynde Ib. 403. 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 63.
Ane uther peice of gold of the moynd unmoltin 1554 Treas. Acc. X. 232.

2. A subterranean cavity. 1639 Sc. Ant. III. 133.
Signifing … that ther is a myne of brimstone under it, of a hote qualitie

3. A siege-mine or the like.A tunnel dug either to pass beneath a wall or to undermine it or to contain an explosive charge to blow it up. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2737.
The assalt past to with ledder, myne and sailȝe Ib. 2741.
Quhat leddering, quhat with myne, Quhat schot of gun … Thay wan the castell a1500 Seven S. 869.
Wnder the nychtis myrk scilens Thai maid the myne and gat entre 1533 Bell. Livy II. 173/12.
Thai made ane mynde [v.r. myn] vnder the erde to mak ane gate [etc.] 1640 Baillie I. 247.
The castle of Edinburgh was long waited on, bot when our mindes failled [etc.] 1644 Ib. II. 234.
Our minde [sic] … were countermined or drouned 1683 Lauder Observes 105.
They had sprung many mines, bombs, and granards

4. Any somewhat inclined or more or less horizontal underground passageway or tunnel in a colliery or ? mine generally, either driven from the surface to an existing working or connecting two underground workings; a roadway, drift or level in a coal-pit.Coall-mynd (see quot. 1683, b (2) below), one following a coalseam as against a ‘stone mine’ passing through rock. 1645 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 144.
Gorg Bathok for stons bering owtt of the meynd 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 199.
Subterraneous gutters (commonly called levels) that are … wrought underground … for drying of the mines Ib. 791.
Want of air … ordinarily found in the running of mines underground, for conveying of water from the coal or other metals 1672 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 16 Nov.
For 2 pleden coattis to the 2 men that workes in the mind that runes to the weste 1679 Fawside Coal Compt 38.
For the minde in the southlands 13, 00, 0 1679 Ib. 45.
For the air holl to the mynd 03, 00, 00 1681 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 24 Jan.
For running a mynd betwixt tuo holis Ib. 5 Feb.
For reding the mind throgh the sill 1683 Fawside Coal Compt. 112.
To the wncost for the greit seime mynd 02: 00: 0 1684 Ib. 132.
For my n[ew] mynd beir & uork 07: 04: 0 1685 Ib. 142.
For the new mynd in fathomdailles 03: 00: 0 1696–1700 Wauchopes 36.
For 7 fathom of sinking and mining mynd at 4^lib the fathom

b. attrib. and comb.Mind coal, coal struck in driving a mine. Mindman, a collier employed on driving a mine or mines.(1) 1678 Fawside Coal Compt 37.
Of mind coalls 196 is 30: 18: 8 1683 Ib. 115.
For 6 mynd creills to the mynd 02: 10: 0 1678 Ib. 27.
For the mind picks(2) 1679 Fawside Coal Compt 38.
Dayes wadges to the myndemen 1680 Ib. 54.
To the meinde men for reding the west 04: 08: 0 1683 Ib. 108.
To the myndmen at the coall mynd 01: 00: 0