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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.

Non-, adv. prefix. Also: none-. [ME. noun, nown(Chaucer, Wyclif, etc.), in nounpower, AF. nonpoair, OF. nonpooir, and noun suyt (Wyclif), AF. no(u)nsute, and noun residense (Wyclif), e.m.E. none-, non-, AF. noun- = OF. non-, nom-, L. (esp. med. L.) non-.In the earlier instances freq., but by no means invariably, written as one word with its second element.]A negative prefix used chiefly in legal compounds and occurring chiefly in legal writings. Appar. earlier and commoner than the similar uses of Nocht adv. (B 11) and Not adv. (2).

1. With nouns of action and verbal nouns, expressing failure to perform what the noun denotes.Also Non-entres.(1) 1473 Acta Aud. 29/2.
In the none executioun of thaire officis anent [etc.] 1482 Edinb. Chart. 156.
In defalt of the none frething of thame 1558 Treas. Acc. X. 369.
For none finding of sowrtie and lauborrowis(b) 1490 Acta Conc. I. 165/1.
Throw the non deliuerance and wantin of the said Elizabeth 1498 Ib. II. 249.
Anent the nonobserving, keping and fulfylling and bringin of Jhone Lord Glammys [etc.] … til haf convenit [etc.] 1499 Mill Mediæv. Plays 134. 1501 Acta Conc. III. 12, 116.
For the non riding … with the abbat … of Bonacord 1501–2 Ib. 137.
Adiugeit … in defalt of presence and nonentiring of sutouris 1505 Lennox Mun. 173.
For the nonbrukin of the saidis landis 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. 2.
For the non furnissin of ane cariage in to the Kingis veris 1528 Douglas Corr. 125.
Ȝour complante for nonredres of attemptatis committit 1531 Bell. Boece I. 209.
To suffir nane of the said Donaldis blude on live in aventure thay nuris sic displesour to thaimself be thair non advertence as [etc.] 1537 Reg. Privy S. II. 336/2.
For non releving and keping of M. Alexander Turing … skaithles 1559 Ib. V. i. 140/1.
For non aganebringing of the letteris 1562-3 Winȝet I. 64/7. 1571–2 Inverness Rec. I. 211.
Quhilk horse hes inleakit … in thair non depending on him bot left him that haill nycht 1572–3 Reg. Privy C. II. 195. 1573 Ib. 227. 1574 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 15.
Anent non passing out of the ground with thair gudis 1576 Inverness Rec. I. 250. 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 341.
In cais of his deceis or non returning 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 187.
Be his non apprehensioun 1585 Forres B. Ct. 29 Nov.
For non haldin in of the burne fra the bog 1586 Calderwood IV. 564. 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 195.
The nondoing thairoff sal be the occasioun of strater deling 1595–6 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 62. 1600 Conv. Burghs II. 69.
The commissioneris … continewis thair non meiting agane quhill the moirne at efter none a1633 Hope Major Pract. II. 206.
Nae infeftments can be reduced for non production bot such as [etc.](2) 1616 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 75 (24 July).
Being complainit vpon be his spous for non adherence according to the dewtie of ane husband 1696 Acts X. 67/2.
An act anent divorce for non adherence(3) 1500 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 113.
Amerciat for his non comperans 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II. 392.
The absence and the noncomperance of the schireffis in that pairt 1533 Bell. Livy I. 299/13.
To tak plegis for thare non-comperence 1542 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 110. 1564 Reg. Privy C. I. 294. 1558-66 Knox I. 254.
None compeirance 1597 Conv. Burghs II. 18. 1597 Fam. Seton MS. 214. 1614 Urie Baron Ct. 13. 1722 Rothesay Par. Rec. 366. — 1545–6 Reg. Privy S. III. 236/2.
For thair noncomperand to underlie the law [etc.] 1557 Ib. V i. 57/2.
Noncompering 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 124.
Dischargeing all liecencis givin … [for] noncompeiring vpoun inquestis(4) 1483 Acta Aud. 128*/2.
& for the none fullfilling of a decrete of arbitre 1498 Acta Conc. II. 252; etc.
Nonfulfilling 1533–4 Lochwinnoch Par. 3.
Nonefulfilling 1569 Reg. Privy C. I. 686. — 1490 Acta Conc. I. 160/2.
For the nonfulling of ane appointment maid betuix the saidis partiis 1491 Acta Aud. 166/2. 1541–2 Perth Guildry 214 (13 Jan.).
For the nonfulling of the said Patrikkis merchand bill(5) 1542 Acts II. 417/1.
For non obeying of the said command 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 577.
For his non obeysance of the command 1582 Reg. Privy C. III. 469.
Nonobedience 1583–4 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 316.
For nonobeying the statutes 1584 Acts III. 347/1.
Incace of nonobedience(6) 1525 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 217.
For non payment of ij s. of grund annuell 1527 Exch. R. XV. 652.
Quhat resoun thai had for the nonepayment thairof 1533 Bell. Livy I. 167/14.
This dett … be non-payment was ay duplyit on him be vsure 1555 Acts II. 491/1. 1568 Inverness Rec. I. 162.
For non payment making of the anwellis 1661 Rothesay B. Rec. 294.(7) 1577 Prot. Bk. A. Millar 38 b.
During the nonredemptioun thairof 1627 Bamff Chart. 212. 1633 Galloway P. 15 Oct.
Duiring the non redemsioun(8) 1573 Reg. Soltre 226.
Ane vther half beidmanschip [vacant] be non residens 1582–3 Exch. R. XXI. 563. 1585 Reg. Privy C. IV. 39.
Be nonresidence of the lords of sessioun 1592 Hibbert P. No. 5.
Depryvit from thair offices and benefices for non residence and vther causis 1597 Conv. Burghs II. 3. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 27.
Non residence is judged be not dwelling at the manse [etc.] 1670 Moray Synod 144.
That priest Gray by reason of his non recidence cannot be summoned — 1638 Dundonald Par. Rec. 438.
To mak answer for hir non reseiding with hir husband

2. With nouns of state or condition.Expressing lack or want of, or the condition of not being, what the noun denotes.There is some ambiguity with None a. B (1).(1) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1227 (Harl.).
Ȝour birnand etik of non sufficiance [Asl. none suffisans] 1597–8 Household Bks. Jas. VI 23 Feb.
[Bread] nocht being wecht & non sufficience thairoff(2) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv. 738.
Throw dull ingine, and none habilitie(3) 1575 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 117.
Tuecheing his non admissioun to the haly sacrament(4) 1642 Argyll Synod I. 44.
It was fund nontruth 1698 S. Ronaldshay 71.
It's a known nontruth that [etc.](5) 1656 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 4.
[During the] non marriage [of his eldest daughter]

3. With agent and other personal nouns.One who is not what the noun denotes or who does not perform what the noun implies.Also Non-covenanter.(1) 1535 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. 31.
Quhat skaith hapynnit to cum on him for non pament of the said merchandis that suld cum on the non payris of the samyn(2) 1549 Buccleuch Mun. II. 195.
Contrair hir inimeis and nonfrendis(3) 1561–2 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. in Hay Post-Ref. Ch. Archit. 179. 1598 Acts IV. 173/2 marg., 1600 Ib. 231/2.
Ane travis for holding forth of the non communicants 1601 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 967.
That every presbyterie … take vp the names of the non communicants within thair bounds 1604 Elgin Rec. II. 121. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii. 149. 1613 Fife Synod 68.
And drunkard, noncomunicant 1624 Moray Synod 9.
Thair recusants and non communicants(4) 1575 Conv. Burghs I. 43.
Letteris of horning … vpoun the non comperaris 1596 Moysie xviii.
Na ordour taiken with the non compeirrantis(5) 1583 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 635.
That the commissioners present give up the names of the non residents 1592 Hibbert P. No. 5.
Notoriouslie knawin … to be non residentis, never ane off tham remaining … within … Zeitland quhare the saidis vicaraiges and benefices lyis 1618 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 161.
Our burgesses non residentes ar presentlie under proces … to mak thair residence within xl dayes (1565) Row 28.
No beneficed persone may be a non-residentare

4. With adjectives or participial adjs.: = Not-, un-, in-.Non numerat (money), see Numerat ppl. a. 2 b. 1625 Justiciary Cases I. 20.
Non lethale 1650 Arbroath Old Doc. 6/1.
Ilk non actuall residenting burges 1657 Dingwall Presb. 291.
The nonharmonious concurrence of the parochiners to that transplantatione