A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: <1375, 1375-1436, 1496-1700
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Paint-, Payntour, -er, -ar, n. Also: pant-, peint-, pent- and -o(u)r(e, -ur, -ere, -ear; and paynteore, painttar, pintir, pynter. [ME. (north.) payntur (Rolle), peyntour (14th c.), -eur, ME. and e.m.E. paint(c 1400), paynter, AF. peintour, OF. peinto(u)r and peintre.] A painter.a. An artist who paints pictures. b. A workman who coats or colours the surface of things with paint. c. An artisan who paints signs or ornamental designs on surfaces. d. Herald painter, a heraldic painter.The 1435–6 quot. under (c) may perh. rather belong with Panter n.For some possible further examples as a surname, see Black Surnames s.v. Panter.(1) sing. 1328 Reg. Episc. Morav. 152.
Johanne dicto Payntur canonico 1364 Exchequer Rolls II. 149.
Compotum Andree Payntour et Thome Garland — a1400 Legends of the Saints xi. 67.
He send til hyme thane a paynteore … To paynt his fygur propirly a1400 Ib. 73.
The payntur 1497 Treasurer's Accounts I. 370 (see Painting vbl. n. 1 (a)). 1501 Ib. II. 63. 1505–6 Ib. III. 122. 1508 Ib. IV. 22.
To Pieris payntour for to cut out letteres for cotis [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece II. 461 (see Paint v. 1 (a)). 1539 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 181.
To the payntour for vj dosane of armes to put about the queir … price of ilk dosane xx s. 1544 Ib. VIII. 289.
For furnesing to his gracis hous payntour 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 11/20.
Cicero … sende for ane excellent payntur callit Eracleon … for to paynt ane fayr ymage of … Juno 1552 Edinb. Hammermen 191 b.
For the payntour that payntit the buk & the alter the new work & the roddis xxiij s. 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 253.
To the payntour for cullouring of artailȝerie 1582 Treasurer's Accounts MS. 40 (see Paintrie n.). 1613–4 Ayr B. Acc. 63. 1622-6 Bisset II. 342.plur. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 16. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 398.
Payntours poetis ar subiect to his [Mercury's] cure 1531–2 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 99.
To the payntouris for culloring of certane wallis in the kingis uter chalmer c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2202. 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I. 539.
Bothuile … had place to call … all payntouris … suspectit for working or affixing of the saidis placardis 1600 Glasgow Wrights 39.
Payntores(b) 1548–9 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 281.
Painttar 1552 Ib. X. 97. c1550 Rolland Court of Venus Prol. 134.
Vespasiane gude painteris lufit weill 1558-66 Knox II. 382.
Paynteris 1564–5 Treasurer's Accounts XI. 347.
To the painter for the mask on Fastronis evin a1578 Pitsc. I. 354/3.
Paintaris 1581 Burne Disput. 170.
Ane paynter vith his pinsel [ed. pinset] and coloris 1590 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 390.
To ane man that brak calk to the paynteris 1591 Acts III. 526/1.
His hienes portrat according to the painteris draucht 1599 Reg. Privy C. VI. 36. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1135.
Painters & poets hes leiv to lie 1615 Misc. New Spald. C. I. 114.
Robert Skeyne paynter and glasinwricht 1628–9 Mill Mediæval Plays 209. 1641 Acts V. 562/2.
Painteres(c) 1435–6 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II. 48.
Johanne Pantour 1496 Halyb. 9.
Paid to the pantor for the ymag 1503–4 Reg. Soltre 158. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II. 346.
The King of France … send ane pantoure in Scotland to paynt hir visage to the quyk 1546 Treasurer's Accounts VIII. 453.
To Archiebald Rowle pantear for his laubouris in coloring … doris 1564 Edinb. B. Deeds 125 b.
Walter Bynnyng pantoure 1580 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) I. 309.
For the drawing of the kingis majesteis armis be a panter(d) a1538 Abell 13 a.
Neemas peinter to Archaxerses(e) 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 53 a.
To the penter(f) 1605 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 161.
James Scott pynter 1679 Rothesay B. Rec. 374.
Pynter a 1700 Greyfriars Internments 639.
Pintir(2) 1671 Foulis Acc. Bk. i.
To the herald painter in part of payment for my armes 1686 Lauder Notices Affairs II. 749.
George Porteous herauld-painter
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"Payntour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/payntour>


