Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Plain, Plane, n. ¹ Also: plaine, playn(e, pleyn, plegn, plen. [ME. plain, plein (a 1300), pleyne, e.m.E. playn(e, OF. plain, L. plānum.]

1. An extensive plain, a tract of flat, open country.In verse, used loosely = the field of battle.(In verse) To tak the plain, to take the field of battle.(1) (a) 1375 Barb. ix. 59.
All playn wes the cuntre And thai war bot ane few menȝe To ly but strinth in-to the playn c1400 Troy-bk. i. 253.
A playn ritht fare ewin and braid Ib. ii. 1562 (D).
Thus as thai hie brayes he socht He fand a fair playne [C. pleyn] quhar he thocht Was awenand a towne to set 1400 Charter (Honess Doc. No. 1, Reg. H.) MS.
Wyth al … esmentis in boscis in ways in playnis in moris [etc.] c1420 Wynt. vii. 1426.
And throw the playnis [W. playne land] fyrst he past And syne the heycht [etc.] c1475 Wall. i. 418.
He stekit him was last apon the playne Ib. (1570) ix. 539.
Ner Burdeous … Gud Wallace was and chosyn had a playn a1500 Sir Eger 1481. 1513 Doug. xiii. viii. 22.
Quhen the gret … rayn From the clowdis furth ȝet our all the playn … the plewch lyis still 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3347.
Ane fairar nicht was neuer on the plaine c1590 J. Stewart 201/5.
Ane plaine depaint vith emeraud greine 1611-57 Mure Psalmes xlii. 6.
From Jordan's playn(b) 1375 Barb. vii. 612 (E).
Thai in full gret hy agane Owt of the wod rane to the plane c1400 Troy-bk. i. 268.
Quhen the suet rane Of out descendis on hill and plane ?1438 Alex. i. .
Thay … straucht thair steidis endlang the plane c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 2796.
The ost [he] gart draw Vpoun ane plane quhare all the citie saw And stent thair tentis 1473 Acta Aud. 27/1.
v li. aucht … to the said abbot & conuent of the half of the landis of the plane a1500 Rauf C. 614. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 150. a1500 Henr. Fab. 354.
Quhilis throw the corne and quhilis throw the plane Id. III. 91/31. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 92.
Fra sklandir hard lust had vndone His ennemeis … And rais and rowttit all the planis Ib. lxvi. 23.
The honourable vse is all ago In hall and bour in burgh and plane 1513 Doug. x. x. 139.
[He] Samony douchty corpsis brocht on beir Amyd the planys reddand large gait 1533 Boece iv. i. 124 b.
Caratake … was beryit in the plane besid the castell of Evon 1535 Stewart 7932.
King Caratac with curage vnaffrayit Vpoun ane plane the battell hes arrayit Ib. 38581.
This king Malcolme gart spy ouir all the plane And tuke the Scottis in the feild war slane Ib. 38511, 51236. 15.. Wyf Awcht. 6.
He ȝokkit his plwch vpoun the plane c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1527.
Quhare vmquhyle wer the plesand planis Wer holkit glennis and hie montanis c1670 Gordon's Aberd. 3.
The planis full of marreshes and mosses(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xii. 27.
Toun in desert, forrest in plane a1568 Bann. MS. 267 a/25.
Quhen … all montanis ar turnit in to plane … Than sall my lady luve me(3) 1375 Barb. xiv. 263.
His men adressit he thame agane And gert thame stoutly tak the plane c1420 Wynt. iv. 1456.
Hanyball … wyth his ost thaire tuk the playne 1513 Doug. x. x. 146.
The remanent of Troian barnage … Thar strenth hes left and takyn hes the plane 1567 Sat. P. v. 26.
Think weil thair wit was thame bereft Quhen fulishlie thay tuik the plane

b. A small, or in some respect limited, stretch of level ground, a flat space. 1468–9 Ayr B. Ct. fol. 109 a.
That na man sal set hous to na licht women with in the plen of the mercatwith in na plas a1500 Henr. Fab. 1844 (Ch.).
The fowlar … His nettis hes hee set with diligence And in the snaw he schulit hes ane plane And heillit it all ouer with calf agane 1535 Stewart 53703.
Of Sanct Androis the castell on ane plane Wes cassin doun he gart big vp agane

2. A geometric plane superficies. 1688 Sinclair Doctrine Sphere 23.
It is called a parallel horizon when it lies parallel to the plain of the equinoctial