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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sen, prep. and conj. Also: sene, sein(e, senn, send, sa(i)ne, syn(e, syen, sin(e, sing. [ME and e.m.E. sin (Cursor M.), sen, syn (both Manning), sene (14th c.), syon (a1400-50), sinne (1534), syn(e (a1536), from as Syn(e adv.]

A. prep. After; following; subsequent to; since. Also euer (ay) sen.(1) 1375 Barb. ii 56.
Thai said that he sen ȝhysterday Duelt in his chambyr ythanly 1456 Hay I 32/18.
Sen the passioun of Crist, … the haly kirk was never ȝit in pes 1483 Acta Aud. *121/1.
Sen Witsonday was a ȝere bigain c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxi 34.
Grit wer and wandrecht hes bene ws amang, Sen thy depairting 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 274.
Maist part sen your graice being in to Pertht, and specialle I have kepit my beid sen Allow evin 1566 Reg. Privy S. V ii 147/1.
Sen and lang eftir the making, geving and granting of the quhilk gift 1646 Peebles Gleanings 267.
To convene the haill inhabitants of this burgh anent the quarteringis sen Philliphauch — 1567–8 Inverness Rec. I 159.
McSande … suld pay ane servand fee send the tyme forsaid(b) a1400 Leg. S. xix 88.
Dissawit I haf bene … Senetyme I come fyrste thé til c1400 Troy-bk. ii 211 (C).
And sene [D. sone] that whyle now, certeynly, It has stonden thar 1490 Irland Mir. I 9/10.
Sene the fyrst creacioune and begynnyng of the waurld 1529–30 Wigtown B. Ct. fol. 225a.
Ane tennement of his at vas the Lard of Gelstovne sene the feld of Floddovne 1543–4 Corr. M. Lorraine 58.
Sein 1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 137.
Sene our being heir c1600 Montg. Suppl. v 11.
Sene the our that I was borne 1652–3 Aberd. Shore Wks. Acc. 364.
87 lib. 10 s. for the anuall rent sene the borrowing therof to Michellsmes(c) 1453 Exch. R. V 557.
Syn the xvij day of May 1531–2 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 47.
Thair factouris hed occupeit … the samyn syn the said faist of Vitsunday(d) 1662 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 269.
The said Mr. George had entered the holy ministrie sine the year of God 1649 1668 Rutherglen Par. Testimonials 1 March.
December 25 anno 1665 sine which tyme he hath leived in this parish 1684 Fawside Coal Compt 123.
For pickes & nadges sherping sine ȝuill £2(e) 1581 Nugae Scoticae 35.
I fail in to a greit commor saine the laist vrittingis I vreit to L.(2) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 609 (B).
Stormested be sie, ay sen Ȝule day 1567 G. Ball. 137.
Euer sen the first Creatioun

B. conj. 1. From or since the time (that or at), also const. ever (ay).(1) 1375 Barb. iii 496.
Sen the king discumfyt was At Meffan ?1438 Alex. ii 482.
We haue had greif Sen that we lossit our lord and cheif c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 41/16.
Sen that I born wes of my mynny I [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 289.
I haue seruit ȝour grace Sen I was man a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae I 1534 (Wr.).
The streame … growes ay broader nere the sea, Sen over the lin it came 1596 Dalr. I 194/21.
Senn a1661 Sempill P. 42.
Now wha will play before such weir-men, Sen Habbie's dead?proverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 843.
I micht never lie sen I had a daughter a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1859.
Ye likit never your lips sen ye leid(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 1038.
Sene at I come in this foreste c1400 Troy-bk. i 75.
Leamedone … dois till ws grete iniure … To exile ws … sene he neuir fand … sene we come here, Cause ws to move one this manere c1475 Wall. v 511.
Mony hundreth, … Sene he begane, ar lost with out ramede 1490 Irland Mir. I 136/9.
Now is the vj monethe sene sche [sc. Elizabeth] has bene with child 1537 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. V 22.
Sene I left that steid it is xli yearsproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1355.
Schort quhile sene louse bure lingit(c) a1578 Pitsc. I 343/2.
Seine thay war first inhabitite(d) c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 20.
We haue examynyd thair wyll syn we send yhowe owre lettres last(e) 1460 Hay Alex. 2586.
Syne first it bare of France the renoun(2) 1391 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 380.
Evir sen the kingis foundit the kirk ?1438 Alex. ii Prol. 16.
[I] neuer gat thing of my will Bot tene, ay sen I tuik hir till a1497, 15.. Gray MS v 6.
Oure kynd is brukle … And euir has bene sen thou maid ws 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1324 (B).
It is half a ȝeir almaist Sen evir that loun laborit my leddir 1573 Cath. Tr. 6/10.
Euin sen he begouth to be principall pillar of his new buildet kirk in Scotland a1578 Pitsc. I 71/11.
Sen ewer this yle … was inhabitit be Scottis or Inglischmen(b) 1535 Stewart 27561.
Sone efter syne that he wes crownit king

2. Because; seeing or considering (that); since. Also syne quhen.Skipper's Acc. quot. may belong in 1 above.(1) 1375 Barb. i 261.
Sen thai mak sic comperyng … Ȝe may weile se [etc.] 1456 Hay I 7/3.
It suld nocht be grete mervaillis to se … bataillis in this warld here, sen bataill was first maid aganis God himself in hevin 1469 Writers Signet lxii.
Sen our soverane lord hes ful jurisdictioune and fre impire within his realme, that his hienes may [etc.] a1500 Rauf C. 51.
Sen thow speiris, I thé tell all the suith hale — c1475 Wall. i 431.
Foule mot yow fall Sen ane yow all has putt to confusioun 1490 Irland Mir. III 2/3.
And sene the perfeccioun that Jhesus gevis to the man … is spirituale [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. III 48/8.
Bot the persoune sen he synnis of his awne consent … he is oblist [etc.] 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 611.
Hauand regrait sen gane is thy glaidnes c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 181/97.
Sen for the ded remeid is none Best is [etc.] 1562-3 Winȝet II 44/29.
Quhilk thingis sen thai ar, God forbid that [etc.] 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 133/1.
Sen thocht is frie, think quhat thow lykis — 1551 Hamilton Cat. 284.
Now send swa it is that our Salviour is the eternal wisdome of God [etc.] 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. fol. 3b.
Yow sowld suffer it [sc. death] with pacienes … Send Chryst is the remeide a1589 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. fol. 5b in Paisley Mag. (1828) 382.
Send it is for play that we ar cum heir a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 50.
Now, Lord, send thow does nocht delytt In mone wordis wayne(b) a1400 Leg. S. i 685.
Bot sene he will I cum hym till … it is myn will [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. i 74 (see B1 (1)(b) above). c1420 Wynt. ii 736. 1490 Irland Mir. I 7/36, etc. 1515 Douglas Corr. 72.
Sene our houssys ar of the auld allyat, and mekyll … kyndnes hes beyne betwyx thaim [etc.] 1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 50b.
For drinke to the temermene sene tha wroycht one the schepe xv s. 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 209.
Sene [pr. Sone] it may be alledgit that [etc.](c) 1526 Douglas Corr. 113.
Sein my maist confidence and trust is in ȝoure said soverane 1551 Hamilton Cat. 210.
Sein faith is to beleve thai thingis of Christ, quhilk can nocht be sein a1578 Pitsc. I 22/15.
Seine(d) 1533 Gau 26/6.
Thairfor sane we cane that perfitlie … knau of our aune weknes, we suld [etc.] 1533 Gau 77/25.
Sane He is our Fader thane He wil dw blithlie the best(e) c1390 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 19.
For vs thynk ve are nocht haldyn to do fauour syn owr request mycht nocht be spedde anens yhow 1398–9 Acts I 210/2.
Syn na man aw to be condampnyt qwhil he be callit & accusit c1420 Wynt. VIII 2850.
The kyng thowcht he wer trayst inwch, Syn he in borch his landis drwch 1443 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 44.
Sin he and yhoure frendis ar bath sa nere to vs 1533 Gau 70/9.
Bot sing deid is ouercum be Christis power the propheit Oseas vritis [etc.](f) c1475 Wall. ii 181.
Syne my beleiff all haile remanys in thé 1682 Lauder Observes App. iv 309.
Sine he is gone, let him go(g) 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I 65.
Bot syen I am adebtet I man pay tham I am awen to(2) 1488 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 5.
Sen that the bref wes proclamit wythtin the octauis of the fair [etc.] a1500 Bk. Chess 2147.
Sen that he is luftennand to the king He has na power ferther for to do Than be the king he is direct to c1500 Harl. MS 4700 283b.
This caus aw nocht to pas to the recognicioun of ane assis sen at the child that is summond is within eild c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 25/1.
Sen that I am a presoneir Till hir that farest is 15.. Wyf Awcht. 25 (B).
Bot sen that ȝe will husye skep ken First ȝe sall sift & syne sall kned 1580 Red Bk. Grandtully II 130.
For sen that nowe there is ne vther vorthyre man on lywe … off succeiding wnto ȝow, it apperis weill that [etc.] a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxix 12.
Adeu nou; be treu nou, Sen that we must depairt(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1098.
Sene that hyre lyf is ferre hardere 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 42.(c) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1444 (C).
And syn that refections sere Thame neded [etc.] 1400 Douglas Corr. 60.
Syn that I clayme to be of kyn tyll yhow(d) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 673 (D).
Syne that [c. Sene that] the Troyiens citezanis … Of blynd wachynges blynd war mayd(3) 1535 Stewart 46747.
His fatheris deid syne quhen he kend and knew [etc.]