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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
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Son(e, Sun(e, n.¹ Also: sonn(e, sunn(e, soun(e, sown(e, soone, sene, syn. [ME and e.m.E. sunne (Orm), sonne (c1275), sun(e, sonn (all Cursor M.), son (c1420), OE sunne. Cf. ON sunna (poet.).]

1. The sun, generally, esp. as rising or setting.Also possess. with beme, blenk. Also without article.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 4 (A).
The bemes blythest of ble fro the son blent c1460 Wisd. Sol. (STS) 14.
The sone … drawis vp fra the seye the fresch wattir agane 1490 Irland Mir. I 128/5.
As the hevinly sone that tyme ascendis, and causis … byrdis to sing and joy a1500 K. Hart 92.
For schyning of the sone that dois renew Thir vther flouris c1515 Asl. MS I 316/11.
The son alterit contrar natur quhen Jhesus sufferit passioun a1500 Peblis to Play 251.
Be that the sone wes settand schaftis, And neir done wes the day c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 471.
Ȝit haif I solace undir serk quhill the sone ryse c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) x 39. 1513 Doug. iii viii 120.
Be this the son went to, and ws forwrocht Left dissolat 1533 Bell. Livy I 47/15.
Tharefore inlakit xi dayis and vj houris to complete the hail ȝere and cours of the son in the zodiak(b) a1400 Leg. S. xiii Prol. 78.
For that the erne maste hey fleis And the sowne clerlyaste seis ?1438 Alex. ii 8968.
The soun was hie c1420 Wynt. viii 2649.
Lang or the sowne yhed down(c) c1400 Troy-bk. i 545.
Thane tok the sonne in-to that houre Eclyps 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 96.
And blisfull blossummys … Submittis thar hedis in the ȝong sonnys salfgard(d) 1494 Loutfut MS 11a.
Red … is callit in armorie guellis and is likynt to the sun 15.. Clar. i 774.
Quhile the sune wastward did repaire 1588 King Cat. 152.
Thou sall pay him the price of his labour befoir the sunne ga to 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 58.
Is not the bodie of the sunne in the lift? It is impossible to you to twitch the bodie of the sunne, yit the bodie of the sunne and ye are conjoined a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 237.
Executione of summondis should be maid quhen the sune shyns and if they be maid in the night they ar null(e) c1590 Fowler I 345/22.
A stormy cloude eclipsed hathe the soone(2) 1375 Barb. xi 190.
Armys, that new burnyst wer, So blenknyt with the sonnys beyme, That all the felde ves in ane leyme a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 880.
Bot God gert thare [sc. in the dungeon] licht leyme, Wes clerare than the sonnis beyme c1500 Rowll Cursing 106 (B).
And vthiris devillis thair salbe sene Als thik as mot in sonis beme 1513 Doug. vii viii 114.
Quharon the sonnys blenkis betis cleir(3) 1375 Barb. iv 166.
On the morn quhen day wes lycht And sone wes ryssyn schynand brycht 1375 Barb. xiv 177. ?1438 Alex. ii 28.
On morne, quhan brichtin day had dicht And sone had spred his bemis bricht c1420 Wynt. i 1174.
As in a caldrown thar … For het of sown the se wyll play c1420 Wynt. vi 803.
Thare wes newyre sowne schenand Thare sene quhille he wes thare lyand c1500 Rowll Cursing 106 (B) (see (2) above).proverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1605.
The sunne schynes als fair in ane other town as in this

b. In various phrases, = sunrise or, chiefly, sunset. 1386 Rot. Sc. II 85/2.
Fra the makyng of this endentures to the last day of May next comand the sone gangand to rest 1456 Wemyss Chart. 78.
Apon a day betuix the rising of the soune, the passing too of that ilke, at anis and togidder 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 56.
That the sadis arbitouris … sal gif thare … sentence … or the soun gang to 1497 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 72.
Nocht passand to the Inche … be Monounday at the sone ganging to 1572 Prot. Bk. A. Lawson 20.
Eftir the sone passing to befoir the ganging owt of the said place wes alytill afoir fyve 1596 Dalr. II 286/14.
About the sone togangeng 1600-1610 Melvill 169.
It fell down dead calme about the sune drawing leache 1616 Orkney Witch Trial in Misc. Maitl. C. II 189.
Johne Stewart … Wes slane be M^cKy at the doun going of the soone 1634 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II 139.

c. specif., with reference to the sun's brightness, or to its light- or heat-giving qualities.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 638.
His face thane the sone fer brichtair wes a1400 Leg. S. xxx 756.
Bricht … As the son on dais licht ?1438 Alex. ii 399.
The day is fare, the sone is bricht 1456 Hay I 21/4.
Him [sc. St. John] thocht that the thrid part of the sonne … mone and … sternis was all merk and schynyt nocht c1460 Wisd. Sol. 101.
Als far as the lychtnes of the sone passis the myrknes of the mirk nycht a1500 Henr. Fab. 1640.
Hir ene ar waik, the sone scho may not se a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1440 (Asl.).
Our glorifyet body sall … be mair cleire in sevyn part na the son 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 462.
Hir hie bewtie For to behald my sicht micht not indure, Mair nor the bricht sone may the bakkis ee c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 12/27.
The sone that wox all paill now schynis bricht c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) x 5.
The cleir sone, quhome no clud devouris 1513 Doug. x Prol. 8.
The son to schyne our all and schaw hys lyght The day to laubour [etc.] 1513 Doug. x ix 79.
Hys habyt as the scheyn son lemand lycht 1549 Lamb Resonyng 7/3.
The sone … cleir lanterne of the day c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 386.
As the day can nocht be without lycht, Nor the cleir sone withouttin beames bricht 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. ix 11.
Quhill heavins haue stars, quhill sune hath rayes, With light all creatours cheering(b) 1456 Hay I 210/7.
The grete lumynar and the small lumynar, the quhilkis are the sonne and the mone, that illumynis all the warld 1456 Hay I 283/15.
The lowe of fyre, the quhilk is the maist clere and lycht efter the sonne(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxv 446.
Fere mare clere Thane is the sowne in myd-ȝere a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 524.
One the morne, quhen sown was brycht(2) 1375 Barb. xi 612.
For the [rycht] gret heit that thai had, Of fechting and of sonnys het 1456 Hay II 129/30.
Than begynnis drouthis and grete hete of sonne to regne a1500 Henr. Fab. 759 (Bann.).
[The fox] Strakand his wambe agane this sonnes hete 1549 Compl. 34/18.
Quhen the sune castis oure grite heyt, ve pas vndir the vmbre or the schaddou 1549 Compl. 53/25, 26, etc. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 314.
To sitt down … Onder the schaddow of that tre, To saif me frome the sonnis heit c1590 Fowler I 64/166.
The sun so dois his flames most temperatlie vnfoulde And so dois mak the place … almost lew warme 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 242b.
For fear of ryving with the heat of the sone 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 167/506.
Soldatis … into the house do holde Of libbit sonne to aagit yeire, thaire garnisoun full colde

d. In collocation with mone (also, and (nor) stern(is). 1460 Hay Alex. 130.
The coniunctioun salbe this day als sone And meit sall in ane sign baith sonn and mone a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 18 (Asl.).
The sone the mone & sternis to our sicht Ar neir all closit in till a clud obscure 1531 Bell. Boece II 209.
Nothir son, mone, nor stern, wer sene in the hevin 1535 Stewart 32109.
God … The michtfull maker of the sone and mone 1549 Compl. 56/25.
The speculatione … of mennis ingyne culd neuyr consaue ane final determinatione of the soune, mune, and of the sternis c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 329.
All the said tyme nouthir sunn, moone, nor sterne war seyne in Scotland c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1839.
Quhen sonne and monne ar baith obscure, His hewinlie brychtnes doith indure 1551 Hamilton Cat. 49 (see e (2) below). a1568 Scott ii 81 (see e below). 1571 Sat. P. xxix 7.
The sone and mone and sevin sterris reuoluit in the sky 1588 King Cat. Sig. H vij.
They war interiectit betuix the accomplissing of the sone and the mone

e. Personified, or as an object of worship.(1) 1513 Doug. vi xvi 23.
The ryche sonnys douchtir c1590 Fowler I 208/5.
Thow sone quha sees and shynes from heavens above(2) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 49.
Part of thame [sc. the Gentiles] worschippit with godly honour the sone, the mone and the sternis(b) a1400 Leg. S. xi 411.
To the tempil … That of the sowne the name had 1456 Hay II 74/10.
Within a temple callit the Temple of the Soune, the quhilk the noble philosophour Esculapius had gert mak(c) a1400 Leg. S. vi 605.
Gud lord, gere hym mak som offeringe Til oure gret god, the sene(d) a1568 Scott ii 81.
Thir vowis maid to syn and mone

f. Under (the) sone, in the world, on earth.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxx 256.
& that … ma be don In priue stede vndir sone a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1042.
Sall neuer sege vndir son se me with schame 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 103b.
For vpon ane halie day all proces sould cease … or it was made vnlawfullie vnder sunne(2) c1420 Wynt. viii 830.
Wndyr the sown is na kyngdome, Than is Scotland, in mare fredome c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) vii 43.
Welcum thow knight … moste aunterus and able, Wndir the soun that beris helme or scheild a1578 Pitsc. I 223/18.
All is changeabill wnder the sone 1596 Dalr. II 4/24.
Almaist was na natioune vndir the sone, of quhilke war nocht in this foul … midding sum seine c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 93.
All thingis thatt be vnder the sonne … Lykwyse as they [did] anis begune, sa sell thay end againe

g. transf. a1649 Drummond II 44/229.
The moone moues lowest, siluer sunne of night

2. fig. a. Of persons. Also sun(ne) of righteousnes, a title of Christ. b. Applied to a propitious event or set of circumstances.a. 1456 Hay I 22/19.
Be the sonne in haly scripture is vnderstandin the pape 1461 Liber Plusc. I 385.
Rycht now away is he, And eftir hym a nother soun will rys 1513 Doug. i Prol. 60.
So lamp of day thou [sc. Virgil] art and schynand son a1599 Rollock Wks. I 398.
The face of Jesus, the sun of richteousnes that schynis in the gospel 1635 Dickson Hebrews 4.
Letting foorth light, by little and little, till the sunne of righteousnesse … aroseb. 1596 Dalr. II 306/17.
Sa bricht a sone began to shine, that al Inglismen was dung out of hail Scotland

3. The direct rays of the sun; sunshine, sunlight. Also in various prep. phrases.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 223.
Brynt with the sone blak scho vas 1456 Hay II 140/28.
That the rasynis be … lattyn ryspe quhill all the bitternes and sournes be away be the vertu of the sonne 1460 Hay Alex. 939.
Quhan that the sone into the Maii mornin[g] Glitterand reskewit [= reflected] from the brych arming c1475 Wall. vii 580.
The strang stour rais, as reik, vpon thaim fast, Or myst, throuch sone, vp to the clowdis past c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rev. xxi 23.
Sonn 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1518.
The hicht of this greit growand tre Haldis away the sone 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 42.
Thair is a certane kynd of beist callit chamæleon, engend[erit in] sic cuntreis as the sone hes mair strenth in 1570 Sat. P. xv 7.
Ȝe mariguildis, forbid the sune To oppin ȝow euerie morrow! a1585 Maitl. Q. 221/130.
Thy buttis biggit neir thame by Sa suire but sone or wind(2) 1375 Barb. viii 226.
Thair basnetis burnyst var all brycht, Agane the sone [glemand] of licht 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1301.
Agane the sone like to the glas it schone 1587-99 Hume 27/56.
The glansing thains and vitre bright Resplends against the sunne(3) 1456 Hay II 134/29.
This gerris a man be in gude ply [but] the contrary puttis all out of ply, as … oft to be at the sonne and the wynde a1500 Henr. Fab. 1407.
Ane lyoun … Beikand his breist and belly at the sun 1549 Compl. 145/3.
Thay … sleu vyild beystis, syne dryit the flasche at the sune 1571 Reg. Privy S. VI 219/2.
[A third of the lands called Balcak] liand at the sone 16… Nat. Lib. MS 22.2.11 last p.
Take two vnce of coriander seed [etc.] … dry them all at the sune(4) 1513 Doug. ii viii 62.
The edder … Heich vp hir nek strekand forgane the son(5) 1548 Treas. Acc. IX 222.
Ane elne of taffate to cover hir fais fra the sone 1580 Hume Promine 153.
As the snaw meltis from the sone away(6) a1580 in Bann. Trans. 487.
And … when he came out of the sowne, he cryed ‘cauld, cauld’(7) 1659 Caldwell P. I 92.
Take of asphodell Romano and sett it under the sone in the caniculare dayes till it become in whyte ashes or lyke whyt powder(8) a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 20.
Thair baneris schane with the sone, of siluer and sabill

4. The ‘sunny’ or east side or end of a piece of land, as opposed to the ‘shadow’ or west side or end. See S(c)had(d)ow n. 1 for quots. and note; also, S(c)had n. 3.'The Sheriff casts the lots … whether the sunny third or the shadowed third shall be made the wife's portion: because there is no other purpose in the recognition [cognitione = ‘kenning’] of this third than whether they should begin from the east, which is called the sun side, or from the west … and as the lot turns out, they will begin from the sunny part, that is with the rising sun or from the shady part and the setting sun [etc.]' Sir Thomas Craig Jus Feudale (1732) 425 translated from the Latin by James Avon Clyde (1934). 1615 Inverurie 198.
The possessors … of the sun half of the Cruik … being desired by … the possessors of the shaddow half … to part cavel and divide of new again, refused alloterlie … but granted to anex eik and [blank] to the shaddow half of the said Cruik ane piece of land to make the shaddow half so good as the sun half

b. attrib.Sone-cavill, (in Fife) the lot which, when drawn, indicated that division of land should begin at the ‘sun’ end. Also, ? the piece(s) of land allotted by the drawing of this lot. Cf. schadow cavill S(c)had(d)ow n. 9 a (4).(1) 1565 (1573–4) Reg. Great S. 583/1.
Dimedietatem terrarum de Westir Gurdie vocat. the sone half 1577 Reg. Privy S. VII 162/2.
[The Kirktoun of Rennie and the] sone half landis [of Ordlennie] 1583 Prot. Bk. J. Robertsone 23b.
Johne Myll … oblysis him … To flitt and remove him self … fra the schadow plewch of the sone half toun and landis of Owir Ardlathin 1585 Reg. Privy C. III 736.
Tofts … of the sone half of the lands 1607 Inverurie B. Ct. 22 May.
All rycht & titill … in & to the just sone half of thre rudis of land lying on the east syd of the bruche 1695 Fraser Hist. Laurencekirk 52.
The town and lands of Barnhill of Garvock, as well sun as shadow half thereof(2) 1598–9 Exch. R. XXIII 495.
Totarum … terrarum … vulgo vocatarum the sone quarter ville(3) 1541 Prot. Bk. Sir J. Cristisone 75.
[Lands … which third part, commonly called] the sonne third … [is occupied by William Duncan](4) 1649 Retours I Inq. Spec. Aberdeen (302).
In solari aratro lie Sun Pleuch(5) 1514–15 Fife Sheriff Ct. 6.
Jonet Borthuik … is befallin the sone cauile of the samyne [lands] in jugement 1516 Fife Sheriff Ct. 44.
Agnes Lessaellis … was … seruit of the terce & thridparte of the half landis of Wodhavyne … with the soune cavil of the samyn 1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 237.
The landis of Lathalland … of the quhilkis the said lady is befallin the sone cavill 1522 Fife Sheriff Ct. 253.
Ane terce of … the landis of Kyttady & Cragsunquhar … of the quhilkis the said Janat is befalline be cavillis cassine in jugement hereupone & drawine the sone cawill hereof 1564–5 Reg. Privy S. V i 559/2.
Of the gift of … fyve twelf pairtis of the landis of Kilmaron and sone cavill thairof

5. Sunrise or sunset.For between the sone and sky, see Sky n. 4 i.For clarification and correction of the points of law mentioned in the quots. from Acts, see Fife Sheriff Ct. 337. c1475 Wall. iv 281.
Eftir the sone [sc. sunrise] Wallas walkit about Vpon Tetht side 1531 Bell. Boece I 117.
Thay junit at the occasion of the sonne [L. occidente sole] and faucht continewally quhill thay wer severit be cumming of the nicht 1674 Buchan Cl. I 105.
John Johnston confessed the fait but that itt was before the sun

b. A particular day, as measured from sunrise to sunset (? also, sunset to sunrise). Also in various phrases.(1) 1491 Acts II 225/2.
Nochtwithstanding the xl dais or thre sonis contenit in the auld lawis 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. To the Reader, Sig. A iv b.(2) 1432 Acts II 20/2.
[A murderer] salbe put in sikkir festinens quhil the law be done on hym … ande be it red hand it salbe done within that sone 1617 Crim. Trials III 420.
And gif he be tane reid-hand, to be done with that sone(3) 1580 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 15 June.
Be the privelege of burrois … malefactors … apprehendit with reid hand, aucht and suld be putt to ane assyse within thre sounis 1679 Lauder Notices Affairs I 231.
The shirefs of Edenborough (conforme to their privilege of judging within 3 suns [etc.] 1682 Lauder Notices Affairs I 346.
The provest and bailȝies of Edinburgh … doe judge Alexander Cowburne, ther hangman or lockman within 3 suns … for murdering … one of the licenced blew-goun beggars(4) 1615 Brechin Kirk S. Acts & Ordinances.
Becaus of the great abuse … by the mylners and baxters that nane of thame fra sune to sune grind or bake

6. A representation or image of the sun. 1497 Edinb. Hammermen 22b.
For iij score of sonis & thre [sc. to adorn the mortcloth] the price of the pece xx d. 1503 Treas. Acc. II 290.
To Nannik broudstar for … broudering of … ane quhit caip with sonnys of quhit gold

b. Croun(e of (the) sone, the French gold écu bearing the figure of the sun.For many further examples, see Croun(e n. 5 b.(1) 1488–9 Acta Conc. I 118/2.
The soume of xxx^tj Franche crovnis of the sone & xxx^tj frankis of the said money 1493 Halyb. 101.
Paid to Belkin … quhen he past to Handwarp to by his haryng 60 crounis of the son in gold(2) 1534 Maxwell Mem. I 265.
Twenty crownis of sone and wecht 1566 Reg. Privy S. V ii 151/1.
xxiii^xx and thre crownis of the sone and unicornis

c. The sun's reflection. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 478.
The sone, as cristall sa cleyne, In scheildis thai schaw