Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Start, Stairt, n.¹ [ME and e.m.E. stert (c1220) the tail of an animal, (Prompt. Parv.) the footstalk of a fruit, (1575) an outgrowth, spur, sterte (c1325), start (1512) a handle, (Cotgrave) the innermost segment of the bucket of a water-wheel, OE steort, MLG stert, MDu. staert.] Some part of the construction of a mill-wheel, perhaps = later Eng., the innermost segment of the bucket, cf., however, mod. Sc., the side-posts of a box-cart (SND, s.v. Start n.²), and an upright post (Glen L. Pride Glossary of Scottish Building). — 1547 Elgin Rec. I 90.
Alexander Ros beand persewit … for the wrangus cutting of certan grein woid … grantit … that he cuttit thwa startis to ane mylln quhyll 1591 Edinb. Test. XXIII 339.
In the … hous fyve quheillis of start and aw at four merkis the pece … aucht inner quheillis of start & aw at four merkis the pece 1594–5 Ayr Common Good Acc.
Sparris to be ane kippill abone the miln, … xiij carpollis to be keaberis & startis 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 223.
For the fraucht of the armes startis and aas of the whelis, xx s. 1623 Peebles Gleanings 43.
To James Haldine for ane scoir of stairtes and heacs 26 s. 8 d. 1646 Peebles Gleanings 256.
To James Haldane, for furnishing for thrie flight of startis to the milnes wheelis