A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Puns(e, n.1 [Cf. late ME and e.m.E. pounce, pownce, pounse, a prick or sting (1413), the claw or talon of a bird of prey (1486), a die or stamp (1556), etc., also late ME and e.m.E. punch(e a dagger (1460), a tool for piercing (1505), etc., and Puns(c)hio(u)n(e n.1] a. The claw or talon of a bird of prey. b. A dagger. —a. 1513 Doug. xi xiii 170.
The happy goishalk … The silly dow … lowkyt in his punsys sarris fast Ib. xiv 66.
The ȝallo egill … The eddir hyntis vp … Syne, fleand, in hir feit strenȝeis sa fast That oft hyr punsys outthrow the skyn dois thrast Ib. xiii v 118.
Lyke so as quhar Iovis byg fowle, the ern, With hir strang tallonys and hir punsys stern, Lychtyng had claucht the litill hynd calf ȝyng, Torryng the skyn Ib. xii v 71.b. 1545 Aberd. B. Rec. MS XIX (Jam.).
Ane knapiscaw, and tua hand suerd, ane puns, ane sellet, ane dens aix, ane pair of pantars, ane coip burd
