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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rin(n)ing, Run(n)ing, vbl. n. Also: ryn(n)-; rune-, ronn- and -yng(e, -yne, -yin, -eng; (rinnand). [ME and e.m.E. rennynge (Wyclif), ronnyng (c1500), runnyng (1530); Rin v.¹] The action of running, in various senses of Rin v.¹

1. The action or fact of running (a particular course). Also in fig. context.(1) a1500 Colk. Sow i 253.
His feit maid sic dynnyng, He lakkit breth for rynnyng 1513 Doug. vii xiii 63.
Throu the speid of fut in hir rynnyng 1533 Boece 194.
Thare awne houndis in spede, fairnes, lang rynnyng and audacite war mekill behind the Scottis 1533 Bell. Livy I 180/22.
Thai war ouresett and ayndles throw thare lang rynnyng a1568 Scott v 40.
Syne efter thame thair ladeis foundis, To sent the rynnyng of the rachis 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 135.
The hare I haue forȝet, … His hasty rinning made him het 1616–18 Macgibbon & Ross V 549.
To Johne Stewart for rinning with a letter fra Dumbartane to Edinburgh(b) c1420 Wynt. iii 89.
For he was for runnyne [W. rynnyng, C. ronnynge] hate 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 663.
In trotting runing and in galoping He [sc. Bucephalus] past all vther in all his gouerning 1558 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb).
For William Davidson runnyin to Samulston … about Matthew Liddle minister … to marry Nicol Dunlops dochter(2) a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 43/16 (see Ras(e n.¹ 4 d (2)).
Rining

b. Running as a sport or exercise. 1531 Bell. Boece I 60.
The young children … to be ithandly exercit in swift rinning and wersling 1533 Boece 81b.
In archerie wersling and rynnyng thay suld be exercit and be hantit with wapynnys and armour 1596 Dalr. I 92/6.
Thay thocht best … , to fortifie thame selfes, to spend that tyme in rinning, fenceng [etc.] 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 188/7.
But the exercises that I uolde haue you to use … are rinning, leaping, urestling [etc.]

c. A hostile incursion; a charge; a raid; any of these as a military tactic. d. Rinning the forray, the act of carrying out a raid.c. 1531 Bell. Boece I 239.
Thay ruschit forthwart on thair ennimes. This feirs rinning wes impediment to Maximus to do his devore Ib. II 153.
The Pichtis gat gret skaith be thair haistie and unavisit rinning on thair ennimes(b) 1375 Barb. xviii 68 (E).
& thai Suld hald thar fayis all that day Doand … With thar ronnyngis [C. saltis] that thai suld mad. 1596 Dalr. I 345/16.
Thay … invades thame sindrie tymes, be justing, and rinning the forray, and sik inuasiouns 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 360.
For persuite and rynning of forrowis upon the said complenar

e. Having recourse to arms. Cf. Rin v.¹ 6 b. 1689 Acts XII 50/2.
That the Lord Dundees runeing to armes might be publiklie intimate

f. Rapid and unrestrained movement (throw a place). 1570 St. A. Kirk S. 341.
New mareit personis … perturbis the town wytht rynning thair throw in menstralye and harlatrye 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 214.
The … profanatioun of the Saboth … sic as … dansing, playing, rynning throw the hie streittis of husseis, bairnis, and boyes

2. Horse-racing; ? galloping a horse.Chiefly Hors-rinning n., q.v. for further examples. The quot. for 1502 may properly belong to 1 above. Also attrib. 1502 Treas. Acc. II 149.
To Wille Mersar, that he wan fra the king at the rynning betuix the buttis in Strivelin 1532–3 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 129 (see Rinnar n. 4). c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1044.
Sum time with halking and hunting, Sum time with wantoun hors rinning 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6964.
He vsit daylie justing, Breking of speiris, and alswa hors rinningattrib. 1596–7 Oldcambus Acc. fol. 22.
The ryning sadill

b. The act of riding as a participant in certain sports.Rinning at the ring, see Ring n.¹ 6.Also attrib. with spere.Also, once, the riding of a (horse-)race.(1) 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2048.
[He] instantlie forsuik rynning of speir a1578 Pitsc. II 17/6.
Justing and rinning of great horse at the listis witht all wther kyndlie games c1590 Fowler II 177/2 (Warr.).
They began thair pastyme be rinning [Wald. running] at the ring(b) 1563 in Robertson Hist. Scotl. (1759) II App. 14.
Running at the ring a1578 Pitsc. II 125/13.
With gret justing and turnament running at the rigne and aircherie [etc.] 1632 Ancram & Loth. Corr. I 69.
A good place to … see running at glove, which is an exercise, thogh you care not for it nor no horsemanshipattrib. 1582 Treas. Acc. MS 53.
Thre rynning speiris paintit with blew azure 1590 Ib. 12.
Furnessing of certane rynning and glwiff speiris 1601 Ib. 33 (2).
For a rining speir, iij li. vj s. viij d.(2) 1674 McNaught Kilmaurs 243.
The court aproves the runing of the race on the fair day

3. a. Rinning h(o)und, a dog kept for running down game; a hunting dog. 1513 Doug. iv iv 7.
Horsmen … With rynnyng hundis, a full huge sort Ib. 46.
The rynnyng hundis of cuppillys sone thai kest, … The wild beistis doun to the dail thai dryve 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 189/6.
The hunting … uith rinning houndis quhilke is the … noblest sorte thairof

b. Rinning hors, a horse kept for racing; a race-horse. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 191/4.
Men be dryuing tyme spurris a free & fast aneuch rinning horse 1669–81 Haddington Corr. 194.
All that cips rinneng [ed. runieng] horsies in Scotland being jeust going to diner with me

4. The action of melting down (wax, metal, etc.). 1516 Edinb. Hammermen 88b.
Rynnyne of twa auld knoppis 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 125.
Setting of the mulde and rynnyng of the mettall 1682 Edinb. City Archives Moses Bundle 254 No. 7741.
Did this present Generall use to oversie the essay or running of peices or [? verifeing] them after the ordinary checks

5. The action of drawing (wine or beer) from a container for retail sale.(a) 1567 Acts III 43/1.
For stancheing … of the abuse in rynnyng of wyne … in bak housis [etc.] … quhilk generis greit sclander 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 112.
In the rynning of ane tun wyne … Alisoun disponit upoun ane greit parte thairof … as scho confessit 1622 Conv. Burghs III 132.
My lord conservatour to dischairge the saids persounes of all venting and rinning of wyne or beir 1646 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 89.
Vintners … neidfull for venting and rinning of wyne within … Leith(b) 1640 Falkirk Baron Ct. 10 Jan.
For selling running and venting of wyne and contraveining of ane act maid thairanent 1642 Edinb. B. Rec. VIII 19.
Conveind for running and venting of wyne at the West Port

6. In various other, rare, senses. a. The continuance (of a session of parliament. b. ? The causing of a boat to sink. c. Playing with cards or dice. [Cf. ME and e.m.E. (of dice) renne (Lydgate), of which this may be a transf. use.] d. The action of extending (a mine-working). e. The execution of a descant or variation on a main musical theme. [Cf. 17th c. Eng. run a descant (fig.; 1633).]a. 1544 Acts II 447/2.
Nochtwithstanding the perpetuale rynnyng and standing our of the seit of parliament it salbe lesum [etc.]b. 1589–90 Crim. Trials I ii 185.
Dilatit of the slauchteris of … thre scoir of persounis … be rinnand of the said boit vnder seic. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 193/1.
The hazarde of the rinning of the cairtes or dyced. 1681 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 24 Jan.
For running a mynd betwixt tuo hollse. 1687 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII 147.
And then make running or discanting on these notes

7. With adv. compl.Rinning away, fleeing; flight; rinning out, the expiry (of a lease); the emptying (of the upper compartment) of an hour-glass; rinning over, the action of leaving a term's rent unpaid; rinning round about, the action of running in a circle.(1) 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 79.
His awin rynning away, the confessioun of the gyltie persounis [etc.] 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 240/9.
Be insolent rinning auay of wyfis from thair husbands(2) 1553 Reg. Cupar A. II 251.
Eftir his faderis deces or rynnyng out of his takkis, the said Wille to haif the said tak — 1686 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 139.
And at the … rining out of the glass(3) 1593 Ayr Chart. 119.
Thair rynning over of the saidis thrie termes maill in the fourte terme unpayit be thame(4) 1629 Justiciary Cases I 101.
[Her] allegit … rynning round about widderschynnes in the barne

8. a. comb. in runing shoes, ? a pair of shoes given to a courier or messenger to wear when performing his duties (but cf. Rin(n)and ppl. adj.). 1663–6 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp MS 3b.
For a paire of runing shoes to Wattie

b. As the second element in a compound.See Away-rinning, Furthrinning, Outrin(n)ing(e, etc.