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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.

Sawing, Sowing, vbl. n.¹ Also: sa(u)-, schaw-, schau-, sou-, sowe- and -inge, -yng(e, -in(e, -yne; sawn; sowen. [ME and e.m.E. sauing (Cursor M.), sowynge (Piers Plowman), sowyng (c1440), soweynge (1529), sowing (1577); Saw v.¹]

1. The action or fact of sowing (seed, a crop); an instance of this. b. The period of the year during which this takes place.(1) 1388 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 294.
The whilk forestar sall frely haff of land to the sawing of sex ferlotis of bere 1457 Acts II 51/1.
Anent plantacione of woddis and heggis and sawing of brovme 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 164.
In sauyng of quhet pes ry and benys 1548 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 359.
For the allegit wrangus … riving out of ane parte of the saydis … landis and sauing of cornis thairupoun 1550–1 Elgin Rec. I 107.
That Johane Annan aucht keip nychtborheid in schawin of ry in the crofts betuyx [etc.] 1574–5 Ib. 150. 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 111.
For dressing laubouring sawing [ed. saiving] and setting of heirbs seidis and flouris 1603 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 42.
He mareit the said Elspett … eftir the sawing of the beir seid and knawis nathing of the abstractit multurs the yeir preceiding 1659 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 10.
And the other twa laid at the sawing of the nixt cropt — c1650 Spalding I 262.
Gryte frostis and snaw … no plewis going an litle seid sawing(2) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (STS) 168.
He sais that al thing has a tyme in this warld … as … tyme of seting and of sawinge 1473 Acta Aud. 27/1.
The said land … has bene broukit … in tymes bigane outher in ering & sawing or in pasture 1473 Reg. Cupar A. I 189.
With ympyn and sauyng with plantation of frote treis [etc.] a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 281 (Harl.).
The tyme of sawing is callit rycht tedious And eik of schering rycht sueit is the sesoun 1585 Acts III 376/1.
It is na les convenient to haif sumtyme of vacance at the tymes of the sawing as of the scheiring 1589–90 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 18 March.
Tomas Lege passit to the saidis landis & output the said Archbald & his pleucht & input the saidis James & his tenentis thairto be sawing & harrowing 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 13b.
That landward men … sall take land fra their maisters and sall labour it be teiling and sawing(3) 1549 Reg. Cupar A. II 237.
Ane auchtane pairt of Ester Innerarite … quhilk Jhone Baron … brukyt afoir and resignit to him at this sawing and sway entres at Witsunday in xlviij^o ȝerisb. 1539 Reg. Privy S. II 470/2.
With all malis [etc.] … dawerkis at teling sawing and schering in hervist

c. transf. Of procreation. a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 337.
Woman … Suld man haf hyre make to be … For the sawyng of thare sede

d. attrib. and comb.With seasoun, sive (= sieve), tyme. Also sawin(g schete, a sheet, tied on one shoulder, and forming a bag to hold seed for sowing.(1) 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Ane baikin clath, ane sawn schet, ane vondoclath 1560 Edinb. Test. in Sanderson Rural Soc. 173.]
[3 canvases … 2 sowing sheets 6 harrows and 6 sleds 1636 Edinb. Test. LVII 259b.
Twa sawin scheittis estimat baytht to xxvj s. viij d. — 1678 Sc. Ant. IX 107.
For a mand 2 s. 8 d.; sowen sive, 3 s.(2) 1587 Acts III 447/2.
Twa tymes of vacance the ane in the sawing and the vther in the scheiring seasoun — 1595 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 92.
For a hors labour in sawing tyme and heruist

2. The action of sowing or planting (land) with seed. 1461 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V i p. 422 (11 May).
Sal ger John Voket … ger sede be [? bocht] for the schawynge of the forsaid crofftis 1478 Acta Aud. 67/2.
To pruf the crop & proffit of the sawing of the landis 1519 Fife Sheriff Ct. 156.
The actione … perseuit … for the wranguis occupatione bruking sawyng & intromitting of his landis 1542 Ecclesia Antiqua 309. 1558 Inverness Sheriff Ct. 68b.
Teling [etc.] … manuring & schawing of the saidis landis c1575 Balfour Pract. 495.
Cornis for sawing of the ground [etc.] 1603 Inverness Rec. II 7.
In teillinge schavinge and harroving of certain ruids lyand [etc.] 1612–13 Misc. Spald. C. V 91. 1619 Crim. Trials III 469. 1627 Rep. Hist. MSS, Var. Coll. V 126.
For the teiling and sawing of ane yard lyand in the Clachan of Campsy

3. a. A quantity of seed for sowing or having been sown; the amount of seed required to produce a particular crop. b. The crop resulting from the sowing of a particular (specified) quantity of seed. c. An extent of land defined by the quantity of seed required to sow it.There is some ambiguity between the senses and with sense 1 above.a. 1483 Acta Aud. 122*/1.
That Henry Petkarne sall restor … a boll of bere twa bolle of atis sawin & a swyne price ij s. quhilkis gudis … he tuke as his eschete 1567 Inverness Rec. I 157.
To cause … the said William … to mak me thankfull payment of xiij bollis aittis for my sowde ij bollis aittis sawing pruiff corne and all wther dewytie a1595 Descr. Isles 429.
Thair will grow commonlie 20, 18 or at the leist 16 bolls beir yeirlie eftir ilk bolls sawing Ib. 435.
Lismoir … will grow alsmekle eftir ane boll sawing as in the Lewis 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 343b.
The said Marioun to haif ȝeirlie ane pect of lingett sawing and the said Jonet to haif half ane pect sawing ȝeirlie 1606 Ib. XLII 18b.
The sawing of kaill seid in xij beddis estimat to iiij lb. 1622 Dumfries Test. Ia 23b.
The sawing of thrie bollis sax pekis corne measour 1627 Ib. 141.
The sawing of four bollis corne great and small the growthe quhairof estimat to ten bollis corne meassour 1668 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 15 June.
Twa key … ane old meir … the saving of sex pecks beir and ane small corne measour of Kirkcudbright 1678 Rothesay B. Rec. 356.
That every inhabitant labourer within the toune … saw halfe a fortpeit peck of peize upon ilk boll sawing of corne and beir 1682 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 17 Aug.
Ane peack of beair souing estimet 40 s. Scotsb. 1500 Acta Conc. II 435.
For the wrangus cutting doune and distruccione of twa bollis of bere sawing growand upon the Tempilland of Menstre 1548 Lanark Sheriff Ct. MS 7.
Allane Fyndelay … twk … furthe of the said half merk land the sawing of twa bollis of aittis 1569 Edinb. Test. I 344.
Foure bollis aittis schawing vpoun the ground 1582 Ib. XI 332.
Sawin of infeild aittis xx bollis estimat to the thrid corne … price of the boll with the fodder xxxiij s. iiij d. 1667 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 8 Feb.
The sawing of four bolls beir deduceand twa makingis of malt(b) 1597 Stirling Palace Larder Bk. MS.
Sowyne: (Item, j peis sowyne) 1665 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 31 Jan.
Thrie loads corne sowing … pryce of the load 10 merkisc. (1) 1490 Acta Conc. I 156/1.
The landis … of Ballinbrech … extending ȝerely … to thre chalderis of aitis sawing estymeit to the thrid corne … twa chalderis of quhete & ber sawing estymett to the ferd corne 14.. Reg. Episc. Aberd. I 250.
The samyn tennentis occupijs ane fald of vj bollis atis sawing to the Lard of Echt Ib.
George of Gordoun … occupeis a celdre of atis sawyne pertenand to Dunmetht of the bischoppis land 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II 387.
The sade Kirkland of Parkle wilbe waistit be the hurting of the sade oxin extending til a chalder of aitis sawing 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis fol. 38a (15 Nov.)
& ane rud of land extendand to ane firlot bere sawin callit Hedrige ane croift in Drownaris extendand in the haill to xv libs. & twa firlotis of ane sawin 1629 Macleod P. (Reg. H.) 17 June.
Gif the said half cottere will nocht extend to the said sawing … the said Duncane sall haf samekill of that cotterie callit Maltis fald 1682 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 17 Aug.
Thrie aicker of land saing worth £10 the aicker(b) 1555 Prot. Bk. T. Dalrymple 2.
Twa buttis of land … quhilkis will contene ane forlot of atis soving 1675 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 513.
An bear butt of thrie pecks sowing 1681 Acts VIII 295/2.
And that other rigg or butt of land … lyand in the field called the Gallowbank … extending to ane halfe boll of beir soweing [in Rosemarkie](2) 1650 Frasers of Philorth II 286.
Thess four to have two bollis sowing off land(3) 1550 Breadalbane Doc. 17 May.
The said Johne … to the ȝard croftis for samony sawine as the said croft wes wount to have 1612 Old Ross-shire I 30.
The number of all the bollis beir sowings within the brughe of Tayne 1642 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. III 41.
Ane coat hous and ane yeard with four bolls sawing

4. fig. Dissemination or spreading (of doctrines, sedition, etc.). 1622-6 Bisset II 304/23.
That Phigellus and Hermogines, by sawing of strange doctrine resisted his preiching 1631 Justiciary Cases I 176.
Tending to the sawing of seditione and discoird betuixt his maiestie and the foresaid nobleman