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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.

Sand, n. Also: sande, sainde, saynd, sawn. [ME and e.m.E. sand(e, OE sand.]

1. Sand as a material. Also pl. in same sense; freq. as used in building.(a) c1450-2 Howlat 788 (A).
He [sc. the conjurer] couth … Mak … Nobillis of nutschellis & siluere of sand 1475 Reg. Cupar A. I 202.
Wyth ledyng of sand 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 279. 1513 Ib. 528, etc.
For iij dosane of lyme and vj dosane of sand to poynt the palais 1529–30 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 5, etc.
To xii verkmen this olk at the werk the quarellis and sand casting Ib. 36.
For the casting and wynnyng of the sand 1533 Boece 479b.
Quhen this tempest was mytigat, the landis of Godwy … with sand war all coverit and bedrevin 1533 Bell. Livy I 136/14.
Grete burdingis of erde and sand 1535–6 Ayr B. Acc. 76.
[Sowing corn there] quhar the sand blew 1549–50 Treas. Acc. IX 364.
Gabyounes [etc.] … to beir sande 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 8 (B).
Me thocht the king of farye had me tane And band me … in ane lang raip of sand 1552 Treas. Acc. X 101.
Necessaris to the gunhous … viz. colis, wyre, hair, clay, sand and talloun for castin of certane grete hakbuttis of found 1603 Deer Presb. in Buchan Cl. IV 182 (see Sandit ppl. adj. a). 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 44.
To 8 wemen that bore sand and sklaitt for ten locht 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 387.
When … the last pickle of sand shall be at the nick of falling down in your watch-glass 1603 Reid Sc. Gard'ner 106.
As you break off their roots for use, lay their tops or sets in ground covered a little till the Spring for planting; … these you spend not e're the frosts come, hard house among very dry sand,that you may have them when you will, rather as be barred from them by the frosts(b) a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 48.
And thocht ouir synis monyfawld In nombir pas the saynd [: onderstand, staynd (= stand)](c) 1656 Dumfries Council Min. 7 April.
To poynd the deficients … for not drawin staine & sawn to the calseyspl. 1575–6 Reg. Privy C. II 512.
The saidis gummis and sandis proceding of the gold and silver mynis being affynit

b. Deid sand, ? sand of a firm and unyielding consistency (as used in the laying of foundations). 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 36.
For the inbringing of deid sand to the laying of the said lystis 1531–2 Ib. 71.
Holand and wynnand clay and deid sand for bigging of the samen [oven] 1563–4 Edinb. Old. Acc. I 444.
For deid sand to lay the fluris within the barris xxiiij s. 1627 Ib. II 206.
For fyve scoir nyntein laides of deid sand for laying the pavement in the counsallhous

2. The sand of a shore, or of an expanse of sandy ground; a stretch of (chiefly shore) sand, the shore itself, a beach, also ? a sandbank. Also pl. in same sense. Also se-sand, Se n. a1400 Leg. S. v 155.
Small stanis of the sand [L. littore maris] He gadderit vpe in-to his hand 1375 Barb. iv 632.
And as the king apon the sand Wes gangand wp and doun [etc.] a1400 Leg. S. xxi 887.
Thai … fand a kyrk in-to the sand ?1438 Alex. ii 1321.
Before the listis … thay come prekand throw the sand c1450-2 Howlat 209. a1500 Henr. Fab. 740. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1368.
Quhill on ane sand the schip did brist and claif Id. Æn. iii ii 135.
Our schippis … we gart adres And lay almaist apon the dry sand 1528 Lynd. Dreme 115.
The see was furth; the sand wes smoith & dryye 1535 Stewart 33327.
Fywe thousand men war suckin be the sand Ib. 36299.
Throw aduenture [and] tempest of the se, … ane schip … wes brokin on ane sand Ib. 53941.
This ferriar … did … row … quhill he come to that sand 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Ware.
Vpon the sand or craiges foreanent his landespl. 1513 Doug. iv xi 75.
That he … ly onerdyt in myddis of the sandis Ib. v xi 56.
Sa huge wilsum rolkis and schawd sandis Ib. xi xii 68.
The flowand sey … with his iawpys coverys in and owt The far sandis our the bay abowt

b. With the definite article as the name of a particular stretch of sand. Chiefly pl.Freq., ‘the Sands’ adjacent to a place or belonging to a particular community.pl. 1399 Aberd. B. Rec. I 377.
The forsaid masonys … sall delyvir frely thaim at ony key of Abirden or ellis at the sandis at Laurence of Lethis hows 1446 Reg. Dunferm. 304. 1459–60 Ayr B. Ct. 14 March.
That xii personis … sal set & dele the hale sandis tyl al … induellaris 1506 Treas. Acc. III 203. 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 179.
Sum … Wald ryid to Leith … And wychtlie wallope ouer the sandis 1561 Reg. Dunferm. App. ii 460.
The teyndis of the sandis of Mussilburghe 1598 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 675.
The tymmer in Leyth quhilk wes be the Lambeth fluid chiftit athort the sandis 1615 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 43b (10 Jan.).
Accuisit of … playing on the sandis in tym of preaching 1618 Ib. 83 (9 Dec.).
Ane barne … was exponitt & found in the sandis within the fluid mark 1625 Justiciary Cases I 28. 1651 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 120.
In respect the Inglish schipes haid chaist in ane barque … on the sandis 1655 Lamont Diary 84.
A vessell … driuen in vpon the plaine sands a litell be-east the Black Craigs 1683 Acc. of the North Side of the Coast of Buchan in Coll. Aberd. & B. 100.
A worm called lug digged out of the sands at low watersing. 1621 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 124 (11 July).
John Wat ȝid to the sand … to gather bait

c. To leave or put (a person) to the lang sands, appar., to leave someone in a difficult situation. 1671 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 539.
Udney transacts for the haill, pays himself, and leaves Pitreichy to the lang sands 1679 J. Brown Life Faith i (1726) 42.
The accomplishment seemed hard at hand; yet how quickly were they [sc. the people of Egypt] put again to the long sands (as we say,) when they … were put to wander in the wilderness fourty years in end

d. In other place-names. c1240 Lindores Chart. 84.
Recium meorum trahencium super Joymersandes 1375 Barb. iv 203.
Burch-in-the-sand Men callis this toun a1400 Leg. S. xl 1087.
Oure Solouay sand Ane Inglis ost com in Scotland 1435 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 582.
De terris de Sandhalch 1449 Reg. Dunferm. 310.
Sandfurde 1517 Treas. Acc. V 102.
Cum piscariis de Newscaris et Sandis de Edin 1518 Prot. Bk. Gavin Ros 42.
[In the] sandegat [of Ayr] 1544–5 Treas. Acc. VIII 360.
For carage hyer … furtht of the castell of Edinburght to the lang sandis of Leith c1616 Montrose Treas. Acc. (Mary Hospital Rental) MS.
Of James Williamsons rig in the sandhalff 1682 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 35.
Betwixt the sand port and the port of the Cittiedaill

3. Attrib. and comb. a. With cart, chist, hous, b. With beirar, ledar, c. With flure, appar. = 2 above, d. In sand-colour, -colored, sand-coloured. Also Sand-bed, -glas, -man, etc.a. 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 40.
Ane stirrop to ane sand cart Ib. 41, 48. 1555–6 Edinb. Old Acc. I 185.
For twa laid of brume to mend the sande housis 1668 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 224b.
Samuell Hoyle coppersmith … tua sand chistsb. 1536 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 192.
To the brether Ruidmen sandledderis for i^c vi dosane vi ladis sand 1538–9 Ib. 244. 1540–1 Ib. 270.
Sand ledaris Ib. 288. 1592–3 Ayr B. Acc. 177.
[For sand] to John Horne, sand ledar 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 297.
Tuelf sand and lyme beirarisc. 1542 Reg. Great S. 606/2.
In parochia de Ruthven, Ruthventoun [appar. = Ruthwell in Dumfriesshire.] nuncupat cum lie salt cott, sand flure et marresia earundem 1633 Acts V 146/2.
The towne and lands of Revell [= Ruthwell] with the saltcott sandfluires and hous stead thairofd. 1640 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B 33b.
Ane govne of sainde coeiller schairge 1670 Kelso Baillie Ct. 70b.
Ane gray sand colored naig