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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.

Sink, v. Also: sinke, synk(e, sinck. P.t. sank, su(i)nk. P.p. sunk, swnk, sonk, sunkin(e, swnkyn, sonkin(e, -yn(e, -ing, -en, sownkin, sinkin, sinked, suk(k)in, suckin. [ME and e.m.E. sink (Cursor M.), synk (Rolle), p.t. sank (Cursor M.), sonk (c1290) etc., p.p. sunken (c1250), sonken (Chaucer), sunke (Gower) etc., OE sincan, p.t. sanc, pl. suncon, p.p. suncen.]

I. intr. 1. To become submerged in water; to go under, or to the bottom.pres. a1400 Leg. S. xl 511.
Or it flet fra the lande … The coble be-guth to synke c1500 Rowll Cursing 272 (M).
Lyk to ane gade of yrne or steill That doun war sinkand in ane weill c1650 Spalding I 349.
Ane schip … ladnit with iron, hempt, lynt … and the lyk commoditeis, … wes sein pitifullie to synkp.t. c1420 Wynt. iv 2236.
In to the se it sank rycht thare 1533 Boece 151.
Sum schippis … war syne ouresett, sank and drownit 1533 Bell. Livy II 207/4.
Mony of thame … sank doun and perist in the … bullerand stremes 1535 Stewart 50590.p.p. 1456 Hay I 17/1.
Thai hard hertit heretikis … ar all drownyt and sonkin in the see 1549–50 Treas. Acc. IX 366.
Bote … sonkyn under seyes 1602 Colville Paraenese 151.
Finding at lenth the schip all most sittin doun and sonk, then thai came to auaik him

b. transf. and fig. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 455 (C).
The saulis had sonkyn [B. suckin] throu the syn of thé 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 12.
In the middis it had ane myre of flint I sank thairin quhill I wes neir hand tynt

2. a. Of a person: To descend in, to Hell. b. Of a person or thing: To descend or subside into, or be swallowed up by, the earth. Also absol.a. c1515 Asl. MS I 315/17.
Indurat folkis as Jowis & vtheris that for synnis synkis to hell a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 552.
Spynk, sink wyth stynk ad Tertara termagorum c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5817.
The holy Scripture wyll thé tell, Quhow thay sank all doun to the hell(b) a1568 Bann. MS 158a/40.
He is als evill to fynd as he in hell war suckinb. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 720.
Of thar prestis that war dede & sonkine in that self stede c1420 Wynt. viii 699.
Quhen in the erd was swnkyn than Chore, Datan, and Abyran 1533 Boece 245b.
Ferlyis war sene … Grete nowmer of lugeingis sank throw the erdeabsol. 1531 Bell. Boece I 287.
The merkat gait of London raif with ane huge gaip, and mony housis beside sank

3. a. Of liquids: To pass into, or be absorbed by (a person or thing). b. Of paper: To cause ink to ‘run’; to absorb ink.a. a1568 Bann. MS 66b/10.
And aill and wyne within him sink Quhill in his wame no rowm be dryb. 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I 116.
The argument that the new instrument is writtin upone Frenche perchment quhilk sinkis … can haif na apperance, for it may be weill knawin that the new instrument is writtin upon Scottis parchement 1582 Misc. Stair Soc. I 116.
It is mair manifest that the ink of this new instrument sinkis nocht bot manifestlie apperis to be recent and giff thair war ony sinking it wald be greittest in thir wordis [etc.]

II. 4. To enter, penetrate in (in to), the mind, heart, etc. c1450-2 Howlat 387 (A).
It synkis sone in all part Of a trewe Scottis hart To heire of Dowglas c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 115.
Quhen that the sound of his saw sinkis in my eris 1531 Bell. Boece I cvi.
Thair may na gentrice sink [Bann. synk] into his mind To help his freind or nichtbour with his gud 1540 Lynd. Sat. 401.
Schir, lat na sorrow in ȝow sink 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7729.
I wald ȝe no moir Spak of sic thingis, thay sink not in my heid 1567 Sat. P. vii 120.
Gif the poysone in hir hart be sonkin a1568 Scott xxvii 13.
Thair sall no sorrow in me synk

5. Only in p.p.: Deeply immersed or absorbed (in(to) something). a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 407 (Ch.).
O sop of sorrow, sonken into cair! 1533 Boece 280.
Howbeit thai war sonkin in profundite of vicis, he resavis thaim [etc.] a1585 Maitl. Q. 206/147.
The seid of sorrow sonkin day and nicht Into thy betfull forrest ay to remaine

6. To fall from grace, degenerate. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 632.
This world to sink for sin quhat is it wonder?

7. Of a person: To go into decline, languish, droop; to become depressed or dejected.Cf. to schrink for schame, in S(c)hrink v. 1 b (1). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 13.
For and I flyt, sum sege for schame sould sink

III. tr. 8. To cause a ship to sink.pres. 1460 Hay Alex. 2893.
To birn thame [sc. the ships] all in fyre It was weill in his power, or to sink 1513 Doug. i ii 31.
Infors thi wyndis, synk all thar schippis infeir 1666-7 Blakhall Narr. 152.
Would not the very first of such brocken walles fille your boate and sinck it?p.t. 1615 Melrose P. 604.
Thei … landit in the Oe of Illa, where thair boate we [v.r. wes] suinkp.p. 1533 Boece 359.
The bote be violence of the spate was ouresett and sonking 1628 Colquhoun Chart. II 199.
Sownkin 1640–1 Ruthven Corr. 72.
Being shipid in a wery good ship [they] wes all swnk with all my other wenter besydis 16… Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 196.
There is a place of the sea close upon the Mule [of Galloway] where ships if they enter are quickly turned round and sunk down(b) 1656 Nicoll Diary 181.
Sindry … schippis wer takin, suckin and blown up

9. To despatch or consign to (in) Hell. (Cf. 2 a above.) 1600 St. A. Kirk S. 935.
He wald wish God to sinck his saule in hell if he evir had to do with Margaret Scott

b. To put down below the surface of the earth; to press or push deeper into the ground. (Cf. 2 b above.) 1492 Myll Spect. 279/12.
To Tebes quhar he was devorit and sonkyn in the erd 1533 Gau 70/11.
O Hel I sal sink thé dune; o deid quhair is thy brod? 1677 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 297.
All litle stones in the kirk yeard … to be takine away, or at leist sunkine in the ground, and made alyke therwith

c. To embed (a precious stone) in (to) a ring. 1553–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 167.
Twa greit lang stanis that ar sukkin to the greit ryngs

d. transf. To cause the eyes to descend into (the head). 1535 Stewart 667.
With visage pale and lippis haw as leid, His cristell eyne wes suckin in his heid

10. To let, send or put down; to lower. Also fig. 1627 Kellie Pallas Armata 467.
Sinke your musquet, and vnshoulder your musquet 1632 Lithgow Trav. v 229.
We found this auncient well so wondrous deepe that scarcely all our ropes could sinke our bucket in the waterfig. 1670 Caldwell P. I 140.
The dead weight of his brethrein … sunk him into his grave

11. ? To deflect or discourage (a person) (fra) a particular course of action. 1565 Edinb. Univ. MS La.iii.388a, fol. 26b.
That the judge in answering be scharp to the advocattis that thay vse na frivole allegeance and sink thame thairfra first be pecuniall panes and syne be deprivatione gif thai persist

12. To dig out or excavate (a well or mineshaft). 1584–5 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 393.
The thesaurer to caus synk swa mony of the said wellis as neid is ane faddum deper c1604 Mining Rec. xxxii.
By daming, drivinge and shaftes synkynge so many fadam deepe as the directores shall thinke fytte 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 295.
Next, in boaring, suppose the nature of the metals be found, yet thereby their course can never be known, till they be sinked 1681 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 24 Jan.
For sincking the sinck from the splintie coall to the jewall coall 1691 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt.
[For] sincking the said blind sincke to the jewell coall 1696–1700 Wauchopes 35.
Sinking 9 fathome of the holl 1696–1700 Wauchopes 36.
For 7 fathom of sinking and mining mynd

13. To immerse oneself in (sin). (Cf. 5 and 6 above.) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv 179.
I … That has nocht anerly my-selfe Sonkyne in syne vnhapely

14. a. To cut out patterns in (a die, etc.). b. To cut out (letters) (in a die).a. 1587–8 Reg. Privy C. IV 265.
[He] sinkis and makis irnes, instrumentis and matriceis 1625 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 8.
According as his maiesties yrnis ar now made sinkin and graven 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 16.
To make, graive and sinke ane seale 1663 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 451.
That Jaakim Harder, sinker … do make, grave and sink irones agreable to the … impressions of the severall species above mentioned(b) 1563 Digest Justiciary Proc. E 17.
Dyuers of his iyrnes alsweill sukin and vnsukinb. 1562–3 Reg. Privy C. I 227.
Ane pile and ane tursall maid for cunyeing of certane pecis of gold and silvir, the pile havand sunkin thairin foure lettris

15. p.p. Inundated, flooded. 1641 Dunferm. Kirk S. 8.
The kirkyaird being so taine up and sunk with dubbs of water that scarcelie ther can be had therin a dry grave

16. p.p. Of money: ? Misappropriated, misspent. 1701 Inverness Kirk S. 210.
They doe finde that there is sunk and deficient of the principll stock [£4254 17 s. 8 d.] … Scotts money

17. ? 1699 Belhaven Rudiments 28.
That common countrey ryme, Sow wheat sinking, pease winking, Oats clinking, and bear drinking