Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sound, n.¹ Also: sownd, sond, sund-, sowne, (seund-). [ME and e.m.E. sound (a1300), sounde, sownd(e (both 15th c.), sown (Prompt. Parv.), sowne (c1572), OE sund swimming; strait.]The form seund may simply represent an editorial misreading of MS sound.

1. The swimming-bladder of certain fish, esp. the cod, mainly used to make glue. Cf. Keling- and Killing-sound n. 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 10.
Item, for sounds, vj s. 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II 337.
For sounds for the mixt glew 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 393.
For the making of the gryt glewit durris … for soundis to the said glew, ij s. 1653 Laing MSS 277.
Living upon butterd sound potage and ailbery

2. A sound, strait; an inlet of the sea. Also with place-names.(1) 1513 Doug. i iv 15.
In a braid sound sovir from all wyndis blawis Flowis the schore deip 1513 Doug. iii viii 8.
At a sownd or cost we likit weill We strike at nycht a1568 Bann. MS I p. 36/23.
For all man come our se and sound And present thame to iugement 1589 Cal. Sc. P. X 187.
We war onis purpoisid to have taikin boittis and so in thame gone within sowndis to that place 15.. Lynd. Rutter fol. 2 (B).
Havens, Soundis and Daungeris from Leith to Humber 1615 Orkney Bp. Ct. (ed.) 71.
In transporting of the ministrie over the foirsaidis ferries and utheris necessar soundis or vois for serveing of thair cures 1693 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 216.
Its seveared from the south end of Mull by a narrow sound 3 part of a leg(2) 1513 Doug. i v 29.
Sen Anthenor mycht throu myd ostis thring Of Grekis, and pers the soundis Ilyria 1513 Doug. iii x 66.
Sone we swepyt by, at the fyrst bront, … The sownd Megarus(3) 1513 Doug. iii vi 108.
Fra … the strait sowndis of the mont Pelory Vanysys away peys and peys 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 581.
Hes … tane the said … schip … in ane sound of Zeitland 1560–70 Thirds of Benefices xvi.
[The collector of Orkney and his officers claimed £20 for their] ferrie frauchtis throu the boundis and to and fra Zetland and throu the soundis of the same 1594 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. 217.
That the saidis … fischearis … sall nawayes slay small fisch within the soundis … thairof 1615 Highland P. III 178.
Thei cam to ane anker in the sownd of Illa(b) 1513 Doug. vii v 49.
Ar thai not stakit at rest, and weil luge in the desirit sond of Tybris bay(c) 1625 Justiciary Cases I 26.
Cuming … to the sowne of Mull

b. Soundis-bere, -last, ? bere or a cargo generally from a ship which has passed through the Sound (between Denmark and Sweden) and paid sound-dues.(1) 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II 292.
To the Blackfreirs and to the Grayfreirs for thair precheing yeirlie, ilk ane of thame self ane last of sownds beir 1594–5 Misc. Spald. C. V 118.
For ane lawing in Jon Tulidaffis, at the bying of the sowndis beir 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V 156.
That na sounds beir be darrer sawld nor twenty penneis the pynt 1598–9 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 36.
Ane boitt fra Leithe with sundis beir 1606 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 47.
Soundis beir 1617–18 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 87.
Thomas Murray for the impost of his sounds beir payit 1617–18 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 88.
10 tunis seundis beir 1623 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 110.
Vpon the bying of a barkis laiding of sounds beir 1624 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 125.
Robert Smythe for ane barks lodining of sonds beir, 22 last [£6 12 s.](2) 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii p. 687 (6 Nov.).
That he had sald to the toune al the ry that is in his schip that is to say ilke soundis last for vij lib. x s.