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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.

Ring, v.² Also: ringe, ryng(e; rigne; ryne; regn(e; reigne. P.t. rang, rong. P.p. rungin, -yn(e, -ynne; rwnging; rongyn, -ing; rounine; rung; roung; yroung; rong. [ME and e.m.E. ringenn (Orm), ringe(n (a 1300); p.t. rong (c 1275), rang (a 1300); p.p. i-rungen (c 1205), rungen (1381), ronge (1387), runge (c 1400), OE hringan, ON hringja.]

1. intr. Of a bell: To emit a clear metallic sound when activated to do so; to ring. Also fig.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 888.
& of Sancte Johnne in-to lowynge Scho gert in haste the bellis rynge 1460 Montrose Baillie Ct. fol. 13b (26 Jan.).
Qwhen the common bel ryngis all men sall cum to the ballȝes at the wynd hed a1500 Seven S. 1145.
With that the bell rang sone on ane c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 118/107.
I will … na bellis for me ring, … Bot a bag pipe to play a spryng 1568 Lanark B. Rec. 42.
Quhen the common bell ryngis or at the straik of the suesch 1581 Sc. Ch. Hist. Soc. Rec. IV 184.
And the bell to rigne befoir the hour ane reasonable spaice 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. V 269.
That the castell suld shuitt thair haill ordinance and the haill bellis of this burgh suld ringe for joy of his maiesteis preservatioun(b) 1574 Sc. Ant. XIII 31.
The bell to begin to ryne … at four hours in the morning(c) 1665 Perth City Rec. in Dunkeld Presb. I 404.
The bells of the steiple to reigne presentlie, and untill ten a clok at nichtfig. 1567 Sat. P. iii 141.
Than sall I wryte in prettie poetrie, … Quhilk throw all Europe sall ring lyke ane bell a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxix 123.
Ȝit sumtyme man I … mak my tung to ring as dois ane bell

b. To sound a summons to class. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 13.
The bel sal ryng to the medicinis lesson

2. Of a metal object more generally: To emit a ringing sound when struck. 1513 Doug. ix xiii 66.
That euer in ane hys bos helm rang and soundyt c1590 Fowler II 33/32.
As voyd and emptie vessels rings maist and rattels loudest

b. transf. Of an alarm: To sound. 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix 107.
The larum rang, the Regent self wes thair 1584 Ib. xlv 485.
Efter my lord this larowme ringis For this and mony sic lyk thingis

c. That rang not in his sleyve, that did not put much money in his pockets. 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 62.
He thristed … Amongis the lawers for to lyve, Bot fra that rang not in his sleyve He wald with thame no mair remane, Bot maid him for the court agane

3. Of a place: To re-echo (with or of some sound); to resound. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 25.
The skyes rang for schoutyng of the larkis Ib. (O.U.P.) 60/19.
So salust scho the day Quhill rong the widdis of hir melody 1513 Doug. v ix 34.
Of gret rumour than al the feildis ryngis Ib. vi iv 40.
The grond begouth to rummys, croyn and ryng, Vndir thar feyt Ib. xi i 86.
Betand thar brestis quhill all the lyft dyd ryng c1552 Lynd. Mon. 200.
That all the roches rang Throuch repercussioun of thare suggurit sang 1596 Dalr. I 48/25.
A … croune of stanes, quhilke rings agane, na vthirwyse than with ane eccho in brasse or coppir

4. Of a sound: To sound loudly or clearly; to be loud or resonant; to resound. Also, to ring furth. Also, transf., of the wind. 1513 Doug. xiii v 68.
Thy vocis sovn quhilk as a trumpet rang Ib. viii 79.
Joyus vocis ryngis furth … Our all the palys ryall to and fro c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6132.
The heuinlye sound … innarrabyll, In thare eris continuallye sall ryng 1650 Fugitive Poetry II xxiv 1/9.
The Castles pales of cannon ringtransf. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 1.
Quhen Eolus out ouir thir rokkis rang, Be donk and daill, baith herb & tre he dang

5. tr. To cause (a bell) to ring. Also absol. Also, to ring out. Also in fig. context.(1) pres. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 144.
Scho … hard … Cupide … ringand ane siluer bell 1490 Irland Mir. MS fol. 319b.
Quhen he seis ony apperand perell He soundis and regnis a bell to warne the pepil 1503 Aberd. B. Rec. I 72.
He sal nocht ring Laurence at the saule messe … bot for the … honorabill personis of the town ?153. Reg. Soltre 213.
The sacrister sall ryng … the bellis of the place after matynis [etc.] 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. II 174.
That Patrik Guvane belman … may … ryng the commoun bell quhen he beis chargit thairtop.t. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 775.
Twa smal bellis rang thay c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 122/23.p.p. 14.. Acts I 92*/2.
The bell in the bellhous salbe rungin thris 1454 Liber Coll. Glasg. 177.
Rwnging 1469 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 52.
The said prior sall ger the bell of the kirk solempnitly be rungyne tyll dirige 1485 Liber Coll. Glasg. 196.
Rungynne a1568 Bann. MS 267a/19.
And bellis quhen thay ar rungin hes no sound 1699 Cramond Kirk S. IV 8 Oct.
After the last bell was rungin(b) 1436 Acts II 24/1.
And the bell that salbe rongyn in the said burghe 1471 Ayr Friars Pr. Chart. 53.
And ger the bell be rongyn throucht the towne and pra for the said Mathois saul 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 59.
Hearing a bel of some convent ringing and ronging … in that same very faschion that [etc.](c) 1526 Wigtown B. Ct. fol. 178a.
Als sone as the commone bell is rovnine(d) 1593–4 Edinb. B. Rec. V 109.
That the haill bellis … be rung at aynes, and baynefyres sett furth throw the haill toun c1650 Spalding I 87.
Befoir the henmest bell wes rvng 1669 Dumbarton B. Rec. 85.
And that the kirk bell does not saiflie be rung(e) 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 196.
That in all tymes cummyng the grete bellis be nocht roung fra ten houris at evin quhill v houris in the mornyng 1679 T. Brown Diary 9.
The bells … was houng and roung in the said kirk 1698 Soc. Ant. III 196.
Roungabsol. a1500 Seven S. 1648.
Ilkane had ane bell in hand To ryng quhen it was time ganand(2) 1600–1 State P. (Reg. H.) (No. 108/10) 8.
The bell wes rung out(3) 1513 Doug. i Prol. 22.
Quhy suld I than … Presume to write quhar thy sweit bell is rung? Ib. ii Prol. 11.
Ane othir wys now salt that bell berong Than euer was tofor hard in our tong 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 11.
For quhy the bell of Rethorick bene roung Be Chawceir [etc.]

b. To ring as a summons (to a burial). 1697 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 39.
Whoever shall desire the great bell to be rung to any burial, must [etc.] 1525 Aberd. B. Rec. I xli.
Quhen thair decessis ane craftisman … the segster to ring bot to his sawill mes

6. a. To strike a metallic object in order to produce a ringing sound. b. To beat (a drum). c. absol. or intr.a. 1596–7 Elgin Rec. II 46.
Isobell Innes confessit scho rang a chandlar vpoun the nicht callit Vp[halliday] 1604 Ib. 120.
Jonnet Smyth confessit the ringing of a pan with the knewill of a hairie raip. … scho hard another bevest hir ringand a girdell 1663 Cramond Ch. Alves 44.
Andrew Angouse confessed he rang the bridle … interrogated what were the words he spake at the ringing of it [etc.]b. 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix 2.
Mak ȝow for the gait, To ring ȝour drummis & rank ȝour men of weirc. a1500 K. Hart 578.
Richt at the ȝet thay rang, With rappis lowd

7. tr. To announce (an hour, time, etc.); to proclaim mourning, by the sounding of bells.(1) 14.. Acts I 34/2.
Hukstaris … sal nocht by ony thing befor that undern be rungyn in wynter and mydmorne in somer 1503 Aberd. B. Rec. I 72.
The sagristane … sale ger ring curfoyr continuale at hour and tyme aucht and wont 1529 Ecclesia Antiqua 282.
Nychtlie to ryng curfowe 1570 Peebles B. Rec. I 324.
The stepill and knok … to regne xij houris, vj houris, and courfyre nychtlie 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 129b.
Quhen curfure (coverfew) is rung in [etc.](2) 1539 Haddington B. Rec. in Soc. Ant. II 397.
It sall be lefull till ony inhabitor … till fynd ane servand of his to ryng the said menyng

b. absol. or intr. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 11.
Or iij howris ryng twyis, at halfe houre to five knel, at v ryng a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 1410.
Quhill Setterday had rungin at ewinnyng

8. tr. To proclaim aloud; to make known far and wide. Also, once, to ring out.(1) a1500 Lanc. 328.
The fresch enditing of his Laiting toung Out throuch this world so wid is yroung a1500 Quare Jel. 396.
By quhich that sclander wyde-quhare is rong 1513 Doug. Exclam. 35.
Quhen all thar rerd is rong, That wight mon speke that can nocht hald hys tong 1540 Lynd. Sat. 74 (B).
Till our rymes be rung, And our mistonit songis be sung 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2074.
With thy sweit suggurit toung, Quhilk in greit realmes and kinrikis hes bene roung(2) c1590 Fowler I 382/135.
And in these eares of myne He ringes me out his royall race

b. absol. To speak out. Only in fig. context. 1571 Sempill Sat. P. xxviii 127.
That saikles blude rang fer [? erron. for sex] and twentie ȝeir, Quhill Palmsoneuin that same day I deceist