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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.

S(c)hene, Schein(e, adj., n.¹ and adv. Also: schen, scheyn(e, sheene, schane, schenne. [ME and e.m.E. scene (c1200), schene (Ancr. R.), schen, shene (both Cursor M.), shen (a1536), OE scíene.]

A. adj. 1. Of persons, chiefly women. a. Conventionally applied to a woman, sometimes apparently more as a tribute to the fineness or delicacy of the female sex than as a compliment to her personal appearance: Pleasing in respect of face, appearance or dress; fair; beautiful.Usu. attrib. and post-positional.Also, immediately following a proper name, the schene. Only in formal verse.attrib. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 264.
Olibrius … bad his seruandis … That thai suld tak that maydin schen [etc.] Ib. l 734. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1595.
Cassandra … Of stanyng of hire moder schene c1475 Wall. vi 69.
A child … Quhilk gudly was, a maydyn brycht and schene a1500 K. Hart 137.
Ane legioun of thir lustie ladeis schene Folowit this quene c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 95/7.
Freshe fragrant floure of fayrehede shene, Welcum of Scotland to be quene 1528 Lynd. Dreme 99.
May, with June, thy syster schene 1535 Stewart 59930.
His ladie schene c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 590.
Till he come quhair thir sisteris sat so schene a1568 Scott xiii 15.
My lusty lady schene a1585 Maitl. Q. 223/10.
Dame Nature that lustie ladye schene(b) c1475 Wall. ii 337.
For Marye scheyne, Lat sklandyr be 1513 Doug. i i 82.
I, the quhilk am … onto Jove baith spous and sistir scheyn 15.. Clar. i 152.
Meliades … With hir hes taine twa ladyis fresch and scheine a1568 Bann. MS 217b/35.
Ane loird hes luvit ane las full weill And eik a laid ane lady scheyne a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 37/3.
The blythnes that hes bein … sein Amang lordis and ladyis schein a1585 Maitl. Q. 117/110.
Bewar thairfoir o ladye schein 1622-6 Bisset I 19/5.
Clio … that constant lady scheine(2) a1510 Aberd. Univ. Rev. XXXVI i 51.
Our lady that schene madin 1513 Doug. xi vii 163.
Lavinia the schene may, Quhilk is the pand or plege … Of paix tobe kepit inviolate(3) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1138 (C).
When that Eccuba … Saw sleyne Pollycena the scheyn ?1438 Alex. ii 7478.
The king tuke Fezonas the schene By the hand 15.. Clar. i 128.
Meliades the scheine a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 94/163.
Abigaal the schene Saifit hir man Naballpredic. a1500 Henr. Annunc. 62.
O lady lele and lusumest, Thy face moist fair and schene is c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 252.
I wes schene in my schrowd and schew me innocent

b. Of a man: Fine-looking; of handsome appearance. a1500 Gol. & Gaw 891.
Sexty schalkis full schene, Cled in armour sa clene a1500 Rauf C. 943.
I … askis him mercy, And Christ his Sone full schene

2. Applied to things of pleasing or colourful appearance: Beautiful; attractive to look at. Also (once) of a colour.Passing into and ? in some instances overlapping with b. and c.(1) 1375 Barb. xii 445.
Mony a brycht baner and schene Ib. xviii 172.
For the armyng that wes schene Thai of the heid dissawyt wer a1400 Leg. S. v 150.
Men that had bene Thare ser[v]andis cled in clathis schene ?1438 Alex. i 2064.
Emynedus … sone enbraissit his sheild sa shene [OF escu enbuciés = embossed] Ib. ii 3619.
Silkin carpettis that war schene c1450-2 Howlat 914 (A).
My schrowde and my schene weid schire to be schawin 1460 Hay Alex. 4042.
Speris brak on scheildis that was schene a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 532.
‘Quhat signifyis yone schene scheild’ said the senyeour, ‘The lufly helme and the lance, all ar away?’. … ‘To se that his schire weid be sicker of assay He thinkis … to preve' a1500 K. Hart 133.
This wourthy quene … Hir baner schene displayit 1513 Doug. i vii 63.
The large tempill scheyn Ib. xii Prol. 68.
With schaddoys schene schew rochis rubicund 1554 Edinb. Old Acc. I 128.
For … xij schenne scheildis with the townis armis in thame(2) a1400 Leg. S. l 689.
Angelis … mad hire hyd sa hale & schene That [etc.] c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 140.
With bowis big in tressit hairis schene 1513 Doug. x iv 63.
The lusty swannys fedrame, brycht and scheyn a1585 Maitl. Q. 115/78.
Ȝour goldin hair lyik Phœbus schein … Ȝour cumlie countenance a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxix 26.
Hir hair … curling bright and shene(3) ?1438 Alex. ii 4311.
Besyde the wod-syde that was shene c1475 Wall. iv 370.
Thar I was born amang the schawis scheyne c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 45.
All the leves schene 1513 Doug. v iii 15.
The lawrer crownys … With palmys scheyn Ib. xii ii 39.
The scheyn lylleis 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 170.
Fair weill Braidalbane and Lochtay sa scheyne 15.. Clar. ii 1456.
Alse bricht of bewtie as the blossume scheine a1568 Bann. MS 53a/3.
Quhair I was cled with bewis bricht & schene 1596 Dalr. I 17/24.
Amang fair forrests and schawis schene 1604-31 Craig v 34.
Throgh sheene shawes(4) 1513 Doug. xi xv 118.
The rudy cullour, vmquhile as purpour scheyn, Blaknyt, and fadys quyte owt of hir face

b. Applied to things that can cast or reflect light, or that are associated with the idea of brightness: Orig. in sense a above, but passing into c. Shining; sparkling; glittering; bright.b., c. (1) a1400 Leg. S. v 157.
Small stanis … He gadderit vpe … And turnyt tham in gemmys schene c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 104/34.
Mergreit … Moir blitht and bricht na is the beriall schene Id. Tua Mar. W. 515.
Silver schouris doune schuke as the schene cristall 1513 Doug. i vii 30.
The beys … With sweit liquour stuffis thar cellis scheyn 1535 Stewart 9634.
Thair scheildis schene as sterne in frostie nycht Ib. 15402.
His bodie schene like ony lanterne lycht 15.. Clar. v 561.
Ane croun of gold … Circulate with roobies and sapheiris blew Into hir hand scho tuike the crounall scheine 1587-99 Hume 55/98.
Their armour cleare, and warlike wapins schein … and hewmonts bright(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 188.
My palace suld haf bene Arayt with gold & siluir schene Ib. 921.
A knycht Berand the scheld of siluir schene ?1438 Alex. ii 3688.
Carpettis of silk and siluer schene a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 419.
The cowpis all of gold and siluer schene 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1419.
Pondis of poleist siluer schene c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 200.
Resoun with the scheld of gold so schene 1535 Stewart 9857.
With leg harnes like as the siluer schene c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 107.
My baner … Of siluer schene c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv 645.
In siluer werk that was baith bricht & schene(3) a1500 K. Hart i 433.
The sone so schene c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 246.
Phebus tendir bemes schene 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 1.
Wyth bemys scheyn thou bricht Cytherea Ib. viii x 30.
Amang the hevynly skyis brycht and schene a1568 Bann. MS 229b/2.
The balmy dropis frome Phebus schene Preluciand bemes befoir the day(4) 15.. Clar. ii 4.
Ane seimlie river scheine a1603 Anc. Prophecies 19.
Where the water runnes bright and sheene(5) transf. c1400 Troy-bk. i 448.
The sommere, that is soft & schene a1500 K. Hart 8.
So blyth as bird in symmer schene Ib. 95.
Suppois that sommer schane dois thame reskew 1535 Stewart 5957.
Quhen … cummin wes the symmer soft and schene

B. (absol. as) n. 1. A beautiful woman; a maiden. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 673.
A quhyt dow … com to that schene ?1438 Alex. ii 2436.
‘Schir,’ said that shene [F. la pucele], ‘I gruge nocht’ c1420 Wynt. viii 1281.
This Dawy Erle gat on that schene Dawy that wes slayne in Kylblene 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2133.
O schene … nane may sustene thy feid c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 5/39.
Haile schene unseyne with carnale eyne a1568 Bann. MS 141a/16.
Als sone as I that schene cowth se I halsit hir Ib. 224a/22.
For that scheyne I am neir schent and slane

2. The pupil of the eye. a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 581.
He wes mair tender in his body Than is the scheyne into a mannis e 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 151/342.
The pearle upon the eye That dimmis the schein [v.r. shine (Schine n.)]

C. adv. Only with S(c)hine v.: Brightly. 1375 Barb. xi 468.
Scheildis schynand war sa schene ?1438 Alex. ii 3376.
Baith helm and scheild that schyins schene a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 242.
Propir schene schane the son