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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

MUSIC, n. Also Sc. forms musick; moosic. (Ork. 1911 Old-Lore Misc. IV. iv. 185); maisic, maizic(k), maesic; meesic(k) (Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xl.; Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 114; ‡Abd. 1963), misic (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 247), moosick (Ags. 1822 Caled. Mag. & Review 403); masic (Ayr. 1886 J. Meikle Lintie 133). Hence maisical, maesical(ly), musical(ly) (Ayr. 1896 D. Mackie Village Sk. 30; Dmf. 1912 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo 48; Rxb. 1912 Jedburgh Gaz. (19 July) 3). See P.L.D. §§ 35, 142, 146, 157. [Sc. †′mø:zik, ‡′me:zɪk; ne.Sc. ‡′mi:zɪk]

 Sc. form of Eng. music.Fif. 1998 Tom Hubbard Isolde's Luve-Daith 3:
Oor luve wis a wildrife walterin o the tide
Forrit an back, fae its deeps richt up ti the lift,
That the maws made oor maisic, mair unco nor even their ain.em.Sc. 2000 Neil R. MacCallum in Alec Finlay Atoms of Delight 59:
Maisic heich the bens
sangs proggin the grund
a cleuch in atwein.

1. Sc. combs.: (1) music-bells, a carillon, specif. that of St. Giles in Edinburgh; ¶(2) meesic-fan, a church organ; (3) music-tunes, the metrical psalm tunes.(1) Edb. 1737 Atholl MSS.:
Their [Edinburgh's] Musick Bells have not rung nor has their been any diversion in that Toun.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 191:
On the Music-bells playing yesterday forenoon, prior to Brown and Wilson's execution, on the Deacons being presented to Council.Sc. 1818 Gentleman's Mag. LXXXVIII. 398:
These carillons have been introduced into Scotland . . . where they are musick-bells.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet xi.:
He lost the music-bells in Edinburgh, for playing “ower the water to Charlie ”, upon the tenth of June.(2) Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 70:
Hymnies are scraicht to the meesic-fan.(3) Lth. 1884 J. Strathesk Blinkbonny 223:
Ord'nar singin' may dae like yon, but “maizick tunes”, as I ca' kirk maizick, should be sung slow, slow.

2. Phr.: to hear moosic, to be faced with rebellion or defiance. Cf. Eng. dial. music, of a horse: high spirits, mettle.Kcd. 1929 J. B. Philip Weelum o' the Manse 17:
She [a pony]'s a rale quate craitur, but if ye lat her be guid man, ye'll hear moosic.

3. Deriv. music(k)er, a musician (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Obs. in Eng.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lxi.:
The shout got up that the bridegroom and the musickers were coming.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 38:
Wi' bands o' musickers to play, As weel behind's before.

4. Instrumental music in church, as opposed to vocal music (Gall. 1903 E.D.D.; ‡w.Lth. 1963).