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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡TAIKEN, n., v. Also †taeken, -in, ta(i)kin, taken (Sc. 1725 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) II. 232), taikne, tackne (Sh. 1825 Jam.); tacken (Sc. 1802 Laird of Logie in Child Ballads No. 182 A. xii.); tyaken, tyakin (Abd.). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. token. [′tekən, Abd. + ′tjɑkən. See P.L.D. § 141.1.]

I. n. 1. As in Eng. Sc. phrs.: (1) mair for token, (the) mair be (by) taikin (token), see Mair, III. 5. and 6.; tae the mair mean taiken (tyaken), see Mair, III. 16. and Mean, n.

2. Sc. Church usages, reg. in the form token: (1) a badge, gen. a metal disc of lead or pewter, issued by the Kirk Session to a pauper, and worn on the coat to indicate the right to beg within the parish, a beggar's badge. Hist.Abd. 1736 P. Buchan Annals Peterhead (1819) 114:
All the poor within the Town and parish that are indigent, and not able to work to support themselves . . . to receive Badges or Tokens, for priviledging them to beg their subsistence in the said town.

(2) a small piece of metal, usu. of pewter, occas. of brass or silver, of varied shape and bearing a design, used as a pass to the Communion service in the Presbyterian (and sometimes also in the Episcopal) Churches. The practice extended to Scot. from Eng. 16th c. usage. The use of tokens has now almost everywhere been replaced by printed cards. See T. Burns Old Sc. Communion Plate (1892) 435 sqq.w.Lth. 1704 Lnl. Journal (25 Oct. 1957):
About a thousand tokens which are plain upon the one side & upon the other side ABCK [standing for Abercorn Kirk] are cyphered through oyther.Edb. 1710 D. Robertson S. Leith Rec. (1925) 21:
Whether they frequently catechise the parochioners & administrats the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and to be careful in keeping from that Holy ordinance all who are known to be scandalous, Ignorant and erroneous persons as far as they can be discovered, and in order to this tokens are distribute by the Ministers in presence of the Session.Rxb. 1727 Melrose Parish Reg. (S.R.S.) 139:
To distribute the tokens . . . to such of the parish as are inclined to join them in the Sacrament of the Supper.Sc. 1785 Boswell Tour (1936) 86 note:
In Scotland there is a great deal of preparation before administering the sacrament. The minister of the parish examines the people as to their fitness, and to those of whom he approves gives little pieces of tin, stamped with the name of the parish, as tokens, which they must produce before receiving it.Ayr. 1863 Maybole West Session Rec. MS. (30 Oct.):
This being the Fast day previous to the Communion, Tokens were distributed to intending Communicants.Fif. 1887 S. Tytler Logie Town III. x.:
A Token must be tendered by each communicant to an Elder in waiting.Cai. 1891 D. Stephen Gleanings 35:
I dinna think but I have lost my taiken.Kcb. 1911 Crockett Smugglers xi.:
The elders had to count the “tokens” twice over to give the distracted beadle time to put some order into the Doctor's “bands”.

3. Fig. “An odd ridiculous person” (Sh. 1825 Jam.).

II. v. With to: to infer from signs and indications.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 72:
By an' bye she cam' to token to fat we hid a' to believe.