MENSE, _vb._ to do grace to. Lyndsay, 529. See _mensk_, sb. The change of _sk_ to _s_ is characteristic of Sco. See _mensk_.
MENSEDOM, _sb._ wisdom. Psalms, CV, 22. See _mensk_.
MENSK, MENSE, _sb._ proper conduct, more generally honor. Dunbar, T.M.W., 352; Wyntoun, VIII, 42, 143; Burns, 90, 1. O.N. _mennska_. For discussion of this word see Wall. Deriv. _menskless_, _menskful_, _menskly_.
MIDDING, MYDDING, _sb._ a midden. C.S., 12; Lyndsay, 216, 269. Dan. _mödding_, older _möghdyngh_, O.N. _mykidyngja_, Sw. dial. _mödding_, Cu. _middin_.
MON, MAN, MAUN, _vb._ must, O.N. _monu_ (_munu_), will, shall, Norse _mun_, will, but used variously. Dan. _monne_, _mon_, as an auxiliary vb. used very much like _do_ in Eng. Sw. _mån_, Cu. _mun_. The form of the Sco. word is the same in all persons. So in Norse.
MYTH, _vb._ to mark, recognize. Wallace, V, 664; Douglas, I, 28, 26. O.N. _miða_, to show, to mark a place, Norse _mida_, mark a place, _mid_ sb. a mark by which to find a place. O.E. _miðan_, meant "to conceal, lie concealed," same as O.H.G. _midan_, vitare, occultare, Germ. _meiden_, _vermeiden_, avoid.
NEIRIS, _sb. pl._ the kidneys. C.S., 67. O.N. _nyra_, a kidney, Norse _nyra_, O. Dan. _nyre_, Sw. _niura_, Sw. dial. _nyra_, M.E. _nere_. Cp. Sco. _eir_, _an eir_, for _a neir_, as in Eng. _augur_, _an augur_, _a naugur_.
NEVIN, _vb._ to name. Gol. and Gaw., 506; Howlate, II, 3, 7. O.N. _nefna_, Norse _nevna_, Dan. _nævne_, to name, O.E. _namnian_.
NIEVE, NEEFE, NEVE, _sb._ the hand, the fist. O.N. _hnefi_, Norse _neve_, hand, fist, Shetland _nev_, Cu. _neif_, _neive_, _neef_. Wall considers this an unrecorded Eng. word, which is possible. Its general distribution in Scand. dial. and elsewhere in Scand. settlements, as Northern and Central England, Southern Scotland, Shetland, etc., as well as its absence in all other Gmc. languages, indicates, however, that the word is Scand. in Eng. diall.
NOUT, NOWT, _sb._ cattle. O.N. _naut_, cattle, Norse _næut_ id. Dan. _nöd_, Sw. _noet_, Shetland _nød_. In M. Sco., also written _nolt_.
NYK, NEK, _vb._ to shake the head in denial of anything, "to nyk with nay." Gol. and Gaw, 115; Philotus, 32. Norse _nikka_, to bow slightly, _nikk_, a slight bow, Sw. _neka_, to deny, say no, M.E. _nicken_.