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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Answer, Answere, n. Also: answar(e, ansuar(e; ansuere, aun-, awnswere, -suere, ansueir, -sueyr; ansuer, aun-, awnswer; ansur(e, andsur, ansour, ansowr, ansor. [ME. answer(e, ansuer(e, answar(e, also aunsware, etc., early ME. andswere, andsware, OE. andswaru. In MSS. freq. abbreviated as anf^r, which has been variously rendered by modern editors, sometimes as ansser or anser.] An answer, reply, response, rejoinder. Freq. without article, and with verbs, as to get, geve, mak answere.(a) 1375 Barb. ii. 60 (quhen thai hard nane mak ansuar); xix. 152. a1400 Leg. S. xli. 110 (this is thine answare). 1513 Doug. iii. vi. 38 (thir wordis of the goddis answar).(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 554 (he hire requerit to gyf hyme ansuere). c1400 Troy-bk. i. 65 (wordes of answere). c1420 Wynt. ii. 492 (quhat sulde betakyn this ansuere); iv. 410 (scho maid hym awnsuere). c1460 Wys Man's C. 52 (ill of answere for to bee). 1509–10 Edinb. B. Rec. 129 (your ansueir heirupoun we beseik). 1562-3 Winȝet I. 17/3 (ane answeir thairoff in wryt). 1570 Leslie 294 (to gif aunswere to that). 1622-6 Bisset II. 373/11 (that king accepted thair ansueir).(c) c1420 Wynt. iii. 380 (hym behuwyd to ma ansuer tyll hyr). c1460 Wys Man's C. 142 (gyf fair answer). 1542–3 Treas. Acc. VIII. 166 (remanand upoune uter ansuer). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 51 (sufficient answer). 1596 Dalr. I. 136/7 (King Main maid ansuer to thair askeng). 1607 Highland P. III. 94 (expecting ȝour absolute awnswer). c1650 Spalding II. 204 (cumis bak with this ansuer).(d) 1525 Douglas Corr. 99 (ȝe had gottin ansure). 1533 Ib. 141 (qwyl I haff ȝour ansowr agane). 1560 Waus Corr. I. 21 (send me sowm risolut ansowr). 1580 Cath. Tr. 70/13 (efter thow hes seane thair ansowr). 1596 Conv. Burghs I. 497 (the ansuris vnderwrittin).