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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lare, Lair, n. Also: lar, laire, layr(e, lerr. [North. ME. lar (Cursor M.), lare, layre, midl. and south. lore, loor(e, OE. lár instruction, teaching.]Common in senses 1–3 in Leg. S.

1. The act of teaching; instruction, tuition.(a) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 975.
To thrillmen & to women, And to ȝoung men als gef he lare Ib. vi. 529.
The apostil than thru his gud lare Infowrmyt al that var thare Schortly of thre [things] Ib. xii. 335.
Thire men that … saw all Cristis maraklys … & ythandly hard his lare Ib. xviii. 50.
He trewyt na man vare, Quham-of hyme nedyt til have lare Ib. iv. 55, xix. 634, 5, etc. 1604-31 Craig v. 5/23.
A bush … Which Nature her selfe wrought, Withoutten airts lare(b) a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 76.
Thane sad he that he come thare For informacione & layre Ib. xiv. 49. c1420 Wynt. iii. 1006 (W).
Forthy mony landis were Led be thare ois and thare laire 1535 Stewart 1677.
The kingis barnis … Tha taucht to speik with diuers toung, And kennis lair quhill thai cum till age 1600-1610 Melvill 673.
He fand thais tuo brither so hard of his lair

b. (To be) at the lare, at lare, (to go, send, put, etc.) to (unto) the lare, to lare, = under instruction, at or to school, at study.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 716.
Protho & Jacincto, that ware Hyr feris ay at the lare 1535 Stewart 3145. Ib. 15668.
Tua priestis … The quhilk had bene ane long tyme at the lair 16.. Ellon Par. Rec. 65.
Althoug my wreitt be not so fair I have been short fyll at the lair — c1420 Wynt. vi. 1057.
He had twa lordys at lare, That hys yhong scolarys sumtyme ware 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8364.
He was seuin ȝeir at lair(2) 1456 Hay II. 106/30.
All men that ar of powere to send thaire barnis to the lare a1500 Henr. Fables 648.
Weill worth my father that send me to the lair 1560 Rolland Seven S. 237.
Delyuer thame ȝour sone vnto the lair Ib. 4016.
His sone thay had vnto the lair(3) a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 66.
Til Athenas … I red thé pas & gere the barnis gang to layre Ib. 311.
Hyre sonnis sat to layre Wel tacht in artis 1456 Hay II. 151/4.
Thare the barne become amang wis men, and drew him … to lare of wit and wisdome ay the langer the mare c1460 Thewis Gud Women 289.
Quha his barnis puttis nocht to lare 1560 Rolland Seven S. 219.
I think it best that he war put to lair

c. (To learn, go) at a person's, love's (also, lovers') lair. Also, to leit at love's, one's lair: see Leit v.(1) a1568 Bann. MS. p. 25/42.
Be not ouir skers nor ȝit ouir lairge Gif thow wilt lerne son at my lair 1570 Sat. P. xxiv. 53.
Weill hes thow leird it at the bischoppis lair, Becum his prentise a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxxv. 215.
Thow leyr this lessoun at my layr(2) a1500 Henr. III. 90/17.
At luvis lair gife thow will leir, Tak thair ane a b c 1540 Lynd. Sat. 620 (B).
War ȝe weill lernit at luvis lair — c1500 Crying of Play 76.
Lassis mycht leir at hir to stryd Wald ga to lufis [B. luvaris] lair

d. The act of learning; study, lessons. a1400 Leg. S. xl. 25.
Wele entendand til his lare He wes al tyme

2. That which is taught; (a person's) doctrine or teaching. a1400 Leg. S. iv. 150.
It is nocht myn maister lar That ony man conuertit be Distrenȝeit Ib. xxi. 525.
Symon Magus … al thai folkis dyssawyt il With the fals layre he taucht tham til Ib. xxx. 315.
I think to get of thi gere For the gud lare I sal thé lere a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 364.
Thi counsale is convenabill, … Forthi ws likis thi lair listin and leir 1540 Lynd. Sat. 569 (Ch.).
My name is Gude Counsall … , Lords for lack of my lair [B. law] ar brocht to mischance a1568 Bann. MS. 213 a/23.
Tak tent to this lair, be ay leill to thi luf 1570 Sat. P. xxii. 8.
A scuruie schollar of Machiavellus lair a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxi. 28.
Ȝit mair and mair I lyik thy [Cupid's] lair a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 857 (Wr.).
A kow may learne thee laire

3. A body of religious doctrine; (a person's or society's, also, lovers') religion or faith; the religion of God, Christ, the Devil, also transf. of Love.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 995.
He [Peter] fayndis bath lat and ar For to distroy quytly our [sc. the Jewish] lare Ib. xl. 127.
The Pape … Syndry maisteris betacht hym til, To mak hyme parfyte in that lare c1420 Wynt. v. 3949.
Off haly kyrk bath lare and law To bere and luve 1535 Stewart 3029.
Thair law, thair lair, thair language Ib. 10962.
To leif thair fassoun … And for to leir efter the Romane lair Ib. 26281.
The Britis … left thair barnis alway vnbaptist, And leuit all tyme at thair faith and lair 1567 G. Ball. 13.
Saif vs … from dispair, From unbeleue and Lollardis lair 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix. 36.
Sen the first followers of that foly … did … lawlesly leave the auncient laire of their better aduysed elders — a1568 Scott vi. 25.
Luvaris lair no leid suld lak(2) a1400 Leg. S. i. 73.
Feile … That had nocht hard of Cristis layre Ib. ii. 922.
[Paul] prechit Cristis lare Ib. iii. 105.
Trow In the lar of Criste Jhesu Ib. 303; etc.
Goddis lar to forsak c1450-2 Howlat 905.
So hiely he hyit him in Luciferis laire 1535 Stewart 25160.
All quhilk leuit vpone Christis lair(3) a1568 Scott xx. 18. Ib. xxiv. 1.
Thow langit ay to prufe The strenth of luvis lair a1568 Bann. MS. 249 b/32.
Quhen … leill luvaris forleitis luvis lair a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxix. 38.
To leir the law of luiffis layr a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii. 59.
Exemed clene from Loves lair Ib. lii. 1.
Irkit I am with langsum luvis lair

4. That which is learned; (a person's) knowledge or erudition; learning or knowledge generally. Man of lair, a man of learning, learned man.(1) c1420 Wynt. v. 1349.
For-thi suld men in thare yhowthede Be techyd well … And the effect oys off thare lare Ib. 2039.
He … made hym examynatiowne Off his lare and his lessowne a1500 Sir Eger 2227.
Two are great clerks and great of lare(b) c1460 Regim. Princ. 131.
Vertu cummis of science and of lair a1500 Henr. III. 157/46 (B).
Quhilk of ws … wes … maist expert in science or in lair a1500 Seven S. 52.
He said in thre ȝer … He suld the child teche all thar laire Ib. 1862.
Tratour, thow has na laire That sall dissaif me ony maire 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. I. 571.
A spirituall man (thocht I be void of lair) Cleipit I am Id. Æn. . Prol. 85.
Fader of bukis, protectour to sciens and lair Ib. xii. vii. 34.
[He] had levyr haue knawyn the sciens and the lair, The myght … of strenthy herbys fyne [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 359.
I commit my sone … With ȝow to be instructit weill in lair Ib. 638.
The greit Bischop … With all his clerkis of greit wisdome and lair 1574 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. ix. 26.
For his intertenment at the scholis to get lair, science and knawledge a1585 Polwart Flyt. 640 (T).
A lanterne of lair c1590 J. Stewart 148/9.
Thair happie skair of lair 1622-6 Bisset I. 18/24.
Thought my lair be ȝung(c) a1585 Polwart Flyt. 184 (H).
Whill that thow past … Into Argyle, some lerr [L. lair] to leir(2) a1500 Seven S. 1701.
We are men of laire, Off augure and diuinite 1513 Doug. Conscience .
The kirk … wes rewlit be mene of wit and layre 1535 Stewart 47164.
The wysast men of lair Ib. 57369.
All men of lair that cunnyng war in scuillis

b. A branch of learning, department of study. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxv. 4.
To speik … Off euerie study, lair, or discipline