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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nuris, Noris, v. Also: nurr-, nwr(r)-, nour(r)-, nowr-, neur-, ner- and -ise, -ys(se, -ice, -yce, -es(e, -eis. P.t. and p.p. nur-, norist, nureist, etc.; nuris(s)it, -ed, norysyde, nwrreissit, etc. [ME. norisi (c 1290), norissi, noris (Cursor M.), norys, norice, norisse (14–15th c.), nuris (Rolle), thereafter, in these forms, chiefly or only Sc., OF. noris(s)-, nuris(s)-, etc., lengthened stem of norir, nurir, nourir etc. (mod. F. nourrir): cf. Nurisch(e v. and Nurs v.]Since the principal senses pass into one another, the allocation among them of certain examples is somewhat arbitrary.

1. tr. To bring up, rear, nurture (a child or, said of an animal, its young).Also, to bring up.(1) (a) a1500 Seven S. 18.
The child … To nurys teche and leir him wit a1500 Bk. Chess 426.
In beistis and birdis … Quhar that the male to nurys & to feid The birth he gat [etc.] 1567 Treas. Acc. MS. 242.
To Agnes Buch wedo to nvrice and bring vp hir barnis 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 304. 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. 124.
Nureis 1591 Ib. XXIII. 294.(b) 1456 Hay I. 225/24.
A man is haldin to fede his barnis and governe and noris c1460 Thewis Gud Women 291.
Norys a1500 Bk. Chess 435.(b) a1500 Colk. Sow ii. 65.
This Colkelby nvreist hir in his hous 1494 Loutfut MS. 25 b.
[To] mysken his fader na moder quhilk norist him 1533 Bell. Livy II. 9/3.
I nurist [L. educavi] hir to solempne mariage and nocht to the bordell 1596 Dalr. II. 111/31.(c) c1420 Wynt. iii. 1023.
And wytht hyr war thai nwryst thare Till thai to manhed cummyn ware a1500 Lanc. 220.
Nwrist 1533 Bell. Livy I. 18/18. 1533 Boece xii. v. 461 b.
Of hieare ingyne than utheris his contemporans nwrist to landwert 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8541.
The male rauin tuik weil into his thocht How he his bird had nureist and vpbrocht 1565 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 687/1.
Nureist 1570 Leslie 173. 1577 Reg. Privy C. II. 633. 1579 Acts III. 158/2.
Nwrist(b) c1420 Wynt. ii. 276.
This Mynerva … In Tracya … Thare in scho noryst [v.rr. nurist, -eist] wes sum quhylle 1456 Hay I. 40/32.
Thai war norist be the wolvis in the wod for a tyme(c) 1549 Compl. 14/9.
Thy vane philosophour quhilk hes been neurest al his dais in ane solitar achademya Ib. 33/10.
Neurist(d) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2405.
For Lycomeid … Had norysed him in his barnage And brocht him wp of tender age c1420 Wynt. v. 5802.
Hys awyne kyth Quhare he wes nwrysyd [C. nwrist] and browcht wp wyth 1568 Buch. Indict. 39.
Sche [Q. Mary] begouth to fynd fault with the house quhair the King hir sonne wes nurisset c1615 Chron. Kings 20.
Ethodius the Secund … wes nwrreissit continewallie … with religious men(2) 15.. Dunb. App. xi. 10.
All empriouris, kingis … Heir nakit borne and nvreist vp with noy

b. With an adv. or adv. phrase of the manner of the upbringing. c. Const. in a habit, discipline, manner of living etc. Also, to train in the discipline.b. c1420 Wynt. ii. 1498.
The madynys thai [the Amazons] norysyde [v.rr. nurist, nurysse, nwrice] tendyrly Ib. 1358.
Norysyde [C. nurist, W. nerist] 1456 Hay I. 40/34.
And brocht thame till his wyf Laurence, the quhilk norist thame wele and treuly Ib. 301/19.
For quhen a man is our delytabily nurist and governyt in his ȝouthede, he may nocht dure langsumly in the travailis of weris 1531 Bell. Boece I. 129.
The first … wes nurist in Britane with his ant Voada … with sic courtlie maneris … that [etc.] Id. Livy II. 224/7.
Quhilk thing the Gaulis mycht nevir patientlie suffir for thai ar nurist with wak humouris and caldnes [L. gens humorique ac frigori adsueta] 1535 Stewart 3869.
All ȝoung childer sould rudlie nureist be In meit and drink, in haping fra the cald 15.. Clar. v. 880.c. 1375 Barb. xix. 164 (C).
His men ar worthyn all sa wicht For lang vsage of gret fechting, That has beyne norist [E. nuryst] in sic thing ?1438 Alex. (c 1580) ii. 3968, etc.
Nurist 1531 Bell. Boece I. 28.
He tuke ferme purpos to nuris his pepill in gud maneris Ib. II. 137. 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary I. 99.
For us that hes bene norissed in oure awin religion a1568 Bann. MS. 50 a/20.
The quhilk befoir in syn was nureist a1578 Pitsc. I. 138/18.
Ane Inglischeman … nureist and brocht wpe all his dayis in lieing and mischeif

d. To encourage, fortify, cause to persist in some manner of living or belief. 1456 Hay I. 68/17.
That thai coud nocht fynd in thair hertis to … chasty thair barnis, quhilk norist thair barnis ay the mare in vicis quhen thai saw thai war sparit [etc.]

e. Said of an animal, in the passive. To be reared, to live (in, upon, a certain habitat). 1456 Hay II. 137/24.
For sum fischeis nurist in water that is myngglit fresche and salt 1494 Loutfut MS. 34 b. c1580-90 Rules of Health.
Except sic [birds] as ar luckin futtit and nureist vpon watteris

2. Of a female: To feed (a child or young animal) at the breast; to suckle; to rear in this way. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 95/11.
The moder js ordand to consaue the child, to beire it, and to nurys jt Ib. 147/9.
Sche nurist him, sche gave him souk Id. Asl. MS. 33/17, 18.
And as the fader and the moder garris trete the nuris weile in meite & drinke that the barne be wele nurisit, sa God lenis gud to the riche that thai nuris the pure 1507 Treas. Acc. IV. 76.
To the woman that nurisit ane barne 1531 Bell. Boece I. lvii.
The wemen thocht thair barnis war not tender or kindly to thaim bot gif thay war nurist als weill with the milk of thair breist 1556 Reg. Cupar A. II. 261.
Thai [milch cows] sall nurrice … all thair followaris quhill thai be of eild

3. To sustain (a person or living thing) with food; to feed. Also absol. and fig.With various subjects, including the person providing the food, and the food itself; also freq. in the passive. 1456 Hay II. 110/6. Ib. 133/24.
A maidyn … quhilk in hir ȝouth had been nurist with venym of serpent 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 336 b.
Thi body thou suld nocht nurys oure diliciuslie Id. Asl. MS. I. 40/22.
And becaus that men has been gretlye nurisit in wynter Ib. 38/7. a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 895. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 60.
The young children … to be nurist with skars and hard fude Id. Livy I. 185/3.
The wame … nocht onelie nurissis the self bot als nurissis all the laif of the membris c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 277 b/44.
Chryst wes … nureist nyne monethis in hir wame 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8570.
The female Left hir awin bird … And in na sort wald nureis it nor feidabsol. a1568 Bann. MS. 72 b/65.
It nvreissis best that gustis bestfig. (1) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 46/17.
This hevinly body of Jhesu in the sacrament … has mare wertu and mare substaunce to nuris the saule spirituali na [etc.] 1569 St. A. Kirk S. 320.
And my saule is nuresed thairby to lyff eternal lyke as my body is nuresed be braed and wyne(2) ?1438 Alex. ii. 3168.
And thusgait wourship nurist is Nocht to defoull … but enchesoun c1490 Porteous Noblenes 178/14.
Luf … is the bounte that nurisis & makis the self faire and plesand c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxiv. 6.
Thair lustis hes thame nureist so [B. so hes nvreist thame] … That all thair traist is in thair god Cupeid 1602 Colville Paraenese 100.
The authorite begun vith miracles, nurissit vith hoip [etc.]

4. To provide (the earth and its vegetation or creation as a whole) with nutriment and other needs, to sustain, nourish. c1420 Wynt. i. 130 (E).
Out of that well cummis fludis foure To nwrice the erd c1450-2 Howlat 32.
Under the cirkill solar thir sauorus seidis War nurist be Dame Natur 1456 Hay II. 101/19.
Somer … all thing with his hete nurisis c1490 Porteous Noblenes 172/26.
Allmychti God … nurisis and sustenis all thingis be … His … euerlesting provisioun a1500 Quare Jel. 2. 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 12. Ib. xii. Prol. 84. 1549 Compl. 61/18.
Nureseis a1568 Scott xxxv. 16.

5. To provide with sustenance, to maintain, support; also, to keep as a guest or dependant, to harbour. ?1438 Alex. i. 2597.
To nureis gude men and worthy Men sould thame preis ay idantly Ib. 3152.
Nurris 1456 Hay I. 169/6.
And favourit and nurisit evill folk Ib. 225/9.
That the fader is behaldin … to visyte the sone in his malady and to help him, suppowell him and noris him Ib. II. 95/1.
Tharfore suld all noble princis … nuris merchandis and labouraris and men of craftis for that is the ryching of all realmes Ib. I. 189/18. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 186/30.
Thai resauit Crist in Egipte and nurist him nere vij ȝere 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 357 b.
I was thretty ȝeris nurist in Fraunce 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 275.
Of moir noumer than mycht be nureist in Anguse, Fife [etc.] 1533 Boece ix. xx. 341.
In his palace he nurist ane garde of huris 1549 Compl. 123/13.
I laubyr … to neureis … idil men 1557 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xl.
We sall mentene thame, nwrys thame and defende thame, the haill congregatioune of Christ a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 29.
Certane honest men quhilk sche daylie nurissit [v.r. nurishet] in hir hous to do him service 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 491.
Yit sall I not think … that my lord regentis grace sall interteany and nowris tratoris 1582 Cal. Sc. P. VI. 185.
Be rason I have not that is abill to norise thame [dependants] withal 1596 Dalr. I. 244/29.
Scotland nurissed in that age thae twa religious lychtes Ib. II. 271/14.
Nurisses

b. To provide or supply (a person's needs). a1568 Scott xxvi. 57.
Thay wald men nureist all thair neidis

c. ? To shelter, harbour, keep safely. a1568 Scott xv. 22.
My lady … Within myne armes I nureis on the nycht

6. a. To rear (an animal); to keep (an animal) as part of one's establishment. 1375 Barb. vi. 487.
That the kyng As a strecour hym [a dog] nwrist [E. noryst] had 1531 Bell. Boece I. xli.
Ilk hous … nurisis ane young tod certane dayis 1533 Boece ii. v. 64.
That euery man suld nwris twa raches and ane hound to awate apoun his hunting 1549 Compl. 181/35.
Ane cordinar … be gret subtilite neurissit tua ȝong corbeis in tua cagis 1552 Reg. Cupar A. II. 107.
Nwrice 1556 Ib. 262; etc.
Nuryce 1622-6 Bisset I. 45/36.
They sall nother nureis hors nor houndis, for thair plesoure

b. To promote the growth of, tend (trees). 1590 Edinb. Test. XXI. 260.
That thai … hald vp the dykis and nureis the planting

7. To promote or foster (an attitude, habit, state of things, etc.) among persons. 1456 Hay I. 117/6.
He that procuris or artis or nurisis discordis, rumouris or mortall fedis Ib. II. 93/13.
Syk hamelynes … nurisis and engenderis dispite c1460 Regim. Princ. 23.
Punis wekytnes, Nurice vertu 1528 Douglas Corr. 126.
Amite and kyndnes to be nurisyt betuix baithe the realmes 1531 Bell. Boece II. 213.
Nurist Id. Livy I. 89/2.
Herefore lat ws nuris baith privatelie and opinlie the mater of sa grete honoure appering 1559–60 St. A. Kirk S. 22.
For mutuall societie and company to be nuriset amangst us 1562-3 Winȝet I. 78/10. 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 513.
Na thing hes sa effectualie nurissit and intertenyt the publict quietnes 1567 G. Ball. 91.
In nurissing thair vice With flatterie and adulatioun a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xcviii. 109.
Nwreist [Q. noureist] 1575 Waus Corr. 102.
Rathar to agment cavldneis nor nores amitty

b. To foster, cherish or nurse (a state of mind). 1513 Doug. iv. i. 2.
Be this the Queyn, throw hevy thochtis onsound. In euery vayn nurysys the greyn wound