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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ordinary, a. (adv.) and n. Also: -ie, -ye, -ij, ordinerrie, ordanarie, ordenary; ornarie. [ME. and e.m.E. ordyn- (1303), ordinary(e, -ie, ordenary(e (c 1450), -ie, early OF. and AF. ordinarie, med. L. ordināri-us: cf. Ordinar.]

1. adj. = Ordinar a. in various senses: Regular, normal, customary, usual; common, frequent, habitual; everyday, ordinary.By ordinary, beyond what is usual or common, of an exceptional kind.(1) 1560 Knox II. 63.
Providing … that this be not prejudiciall to the ordinarie jurisdictioun of judgeis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 6. 1574 Edinb. Kirk S. 1 July.
Ordinarie puiris ? c 1604–5 Sc. Hist. Rev. XIX. 269.
When anye of the ordinarie places of the Session are voyde by decease of anye of the Senatours 1610 Writers Signet xxv.
[That] no ordinary writer in time of session be found drinking in taverns 1621 Acts IV. 617/1.
The just and ordinarye price whiche they ressave Ib. 619/1.
Pryces sett doun to the ordanarie clerkis of the sessioun 1622 Sc. Ant. XIII. 163.
The 4 ordenary macers made guard with their macs a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 187. 1634 Wedderburn Gramm. 35.
Epulæ, ordinarie cheare 1635 Black Bk. Taymouth 441.
My pryce shall be bot the ordinarie since the measure is just the ordinarie 1650 Dunkeld Presb. I. 272.
An ordinary mettier … of lands 1650 Cupar Presb. 156.
Chusing impertinent places of scripture for his ordinary text in preaching 1654 Fam. Innes 174. 1662 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 178.
The generall [of the mint] … hath both ordinarie fees when the work lyes and extraordinarie fees when it goes 1672 Acts VIII. 84/2.
Processis are very much lengthened by the longe runing of ordinary and incident diligence 1677 Cunningham Diary 100.
For my ordinary diet all the time I was in Edin. 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. ii. 2. (1699) 13.
Extraordinary [crimes] were these wherein the law had appointed no particular punishment; ordinary crimes were such as were punishable by a liquid pain, determined by the law Ib. ii. ix. 1. (1699) 198.
The Deans of Guild were … ordinary judges of old betwixt mariner and merchand 1681 Stair Inst. iv. iii. § 26.
The ordinary solemn summonses are such as are intented before the Lords in the first instance, and these are called ordinary actions in distinction from the causes which come before the Lords in the second instance by advocation from inferior courts 1683 Musselburgh 38.
Intimation to be made theirof the ordinarie way 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 78.
The Duke and Dutches compeiring by their ordinary and best lawiers 1687 Cramond Kirk S. II. 2 Oct.
The ordinary collections being abstracted by the meeting houses 1692 Conv. Burghs IV. 583.
To the stipends of 5 of ther ordinarij ministers, £5400/0/0. 1693 Cramond Kirk S. III. 11 Apr.
That Balmerino had a right to Cramonds entry as ane ordinarie entry when he pleased to his seatt is … absurde(b) 1692 Dunkeld Presb. I. 283.
And contempt of the ornarie orders anent fastings(2) 1695 Acts Sederunt ii. 214.
The lord ordinary for concluded causes(3) 16.. Hist. Kennedy 149.
Being a ordinary hantar and keipar of cumpany with the said laird 1643 Black Cal. Witchcraft 52/1.
[Marione Fisher] given up to be ane ordinarie charmer 1649 Cullen Kirk S. 20 May.
Delait to be ordinarie breakers of the Sabboth 1655 Ib. 2 Sept.
It is ordained that all ordinarie swearers be punished as fornicators 1658 Dunferm. Ann. 331.
Guiltie of ordinarie absence fra the kirk 1670 Dunblane Synod 81.
Excused because of their frequent ordinarie sicknes and extreme age 1671 Kingarth Par. Rec. 79.
For his ordinary drunkeness(4) 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 48.
Without anie greater terrour for these his rarest weapons, nor for the ordinarie whereof wee haue daily the proofe 1615 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 259.
I am his maiesteis serwand more nor ordinerrie subiectis 1649 Sc. N. & Q. 1 Ser. III. 123.
The common bruite was he died of witchcraft for his sickness was not ordinary 1650 Lamont Diary 18.
Hyger … then the ordinary gybbetts 1660 Sc. N. & Q. 3 Ser. IX. 138.
In hir ordinarie habite & abiliments 1674 Cullen Kirk S. II. 14 June.
Arthur Ross profest repentance in the ordinarie saccloth used [?for] adulterers c 1680 Morisone in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 210.
A verie good and ordinarie harbour within but in the entrie hath twa rocks invisible with high water(5) 1634 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 105.
It is ordinary, that that should be a part of the cross of those who suffer for Him 1671 Justiciary Rec. II. 56.
Albeit it be ordinary to lybell the day, month and place of crimes(6) a1658 Durham Commandments (1675) 177.
A sort of majesty by ordinary in our walk 1688 Tryal Philip Standsfield 22.
There was no swelling in his belly, nor anything by ordinary to be seen in his head

b. adv. Regularly, normally; commonly, habitually. 1655 Rothesay B. Rec. 9.
The provest John M’Gilchrist … hes ordinary the resaveing and trubill of strangers 1659 Dunferm. Kirk S. 54.
All those who have bein ordinarie or continuall absent fra catechising, shall be cited

2. noun = Ordinar n. in various applications.(1) 1620 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 603.
Will you reverendlie obey your ordinarie and other cheef ministers? 1636 Canons and Constitutions Ecclesiasticall 34.
If he take anie grassume … to the hurt … of the church … he will answere it before his ordinarie 1662 Acts VII. 379/2.
That none be … permitted to preach … without the licence of the ordinary of the diocesse 1663 Craven Ch. in Orkney 15.
Till it was knowne whom his majesty had appoynted ordinary in the sea of Orkney 1681 Dunkeld Presb. II. 435. 1684 Wodrow Hist. IV. 54.
To deliver up his wife to justice when required by the ordinary to answer for church irregularities 1683 Martine Reliq. Divi Andreae 140.
Because he was a spirituall man, desiring that he might be repledged to his ordinarie(2) 1672 Rothesay B. Rec. 225.
John Bannatyne protestit that the baillie was not judge competent bot the ordinarie(3) 1662 Acts Sederunt ii. 85.
And ordaines the ordinary in the outter-house for the time to call the causes … as they are sett down in order 1672 Acts VIII. 81/2. 1675 Acts Sederunt ii. 117.
That hereafter … no bill of suspension shall be presented to any lord to be past but to him who shall be ordinary for the time upon the bills; and that … the ordinary shall continue upon the bills from Tuesday to Tuesday Stair Inst. iv. xx. § 28. 1685 Acts Sederunt ii. 163. 1690 Ib. 187.
An amaund to be given in to the ordinary … to be put in the poors box 1691 Ib. 191.
Each lord when he falls in course to be ordinary at the side barr 1695 Ib. 213.
That in all concluded causes when the lord appointed to prepare the same for advising [etc.] … , which objections shall be considered by the said ordinary 1697-1707 D. Hume Accompt of Estate 38.
Albeit I frequently urged the ordinary to [etc.](4) 1612 Conv. Burghs II. 370.
The setting doun of the pryses of the ordinarie of the Scots natioun, trafficquand and eittand and drynkeand in the said consergerie 1677 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 21 Apr.
To the workmen for a barrall of ail as thair ordinarie at Ȝuil(5) 1668–9 J. Stuart Hist. Sketches Fowlis Easter (1865) 134–5.
[The minister preached] upon his ordinary [(Acts xvii. 24) from Nov. 1668 till May 1669 with only occasional exceptions, in all 22 Sundays, forenoon and afternoon] 1674 Bonckle Kirk S. 46.
Sermone both dyits on our ordinary, Romanes 8 ch. 11 v.(6) 1662 W. Pringle in Sel. Biog. I. 433.
It was my ordinary, to read the 100 psalm, which I did with very much joy and peace 1688 Tryal Philip Standsfield 27.
She went out with him, which was not her ordinary(7) 1675 Stirlings of Keir 508.
An ingein by which ane man will perform mor work in on day than ten will doe in the ordinarie(8) 1636 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 105.
The remeid is both of wecht and fynnes such as his m. and cownsell allowis but the ordinary is tua grayns or a grane and a half

3. n. and a. Ordinary reading, ordinary, a regular reading from the Bible as an observance within a household.(Cf. Ordinar a. 1 e and n.¹ 6 b, and 2 (5) above.) 1665 W. Pringle in Sel. Biog. I. 459.
My ordinary this morning was from the 9th verse of this 5th chapter to the end Ib. 460.
February 23, our ordinary reading in the family in the morning was psalm lv. Ib.
It may appear how well our ordinary was trysted with our present condition