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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Prefer, v. Also: prefere, preferr(e, preffer(r; prefar(re; praefer(re; p.t. and p.p. preferrit, etc., also preferrd. [ME and e.m.E. preferre (Chaucer), e.m.E. prefer (1592), prefarre (1502), p.t. and p.p. preferred (1390), prefarde, prepharred (16th c.), prefer(r)d (17th c.), F. préférer (14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), L. praefer-re.]

1. tr. To choose (one person or thing) in preference (to, also above, before, another); to give priority (to); to favour, regard more highly.Also with ellipsis of to.(1) c1420 Wynt. vi 1776.
Fals flechowrys … That sayd, thare wes na lyvand man, That Edmwnd wald, fra he ware dede, Prefere [C. proffer] till Knowt in till hys stede To rynge Ib. viii 354.
That the female … Preferryd [C. Preferrande] to the male suld be Ib. 523.
That ilke custwme … suld be … Preferryd till lawys imperyalle, Canowne, or othir custwmale Ib. 653. 1490 Irland Mir. I 19/24.
Hou we suld prefere spirituall thingis to bodely thingis Id. Asl. MS. 69/21.
I haue synnit … preferrand me to mony mekle … worthiare than my self 1490–1 Acta Conc. I 168/2.
His trew liegis sulde abone all … particulare proffit desire to prefer the noble estate of his excellence 1531 Bell. Boece II 372.
The first two thocht hevy that a man of sobir linage … suld be preferrit to thaim in dignite Ib. 225. Id. Livy I 45/15.
Becaus thare was nane … that mycht prefer [L. praeferre] thame self … to the said Numa, thai condiscendit to mak him king 1533 Boece 109 b.
The Ilis of Orknay for … halesum are mycht be preferrit [L. anteponendas] to mony vthir regiouns a1538 Abell 121 b.
Quha misknawis Sanct Petir principat of the apostolis to be preferrit to all othir bischeprik 1549 Compl. 132/24.
Bot rather he did preffer the public veil befor natural loue 1551 Hamilton Cat. 24.
I preferre deidis of mercy abone all corporal … sacrifice a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 121/1.
Quhais iugementis … ar to be preferrit to the opinione and iugement of … facciouse men 1562-3 Winȝet I 59/33.
Præfer Ib. 71/1.
Præfer Ib. II 20/27, etc.
Præferrit 1567 G. Ball. 185.
Man, befoir God, sa lang we haif preferrit [: marrit] a1568 Weddirburne Bann. MS. 288 b/119.
Aboif all giftis thay preffer chestitie c 1572 Buchanan in Facs. Nat. MSS. III lxvi.
Praefer a1578 Pitsc. I 39/9. 1596 Dalr. I 154/23.
Preferet Ib. 167/23.
Preferret 1612 Douglas Corr. 43.
To wishe the kyndlie takesman, at the expireing of their tackes … to be to all others preferred a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 118.
Preferrd 1641 Acts V 721/1. c1650 Spalding I 318.(b) 1567 G. Ball. 87.
Abone all thing prefar [: be war (= beware)] His godlie word Ib. 103. 1571 Cal. Sc. P. III 590.
[And yet I will not] prefarre [it to the public](2) ellipt. 1456 Hay I 296/18.
For as he [a king] is preferrit all otheris in honoure and excellence to the warldwart [etc.](3) 1490 Irland Mir. I 66/29.
Bot than it [sc. copulation] had bene honorable as virginite, thocht now virginite be preferrit a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 957 (Asl.).
Prefer the will of God in our ressoun 1513 Doug. i i 46.
Quhon that he [sc. Paris] Preferrit Venus, dispisyng hir [sc. Juno's] bewte a1568 Maitland Bann. MS. 14 a/175. 1562-3 Winȝet II 52/14.
Nocht præferring the auctoritie of ony ane man … bot dispyseand al thir thingis 1584 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 320.
To the effect that the said complener suld nocht be preferrit in probatioun, he behuifit to rais [etc.] a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 30.
Upon the death of the king, Harold … was preferred, Prince Edgar his right utterly misknown

b. In passive. = 2 a. 1533 Boece 219.
Thare prince and his liegis, to quham in douchtines nane vthir nacioun mycht be preferrit 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 37.
For the king can haue na peir nor companion: far les can he haue anie superior to be preferred to him

c. To choose to do (one thing) erar (= rather) than another. 1533 Boece 185.
Sic ane monstruos man preferring to vse him self as ane fidlar erare than ane prudent … prince

2. a. To be preferred or preferable to; to surpass, excel, outshine.Also (once) in ME (Chaucer): cf. MF préférer to prevail, have the pre-eminence (15th c. in Godef.). 1513 Doug. Direct. 99.
I will weill otheris can say mair curyusly Bot I haue said eftir my fantasy, I covait nocht to prefer [Ruddim. preffer] ony wight 1549 Compl. 43/12, 15.
The quhilk stait prefferris al vthir faculte of this varld … for sen the varld vas creat, scheiphirdis prefferrit al vthir staitis Ib. 65/34, 66/2.
Nor Orpheus … his playing prefferrit nocht thir foir said scheiphirdis; nor ȝit the scheiphyrd Pan … nor Mercurius … none of them culd preffer thir foirsaid scheiphirdis Ib. 186/2.
I confesse that honest pace suld preffer oniust veyris Ib. 112/25. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 871.
Because all vther he did prefer, Namit he wes brycht Lucefer 1571 Cal. Sc. P. III 704.
[I know your labours … to be such as no man in England of your degree and estate] prefarith [you]

b. ? To go before (in time), precede, anticipate. 1488–9 Acta Conc. I 103/2.
Becaus the assignacioune maid be the said Christiane to the said James Bonare eldare … preferrit the date of the assignacioune maid to the said James ȝounger

3. To advance in rank or fortune, to promote (a person) (to an office), (also, to be an office-holder).(1) a1578 Pitsc. I 130/18.
He preferit them [sc. slaves] to the administratioun … of the commone weill befoir and abone all sic nobillis … quhais [etc.] 1596 Dalr. I 259/8.
Soluathie, Eugene the 8 his sone, is to the kingdome preferit, elected, and crouned 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 110/10.
To charge you to præferre speciallie to youre seruice samonie as [etc.] Ib. 114/12. Ib. 118/10.
Preferre 1639 Wemyss Chart. 225. 1644 St. A. Presb. 21.
That Mr. Thomas Lentron be preferred to the place of bibliothecarian c1650 Spalding I 258. Ib. 318. a1676 Guthry Mem. 105.(2) 1672 Aberd. Council Lett. V 167.
That ye would preferr Alexander Farquhar … to be keeper of the Leter Post Office

4. ? To infer as a logical consequence, to imply. a1568 Weddirburne Bann. MS. 279 b/89.
Perticular prefferris nocht vniuersalitie