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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.

Quhar(e)throuch, Quhairthrouch, -throw, interrog. and rel. adv. (n.). Also: qwhar-, whar-, quair-, whair-, wheare- and -throuche, -throucht, -throwch(t, -through(t, -thruch, -throch(e, -t(h)rocht, -thorch, -throwe, -thro(u, -thru, -trow. [North. ME whar(e)-thurgh, -thurth (14th c.), earlier midl. and south. wor-ðurȝ (Bestiary), whar thurf (c1300), ȝwar þorȝ (1297), Quhare C 5, Throuch prep.: cf. Quher(e)throw.In earlier texts chiefly written as two words, in later texts variously as two words or one.]

A. interrog. a. ? Through which place or places? b. In respect of or due to what?a. 1526 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 83.
Willem Ker … [is] to produce his … chartouris and rychtis quhar throu the vater suld cum to the myllb. 1480 Acta Conc. I 55/2.
To preife and schew that the said instrument is fals and quharethrou

B. relative. 1. In local sense: Through which, also fig.; also, across or along which. c1400 Troy-bk. i 264.
The stryndes in dyuerse places were Rynnand throw gravaile quhyt & clene, Whar-throw the herbis quhyt & grene Maid moistour 1456 Hay II 158/1.
He has his breste quharethrou the ayr cummys and gais c1590 Fowler II 41/9.
It may be obscured by the darknes and clouds of superstitious errours … quhairthrow the Euangel of Christ truely may nocht appeir

2. With reference to agency or instrumentality. a. With specific noun antecedent: By means of which, out of which; also, through whose intermediacy.Also quhairthrow that.(1) 1375 Barb. iv 694 (C).
Ane of thame is astrology, Quhar-throu [1571 Quhairthrow] clerkis … May knaw [etc.] Ib. x 541 (E).
Sum sutelte or wile … Quhar throw [C. Quhar throu] the castell have mycht he a1400 Leg. S. v 111.
Vane thinge is it … As the medicine … Quhare-thru the seknes na remed Ma haf 1388 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 295.
And to mak of new to the forsaid Alexander whatkin … chartre … whairthruch the forsaid Alexander … micht be maste sikir ?1438 Alex. ii 3452.
Of riches rentis and of citeis … Quhairthrow that I sa heyit is Ib. 10458.
Franchis is the first speir, Quhairthrow luffaris beginnis to leir a1500 Seven S. 172.
He sawe ane litill sterne besyde Quhar throwe be science he aspyd [etc.] 1533 Gau 8/15.
The x commandis of God quhairthrow thay ma knaw thair sine and ewil 1533 Boece 47b.
Or gif new addiciouns war necessare quharethrow the pece suld be mare … lesty Ib. 336b.
Thir deuote persouns … gevin … to husband lauboure, quharethrow thai mycht sustene thare narow life c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1957.
Nynus … first inuentit imagerye Quhare throw came gret idolatrye a1578 Pitsc. I 31/8. 1596 Dalr. II 349/31.
And that the gouernour heirefter pretend na rycht to the realme quhairthrou he may saw ony discord(2) 1596 Dalr. II 33/21.
Donald now, quhais wyfe was Alex^rs sistir, Effemis ant, quhairthrouch claymeng rycht to the erldome of Rosse, cumis to Rosse with ane power

b. Where the antecedent is inferred from the preceding context: By which means, and by that means, and thereby. c1400 Troy-bk. i 461.
Quhar-throw gret rygour oft scho wrought To the comowns

3. On account of which, as a result of which, because of which; with the result that, so that; and on that account, and in consequence, and so.

a. With specific noun antecedent. b. Where the antecedent is to be inferred from the preceding context.Also, quhare throw that.a. 1375 Barb. xiii 441 (E).
This was the caus … Quhar-throuch the King of Ingland Eschapyt a1400 Leg. S. xvi 531.
This mekile bale … Quhare-thru is thus ded my wife ?1438 Alex. ii 3638.
Ȝit is me fallin nocht Quhare-throw that man bird blame me ocht 14.. Burgh Laws c. 9 (A).
Ony thing quhar throu that batall may rise 1474 Edinb. B. Rec. I 28.
Quharthrou a1500 Henr. Fab. 984 (Ch.).
And fle the filth of falset … Quhairthrow thair followis syn and schameful deid ?c1500 Rathen Manual 27/1.
Fals vittnes … quharthrow men tynys lyf or lymme 1511 Lennox Mun. 194.
Ony impediment … quhar throught the saidis personis may nocht lauchfully remane togidder in mariage 1512 Reg. Privy S. I 364/2.
All actiouns … quharthrow thai may be accusit in the justice-airis 1520 Fife Sheriff Ct. 191.
Ane lettir of contimax … quharthrou he mycht noucht persew nane actione [etc.] c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 50. 1555 Montgomery Mem. II 154.
Be occatioun or falt quhairthrou the said matrimoney may nocht lauchfullie stand 1562-3 Winȝet II 3/15.
Quharethrow 1570 Leslie 41.
Quhairthrouch 1590 Acts III 525/1.
Ane act maid thairupoun quhairthrow they sall not be forder troublit for that horningb. (a) 1375 Barb. i 170.
Quhar-throuch fell efter mekill ill c1420 Wynt. vii 2105.
Quhare-throwch [C. qwhar throw, W. quhare throu] that tyme thare wayage Togyddyr thai made 14.. Acts I 37/2.
A kepar folowand thaim [swine] in the feylde quhar thruch his nychtburis inryn na scathe nor noye 1461 Aberd. B. Rec. I 22.
Ony man … at pais nocht his male, … quharthroch it may ryn to … preiudice to the toune c1475 Wall. i 72.
Quhar throuch Ib. iii 134.
A maner dyk … , Narrowyt the way, quhar throuch thai thikar raid 1490 Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 47.
Qwharthorch preiudice suld nocht be generit till [etc.] 1527 Carnwath Baron Ct. (S.H.S.) 69.
The said Jhone Twadal had brokin the arestment quharthrowcht he had forfait … the tak and steding 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 116.
Quhar throuch Ib. 182.
Quharthroch 1562 Inverness Rec. I 94.
Quhartrocht 1563–4 Ib. 109. 1567 Lanark B. Rec. 38.
To put the sammyn to executioun quharthroucht the said bailyeis maye haif na brutt [etc.] 1572 Inverness Rec. I 215.
Quhartrocht(b) 1557 Southesk MSS 19.
The said bischope … as ȝeit he wantis ane gret part thairof … quhairthrouch he can nocht pay his garysoun 1568 Peebles Chart. 73.
Quhair throuch 1569 Q. Mary in Facs. Nat. MSS III lix.
It … wexis our sprite, quhairthroucht we ar movit to seik remedy thairfor 1570 Leslie 41.
Quhairthrouch a1578 Pitsc. II 233/29.
Quhair throche 1581 Cal. Sc. P. VI 8.
[Requiring him that by his authority … the said ambassador may have favourable passage to … his … sister unhindered] quhairthrocht na further inconvenientis fall out be sic unkyndlie dealing 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 333.
That he in sorcerie beleavit him, Whairthrough his saule mycht come to skayth c1590 Fowler I 183/3.
Whair through Ib. 227/11.
Quhairthrough Ib. II 22/21.
Quhairthrouch 1596 Dalr. I 5/15.
Bot the windis … blawis oft verie vehement … quhairthrouch the cuntrey is nocht lytle bot mekle hailsumer Ib. 97/16.
Takes to thame selfes the grettest … licence, quairthrouch thay reioyse that vnpuniste ay thay chaipe Ib. 225/22.
Quhairthrouche Ib. 21/18. 1627 Aberd. Council Lett. I 277.
Quhair through nain pretend ignorance herof(c) 1375 Barb. vii 89.
Quhar-throu in Yngland vyth the kyng He had rycht gret price and lovyng c1400 Troy-bk. i 279.
Quhar-throw of halking and of hunting Haboundanly thar had the kyng Ib. 557.
Quhar-throw Denys … Thyr wordis said [etc.] c1420 Wynt. v Prol. 29 (C).
The west kynrik begouythe to rysse … Be … fel bataile, Qwhar throw [R. Quhare throuch, W. Quhare throu] the warlde is hallely Now redact in monarchy c1450-2 Howlat 867 (A). 1465 Montgomery Mem. 35.
Quhar throw the sayd Schir Vilȝham, … brouk nocht nor joyse the sayd landis pessabilly a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 966 (Asl.).
Peter than fled, quhar throu, o thou synnare, Leif syn 1494 Loutfut MS 10b.
Quharthrow euery colour may be blassonyt in thre maneris in stanys in virtuys and in colouris 1513 Doug. iii x 33.
Quharthrou Id. Direct. 20.
Quharthrow 1513 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 22.
And sal be sperit at thaim quharthro the said inquest maye fynd and understand the verite 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 27. 1535 Stewart 34157.
Quharthrow 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 55.
Quharthrow c1540 Id. Syde Taillis 45.
Thare gownis, Four inche abone thare proper heillis, … Quhare throw thare dois na poulder ryis 1538–9 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 232.
Be the law … of the realme all inquestis … suld be chosin in od novmer quhareth[r]ow the said pretendit rolment of court gevin but just novmer of inquest is null in the self 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 50.
Becaus of the speking with Georg Dowglas quhartrow ther is ane murmure of me in your gracis cumpanye 1546 Grant Chart. 98.
How the landis … has beyne hereyt and brynt, … quharthrow that our lowit James Grant … has gottyn na proffit thairof 1557 Aberd. B. Rec. I 302.
Ane … pley … betuixt certane nychtbouris of this toune … quharthrow standis vnkyndnes and inimitie betuix the saidis nychtbouris 1562-3 Winȝet II 24/13. 1558-66 Knox I 363.
The poore … had maid havock of all suche thingis as was movable … wharthrow we war the less trubilled in putting ordour to suche places 1584 Coll. Aberd. & B. 629.(d) ?1438 Alex. ii 10195.
Of that craft sum deill I can! … Quhairthrow the war end salbe thyne a1500 Henr. Fab. 580 (Bann.).
I was vnwyis that winkit at thy will, Quhairthrow allmaist I lossit had my heid c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) iii 138.
The erde did trymmill … Quhairthrow I waiknit [etc.] 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 18. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 866.
Quhairthrow hir dolour wes the moir 1551 Acts II 483/1.
Quhairthrow 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8768. 1560 Peebles B. Rec. I 264.
We ar destitute and wantis ane kirk quhairthrow we may nocht resorte … to the preching of Goddis word c1575 Balfour Pract. 618.
The master aucht to see the ship tyit and beiled, quhairthrow the ship and merchandice may not be put to ony danger or skaith a1578 Pitsc. I 27/20.
This was done without the chancellaris counsall quhair throw he was hichlie offendit Ib. 64/16.
This Issobel was hand fast witht him and deceissit befor the marieage, quhairthrow this Alexander was worthie of ane greatter leving [etc.] 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 30.
Now Doctor Adamsone at last. Whairthrow he ower to Paris past As pedagoge a1595 Descr. Isles 437.
Ley land, quhilk is maist nurischand girs of ony uther, quhairthrow the ky of this ile abundis sa of milk [etc.] 1596 Dalr. I 107/15.
Quhairthrowe proceidit that quhen the king [etc.] 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 111.
Thow keist thi witchcraft on hir milknes, quhairthrow the said Katheren … culd newir gett na kynd of milknes 1629 Dundonald Par. Rec. 279. 1642 Aberd. B. Rec. III 292.
Dinging hir violentlie to the earth, quhairthrow she lay deid 1645 Ib. IV 56.(e) c1590 Fowler I 33/189.
Wheare through greit tempests of grit wars … Did ryse thairbye

4. ? In respect of which. 1596 Dalr. I 106/2.
First for the authoritie, quhairthrouch sche excellis the rest

5. n. Some part of, or attachment for, a window. 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 385.
Item, givin to the smyth for certane standarts quharethrouchs and glass bands to the upermaist wyndowis … xiij s. iiij d.