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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Reconter, Recunter, -ir, v. Also: -yr, -ere, -cointer. [Conter v. Cf. Recounter v., Reaconter v., Ranconter v.] = Recounter v., to encounter in various senses.Freq. in Doug.

a. = Recounter v. 1.(a) 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 1703.
Tholome quhilk was ane worthie knycht Recointerit him sa stoutlie 1513 Doug. x v 171.
Lat ws … recontyr our fays, or thai … tak array Ib. xi vii 186.
Do … not spayr Forto recontyr alone thyne aduersar Ib. xii vi 14.
I aucht … Allane Turnus recontyr hand for hand 1531 Bell. Boece I 46.
[He] gatherit haistely ane army to reconter his ennimes 1533 Boece 454.
This garisoun bustuouslie recontering the power directit fra the king expellit thame … fra Lochabre 1549 Compl. 114/15.
The Romans … met and recontrit the Cartagiens a1578 Pitsc. I 234/27.
Schir Patrickis horse … wald on nowayis reconter his marrow(b) 1513 Doug. xi x 39.
I … baldly dar recuntir in melle All the horsmen of the Tuscane menȝe 1533 Boece 11.
How Corbrede recunterit him be batell

b. = Recounter v. 2. 1513 Doug. iv iv 62.
Langyng … The fomy bair … recontyr he mycht Ib. x v 11.
Onone … Recontyris hym hys falloschip in hy Of nymphis Ib. xiii v 13.
Thus thai recuntyrrit [Sm. recunterrit] thame that cumand weir 1549 Compl. 98/28.
Thai var recontrit be the forreours … of the Romanis — 1586 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 119.
I have reconterit heir sume letters vitche I send to your lordship

c. Of a defender in a law suit: To offer or give a counter-pledge; to oppose a pledge given by the pursuer by so doing.Cf. med. L. (Sc.) recontrariare plegium (1369 Acts I 151/2). 1410–11 Reg. Episc. Brechin. I 30 (see Reconter n. 1).
Recontret 1429 Acts (1597) i 19b.
He quha reconteres ane borgh and absentis himselfe thereafter tynes his action 1488 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 5.
Henre Spittel forspekar … recontirit the said borcht that it aucht nocht to pas alegand that the party wes beyond the se 1489 Ib. 15. 1540 Elgin Rec. I 53.
William Gaderar … recontrit the said broch allegan the said Andro had denyit the action and cled the court … apon the quhilk broch and recontyr the saidis parteis desirit ane sensiment

d. = Recounter v. 5 a. 1513 Doug. i vii 134.
Ane worthy weriour … This wench stowtly recontir durst with men