Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Sipher, Sifer, n. Also: sypher, -ir, -yr, -re, sifar, -ir, syffer, syfeyr, sepheir, -ar, zepher, seif(f)er. [ME and e.m.E. siphre (1399), sipher (c1400), syphre (1533), sypher (1541).] = Cipher(e n. See also Chiffer n. and Schifre n.

1. The arithmetical symbol zero.In the Art of Music quot., the word sypheris is taken to refer to the zero-like appearance of the semi-breve and minim in musical notation. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lviii 20.
Quha na thing hes, can na thing gett, Bot ay as syphir sett amang thame c1550-c1580 Art of Music 25.
With figuris and sypheris in void spaces within rewlis or lynis sittuat, schawand be signis the nummerable strenth of ewerry noittis 1622-6 Bisset II 182/15.
His … maiestie succeding … in the numer nynt, quhilk nynt figoure of numer includis and comprehendis all the rest of the figouris without sipheris

2. fig. A person of no value or significance; a nonentity. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 184.
He semys to be sumthing worth that syphyr in bour 1559–60 Knox VI 106.
I compt our foot men as sipheris 1630 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 264.
It appears to me that ye do this to mak me your sifer and yourself the significant figour 1654 Dumfries Kirk S. 21 Dec.
He hard Katharein … calling Edward Wilsone a seiffer, and his wyff ane wnfamous woman

3. Applied to any of the Arabic numerals: A numerical figure, a number. 1622-6 Bisset I 77/10.
I have put the daittis be sepharis for the suirare … knawlege bayth of the lerned and unlerned

4. A written character of symbolic significance; a hieroglyph. 1531 Bell. Boece I lix.
[The Scots] usit not to writ with common letteris … bot erar with sifars and figuris of beistis maid in maner of letteris; sic as thair epithafis and superscriptioun abone thair sepulturis schawis

5. A secret method of writing; the characters or symbols employed in such writing. Also be or in sypheris, = in cypher. Cf. Cipher(e n. 2, Chiffer n. 2 and Schifre n.(1) 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I 286.
[I have written my other letters in] sifir 1565 Cal. Sc. P. II 232.
I resavit thir uther tua lettres in syphre fra Mr. Randolphe 1568 Q. Mary in 6th Rep. Hist. MSS 637/2.
Y dar nocht vreit les y heuu a sipher(b) 1559 Cal. Sc. P. I 258.
I gave a memorial to Mr. Randolph [to write to you in] zepher of our urgent necessity of pay for 3000 foot and 300 horse 1568 Reg. Morton I 38.
This is the copy of my sephar quhilk your Lordship sall resaue 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 317.
Sepheir(2) 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 179.
He hes writen this mater be syfferis 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 183.
The sacryter hes menyt in hys syfeyris … that [etc.] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 185.
The maist pairt … wer all written in sypheris

6. A monogram; a letter design. = Cipher(e n. 1. See also Chiffer n. 1 and Schifre n. for further examples. 1628–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 256.
The foir entrie of the chaippill … with the armes housingis crownellis and siferis 1628–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 256.
The window heidis the seiferis and crownis with the af settis to be new giltit 1639 Macgibbon & Ross V 557.
Armes, names, and siferis upon the windockis 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 350.
For sifers and tears for the paill cofen and losangs armes