A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Begary, v. Also: begarie, begaré, begarre, begairy, bygary. [F. bigarré, p.p. of bigarrer to variegate, to diversify with colours. Cf. Begare v.]
1. tr. To ornament (a garment) with stripes or trimmings of another material and colour. Chiefly in p.p.(a) 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 211.
For iiij elne wellus to bordour and begary the samyn [cloak], viij li. 1517 Ib. V. 125.
For iij quarteris … of blak vellous to begary the said Colleres cott 1525 Ib. 252.
For half an eln of vellous to begarre thame [sc. hose]. xxx s. 1539 Ib. VII. 54.
To Johne Murray twa elnis ane quarter to begary his goune(b) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 413.
Veluat robbis. … Dames, satyne, begaryit mony wise Id. Æn. viii. xi. 43.
Thar purpour robbys bygareit schynand brycht 1533 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 451.
Ane gelcot of Inglis reid begareit with blak uelvet 1546 Reg. Great S. 9/1.
Una tunica de lie Paris blak, velveto circumdata lie begareit c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 126.
Of ȝallow taftais wes hir sark, Begaryit all with browderit wark 1559 Cart. S. Giles p. cviii.
Ane westiament … of greine dalmas with the pertinentis begareit with strypis of gold 1567 Bamff Chart. 69.
Ane hugtoun cot of black, begareit with blak velvot. Ane gowne of Frenche blak, begareit with black velvot 1593 Lennox Mun. 463.
We haf … interdytit our selffis from weiring of ony clothing … that salbe ony wys begaried, laid ower or smered with ony kind of pasimentis 1604 Black Bk. Taymouth 339.
Ane wylie coyte of gray stemmyng begariit with veluet
2. To variegate with streaks of colour.c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 33.
The dust fleis hiest in the air, And all thare facis dois begarie 1587-99 Hume iii. 65.
Begaried is the saphire pend With spraings of skarlet hew 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. i. 59.
Some Whally's bible did begarie, By latting flee at it Canarie
