A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1487, 1538-1673
[0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0]
Changeour, -ear, n. Also: changer, chainger, chenger. [ME. chaungeour (14th c.), chaunger, e.m.E. changer, OF. changeor.]
1. A money-changer. a1400 Legends of the Saints x. 550.
He wes tollar, & toll tuke, & changeour als 1487 Acts II. 182/2.
That his hienes deput … ane vthir [man] to be wissar & changeour, quhilkis sall … haue thare feis as wes vsit to be gevin to … changeouris in ald tymes 1538 Reg. Privy S. II. 401/1.
Makand him maister of the cunȝehous and maister changeour of the cunȝe, gold & silver 1542 Ib. 707/1.
Siclike … as ony utheris of his graces cunȝehous and maisteris changeouris usit the samyn in tymes bigane 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 345.
The personis … with quhom thaj [placks] salbe fund … unmerkit, salbe … puneist as willfull outputtaris and changearis of fals … money
2. An exchanger, a customer. 1623 Dundee B. Laws 605.
That nane … sell any malt to any of thair nichtbors, callandis, and chengeris of malt to thame, … quhill sick tyme as thair said calland or chenger to thame mak first compleit payment [etc.]
3. One who changes or alters. 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 28.
Fearing na wayes the sentence, pronuncit agains the choppers and chaingers of the Bible
4. The keeper of a change-house. 1673 Grant Burgh Sch. (1876) ii. 177.
[In 1673 the Council of Paisley] ordain that changers selling drink to scholars shall pay £10
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Changeour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/changeour>
