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.
Quotation dates: 1420, 1475-1599
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Counter, Cownter, n.1 Also: countir, -tyre, cowntir, -ttyre, contyr, comptir. [ME. countire, cowntire, var. of cunter Cunter.]
1. A hostile encounter. c1420 Wynt. ix. 3205.
At this countyre [v.r. cownttyre] … Baith fadyre and son slane ware thare c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace v. 923.
Quhen he the cownter saw, On thaim he raid c1475 Ib. vi. 514.
The fyrst cowntir ye may nocht weill abid a1500 Golagros and Gawane 798.
Tak nocht yone keyne knight to countir in this hard cais a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 3236.
Schir Gawan saw the counter that he mad 1513 Doug. xi. xii. 22.
The contyr or first to-come … Full ardent wolx 1533 Boece viii. viii. 266.
The corage of Scottis and Pichtis at the first cownter of bargane was feirs and kene 1533 Ib. x. xiv. 383.
Scottis ruschit fordwart apoun inemyis, quhare was ane cruell comptir 1535 Stewart 4760. 1535 Ib. 14360.
In that counter mony cruell knycht Wes maid to kneill 15.. Clariodus ii. 864.
Thinking … That he sould … ane manlie counter make 15.. Ib. iv. 934.
2. In counter, ? to meet an attack. a1500 Golagros and Gawane 950.
The scheld in countir he kest our his cleir weid
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"Counter n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/counter_n_1>
