A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1461-1663
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Harp, n. Also: harpe, herp, hearpe. [ME. harpe, OE. hearpe, ON. harpa.]
1. A harp. Also attrib. with string.(a) 1461 Liber Pluscardensis I. 392.
Rycht as all stringis ar reulit in a harp a1500 Henr. Orph. 134.
O dulfull harp [B. herp], with mony dolly stryng a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 2522.
Harpe, lute, gittern, clarschaw & croudeattrib. 1612 Bk. Rates 330.
Harpe strings, … lutte strings(b) a1500 Henr. Orph. 470 (B).
Quhen our mynd Plais vpoun the herp of eloquence 15.. Clariodus ii. 352.
Ane herp with stringis seir 15.. Ib. 446.
Playand on ane hearpe
b. The constellation Lyra. (Also e.m.E., 1551). 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 21/49.
Heir shynes the Charlewain, there the Harp giues light
2. A sieve for cleansing grain. (So Du. harp, Dan. harpe, Sw. harpa.)1622 Scot Course of Conformity 56 (see Hirsp v.). 1663 Edinburgh Testaments LXXI. 102 b.
Tua harpes for dichting of victuall
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"Harp n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/harp_n>
