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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.

Labouring, Laubouring, vbl. n. Also: laboureing, -owring, -uring, -oring, -yng, -eing; laubo(u)r-, laubur-, lawbo(u)rin(g, -yng. [ME. laboryng (c 1400), f. Labour v.]

1. Tilling or cultivation (of land), esp. by plough and harrow; ploughing and harrowing.(a) 1482–3 Acta Conc. II. cix.
For the wrangwis occupatioun and labouring of the landis of Drumcowane 1511 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 106.
Sene tha ar fermouris … and thai haue samekill wark ado … about the labouring of that toune to pay thair ferme 1627 Rep. Parishes 91.
[Neatone] now presently be gud laburing and limming is becomme better a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 239.
Actuall … possession by teilling, laboreing, and soweing, ought to be preferred to civill possession be uplifting of maills 1636 Misc. Spald. C. V. 226.
That nain of them sall interrupt his nieghbour in the peacible bruiking and labouring of his awin proper pairt of the town 1649 Edinb. Test. LXIV. 268.
Certane vther plennisching consisting of harrow barrow and vther necessaris belonging to his labouring 1657 Cupar Presb. 180.
He never knew ther minister to neglect any point of his calling by his laboureing of land 1669 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I. 258.
Sixtein ky … together with two naigis for labouring of the ground c1650-1700 Descr. Zetland 20.
Their labouring [is] by four oxen all going in broad band(b) 1476 Acta Aud. 43/2.
The wrangwis distrublance of thaim in the hering and lawboring of the saidis landis 1489 Acts II. 222/1.
Lordis and gentilmen of the cuntre … quhilkis compellis thaim to do seruice … , schering, ledding, lauboring [etc.] 1511 Alloway Baron Ct. MS.
The wrangus teling and lawboring of his gait quhair he suld leid his mwyk within his delt daill 1533 Boece i. iv. 41.
In lauboring of the grund … Pichtis war exercit 1537 Glasgow Prot. IV. 103.
Nocht for to intromit with the lawboring nor profet of the twa akyrris of land c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1284.
The erth than wes so plentuous off fruct … To laubouryng thay tuke lytill tent Ib. 1926.
The bestiall reft, the commounis slane, The land, but lawboring, doith remaine 1558 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 174.
Thair tenentis … hes been in possessioun of the samen [lands] be laubouring teling and sawing thairof 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 85.
That the said Johnne sall find sufficient half plewing for laubouring thairof with his awin uthir oxingang

b. To have or possess (land) in labouring (= in cultivation, as a cultivated holding). 1559 Inchcolm Chart. 97.
[They] renuncit … the malingis and ferme stedyngis that thai … hes in tak and lauboryng 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xcii.
Ewery man can best declaire the particulers heirof [sc. marches] quha hes the landis in labowringe 1622 Fife Synod 96.
Ministers … quha have farm roumes in labouring besyd their ordinar glyb 1650 Brechin Presb. 40.
James Scott … depones that … Catharin Lyall's son took his roum, which he had in labouring of the laird of Craig 1700 Lanark B. Rec. 264.
The baillies and councell have sett to William Stark … the lands … last possest in labouring by George Cunninghame

c. Tyme of laubouring, labouring time, the ploughing and harrowing season.Also d below, quot. 1682, and cf. quot. 1679.(1) 1522 Fife Sheriff Ct. 264.
Adam Lyndesay … lousit thar pleuchis in tyme of lauboring of thar beresed 1587 Acts III 461/1.
The punisement of hocharis of oxin, hors, and guidis in tyme of laubouring(2) 1549 Prot. Bk. J. Crawford 37.
The sayd Walter … sall entyr to the tane half of the maleyng … instantlie at this lawbourin tym 1665 Irvine Deeds 8 Aug.
At laburing tyme nixtocum Ib. 14 Aug.
To enter the said Hew … to the reall possessioune of the yeard and taling rig at labouring tyme of yeare in anno [1666] … and to the housis and biginges at Witsonday nixtocum 1700 Corshill Baron Ct. 197.
[Payment] for stirring ane rood of beirland this last laboring tym

d. Attrib. (Animals, gear) used for tilling; plough-, work-. 1558-66 Knox II. 197.
The mouth of the lawboring oxe aucht not to be muzilled 1661 Acts VII. 183/1.
Ther wes robbed & away taken … nyntie four labouring oxen 1679 Wodrow Hist. (1828) III. 22.
To poind their moveables … forbearing always labouring oxen or horse from the last of October to the last of May for labouring 1682 Decis. Lords F. 16.
An action of spulȝie … for poynding of labouring goods in labouring time 1694 Annandale Corr. 74.
Coatch horses, draught, pleugh and laboring horses 1695 Edinb. Test. LXXX. 146.
Ane pleugh with the cairt & other laboureing graith

2. concr. A tract of land for cultivation, a tenant's holding of farm-land. Only in the north-east.See also Land-labouring n. — 1604 Urie Baron Ct. 5.
The detfull serwice that is to be crawet of euerie tennent … according to thair sett and laboring 1610 Brechin Test. II. 48.
Wpone the ground and labouring of Middiltoun of Gardyne ten oxin 1625 Misc. Spald. C. V. 223. 1640 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 69.
The haill husbandmen in Auld Aberdeen sall saw the twalff pairt of thair haill laboring in pese 1641 Moray Synod 58.
That Mr. Henrie Rosse [minister] denude himself of his lairge labouring of ferme land, as it hath bene a gryt distraction to him 1666 Forbes Baron Ct. 267.
Georg Burnett … [is to] help according to his labouring to fie and mantaine his pairt of ane commone heird 1670 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 263.
His father being onlie ane graseman and subtennent, and had no laboring but ane craft of land 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 452.
We were the first night at Dalcrosse, the Tutor haveing a labouring there

3. Working, operating (a ferry, an animal, etc.); working on or with (a raw material, a particular job, etc.).(1) 1495 Acta Conc. I. 414/2.
Wrangwis uexing of the said Johne in his passage and lawboring of the ferybait of Cliddisholme(2) 1482–3 Ib. II. cxii.
The actioun … persewit … for the spoliatioun, riding, lauboring and distroing of twa hors 1568 Inverness Rec. I. 163.
He offerit meit to the said Thom Cumingis wyff for lauboring of the said horse anes in the day(3) 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 74.
For the lauboring melting and thekin of the forsaidis xi fuderis of leyd 1532 Ib. 95.
For the grete lycht … in the vest gavill … wirking and lauboring a1538 Abell 4 b.
Ane wirgin callit Minarf … techit lauboring in wow 1559 Treas. Acc. XI. 17.
To Williame Leis for lauboring of ane selk skin, v li. 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 177.
In laboring upon durris, windokis, breddis, jiestis 1627 Bamff Chart. 212.
[He] sal have the use of the … corne barne for halding and labouring of his cornes(4) 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 67.
Bot ȝit be war with lawbouring of ȝour lance

4. The performance of work or toil more generally, esp. of a manual or mechanic kind.See also handy lauboring, Handy-labo(u)r n. — 1513 Doug. viii. ii. 63.
Baith nycht and day ilk man, as thai war wod, Can spend in rowth with irksum lauboryng 1621 Brechin Test. IV. 9 b.
The said vnquhill Isobell haueinge no lauboringe nor handlin … haid onlie the … plenissing of hir hous 1672 Rothesay B. Rec. 223.
The persounis lyabill in bringing home of steins and laborring at the harberie

b. Exerting oneself, exertion (for some end). a1538 Abell 89 a.
In myraculis kithin, his frutfull prechin, his lauboring for martirdome