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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Lare, Lair, n. Also: lar, laire, layr(e, lerr. [North. ME. lar (Cursor M.), lare, layre, midl. and south. lore, loor(e, OE. lár instruction, teaching.]Common in senses 1–3 in Leg. S.

1. The act of teaching; instruction, tuition.(a) a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 975.
To thrillmen & to women, And to ȝoung men als gef he lare a1400 Ib. vi. 529.
The apostil than thru his gud lare Infowrmyt al that var thare Schortly of thre [things] a1400 Ib. xii. 335.
Thire men that … saw all Cristis maraklys … & ythandly hard his lare a1400 Ib. xviii. 50.
He trewyt na man vare, Quham-of hyme nedyt til have lare a1400 Ib. iv. 55, xix. 634, 5, etc. a1627 Craig v. 5/23.
A bush … Which Nature her selfe wrought, Withoutten airts lare(b) a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 76.
Thane sad he that he come thare For informacione & layre a1400 Ib. xiv. 49. c1420 Wynt. iii. 1006 (W).
Forthy mony landis were Led be thare ois and thare laire 1535 Stewart 1677.
The kingis barnis … Tha taucht to speik with diuers toung, And kennis lair quhill thai cum till age 1600-1610 Melvill 673.
He fand thais tuo brither so hard of his lair

b. (To be) at the lare, at lare, (to go, send, put, etc.) to (unto) the lare, to lare, = under instruction, at or to school, at study.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxi. 716.
Protho & Jacincto, that ware Hyr feris ay at the lare 1535 Stewart 3145.
Tua priestis … The quhilk had bene ane long tyme at the lair 1535 Ib. 15668.16.. Ellon Par. Rec. 65.
Althoug my wreitt be not so fair I have been short fyll at the lair —c1420 Wynt. vi. 1057.
He had twa lordys at lare, That hys yhong scolarys sumtyme ware 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 8364.
He was seuin ȝeir at lair(2) 1456 Hay II. 106/30.
All men that ar of powere to send thaire barnis to the lare a1500 Henr. Fables 648.
Weill worth my father that send me to the lair 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 237.
Delyuer thame ȝour sone vnto the lair 1560 Ib. 4016.
His sone thay had vnto the lair(3) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxi. 66.
Til Athenas … I red thé pas & gere the barnis gang to layre a1400 Ib. 311.
Hyre sonnis sat to layre Wel tacht in artis 1456 Hay II. 151/4.
Thare the barne become amang wis men, and drew him … to lare of wit and wisdome ay the langer the mare c1460 Thewis Gud Women 289.
Quha his barnis puttis nocht to lare 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 219.
I think it best that he war put to lair

c. (To learn, go) at a person's, love's (also, lovers') lair. Also, to leit at love's, one's lair: see Leit v.(1) a1568 Bannatyne MS p. 25/42.
Be not ouir skers nor ȝit ouir lairge Gif thow wilt lerne son at my lair 1570 Satirical Poems xxiv. 53.
Weill hes thow leird it at the bischoppis lair, Becum his prentise a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lxxxv. 215.
Thow leyr this lessoun at my layr(2) a1500 Henr. III. 90/17.
At luvis lair gife thow will leir, Tak thair ane a b c 1540 Lynd. Sat. 620 (B).
War ȝe weill lernit at luvis lair —c1500 Crying of Play 76.
Lassis mycht leir at hir to stryd Wald ga to lufis [B. luvaris] lair

d. The act of learning; study, lessons.a1400 Legends of the Saints xl. 25.
Wele entendand til his lare He wes al tyme

2. That which is taught; (a person's) doctrine or teaching.a1400 Legends of the Saints iv. 150.
It is nocht myn maister lar That ony man conuertit be Distrenȝeit a1400 Ib. xxi. 525.
Symon Magus … al thai folkis dyssawyt il With the fals layre he taucht tham til a1400 Ib. xxx. 315.
I think to get of thi gere For the gud lare I sal thé lere a1500 Golagros and Gawane 364.
Thi counsale is convenabill, … Forthi ws likis thi lair listin and leir 1540 Lynd. Sat. 569 (Ch.).
My name is Gude Counsall … , Lords for lack of my lair [B. law] ar brocht to mischance a1568 Bannatyne MS 213 a/23.
Tak tent to this lair, be ay leill to thi luf 1570 Satirical Poems xxii. 8.
A scuruie schollar of Machiavellus lair a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxxi. 28.
Ȝit mair and mair I lyik thy [Cupid's] lair a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 857 (Wr.).
A kow may learne thee laire

3. A body of religious doctrine; (a person's or society's, also, lovers') religion or faith; the religion of God, Christ, the Devil, also transf. of Love.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 995.
He [Peter] fayndis bath lat and ar For to distroy quytly our [sc. the Jewish] lare a1400 Ib. xl. 127.
The Pape … Syndry maisteris betacht hym til, To mak hyme parfyte in that lare c1420 Wynt. v. 3949.
Off haly kyrk bath lare and law To bere and luve 1535 Stewart 3029.
Thair law, thair lair, thair language 1535 Ib. 10962.
To leif thair fassoun … And for to leir efter the Romane lair 1535 Ib. 26281.
The Britis … left thair barnis alway vnbaptist, And leuit all tyme at thair faith and lair 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 13.
Saif vs … from dispair, From unbeleue and Lollardis lair 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix. 36.
Sen the first followers of that foly … did … lawlesly leave the auncient laire of their better aduysed elders —a1568 Scott vi. 25.
Luvaris lair no leid suld lak(2) a1400 Legends of the Saints i. 73.
Feile … That had nocht hard of Cristis layre a1400 Ib. ii. 922.
[Paul] prechit Cristis lare a1400 Ib. iii. 105.
Trow In the lar of Criste Jhesu a1400 Ib. 303; etc.
Goddis lar to forsak c1450-2 Howlat 905.
So hiely he hyit him in Luciferis laire 1535 Stewart 25160.
All quhilk leuit vpone Christis lair(3) a1568 Scott xx. 18.
Thow langit ay to prufe The strenth of luvis lair a1568 Ib. xxiv. 1.a1568 Bannatyne MS 249 b/32.
Quhen … leill luvaris forleitis luvis lair a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS lxxix. 38.
To leir the law of luiffis layr a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii. 59.
Exemed clene from Loves lair a1605 Ib. lii. 1.
Irkit I am with langsum luvis lair

4. That which is learned; (a person's) knowledge or erudition; learning or knowledge generally. Man of lair, a man of learning, learned man.(1) c1420 Wynt. v. 1349.
For-thi suld men in thare yhowthede Be techyd well … And the effect oys off thare lare c1420 Ib. 2039.
He … made hym examynatiowne Off his lare and his lessowne a1500 Sir Eger 2227.
Two are great clerks and great of lare(b) c1460 Regimine Principum 131.
Vertu cummis of science and of lair a1500 Henr. III. 157/46 (B).
Quhilk of ws … wes … maist expert in science or in lair a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 52.
He said in thre ȝer … He suld the child teche all thar laire a1500 Ib. 1862.
Tratour, thow has na laire That sall dissaif me ony maire 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. I. 571.
A spirituall man (thocht I be void of lair) Cleipit I am 1513 Id. Æn. i. Prol. 85.
Fader of bukis, protectour to sciens and lair 1513 Ib. xii. vii. 34.
[He] had levyr haue knawyn the sciens and the lair, The myght … of strenthy herbys fyne [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 359.
I commit my sone … With ȝow to be instructit weill in lair 1560 Ib. 638.
The greit Bischop … With all his clerkis of greit wisdome and lair 1574 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. ix. 26.
For his intertenment at the scholis to get lair, science and knawledge a1585 Polwart Flyt. 640 (T).
A lanterne of lair c1590 J. Stewart 148/9.
Thair happie skair of lair 1622-6 Bisset I. 18/24.
Thought my lair be ȝung(c) a1585 Polwart Flyt. 184 (H).
Whill that thow past … Into Argyle, some lerr [L. lair] to leir(2) a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1701.
We are men of laire, Off augure and diuinite 1513 Doug. Conscience 11.
The kirk … wes rewlit be mene of wit and layre 1535 Stewart 47164.
The wysast men of lair 1535 Ib. 57369.
All men of lair that cunnyng war in scuillis

b. A branch of learning, department of study.c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxv. 4.
To speik … Off euerie study, lair, or discipline