A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1681
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Meter, -ir(e, Meit(t)er, n. Also: meteyr, -yr(e, -re, metter(e; meitir; miter, -re; meet(t)er, meetre; meater. [ME. (1340) and e.m.E. metre, -ir, -ur, meetre, -er, OF. metre (F. mètre), L. metrum, also OE. meter.]
1. (A) poetic metre or verse form.?1438 Alex. ii. Colophon 5.
Thocht I failȝeit of ryming Or meter or sentence … Forgif me a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 182.
Metire c1500-c1512 Dunb. lix. 8.
That fulle dismemberit hes my meter 1560 Rolland Seven Sages Schort Schawing ii.
This quair … Out of plane prois now keipand meteris feit a1570-86 Maitland Maitland Folio MS xxviii. ii.
Reid bakward or fordward and ȝe sall fynd the lyke sentence and metir a1570-86 Arbuthnot a1570-86 Ib. xxix. 171.
Bot gif I mell with meiter or with ryme a1570-86 Maitland a1570-86 Ib. clxxvi. 8.
Reid this wers acording to the meitter & it is guid of wemen bot reid it to the nott ewin the contrair a1605 Montg. Flyt. 85 (T).
Ȝour meitter [H. metter] mismaid c1600 Polwart c1600 Ib. 143 (H).
Metter c1590 J. Stewart II. 48/16. c1590 Ib. 103/8.
My minschit meitir
2. Metrical composition; verse as against prose.Also plur. in same sense.(1) a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow Proh. 50.
Pardoun the fulich face of this mad metir 1513 Doug. vii. xii. 72.
Nor thow … sal nocht wend By our metyr but lovyng 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 66.
Aganis your ornate meter to indyte c1590 J. Stewart II. 9/28.
So mychtie mateir may my meitir mankplur. a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow ii. 1.
Of thir mokking meteris and mad matere(2) c1420 Wynt. Prol. 9.
Gest or story for to wryte Owthir in metyre [E.2 metir, W. metere] or in prose c1420 Ib. v. 4330.
He … ay … Made in metyre mete his dyte c1420 Ib. 3506, viii. 1447. c1450-2 Howlat 35. a1500 Henr. Fab. 58 (Bann.).
Metir [Makc. meteyr] 1490 Irland Mir. I. 74/11.
In this maner of speking and nocht jn ryme nore metyre 1490 Ib. 164/16. a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 139. 1513 Doug. xii. ix. 3. c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 176.
In luit and harp playing Versificat in meter and dyting a1585 Maitland Quarto MS xcv. 53.(3) 1560 Rolland Seven Sages Prol. 21.
In vulgar toung … To mak meter richt cunning 1560 Ib. 111.
b. With defining terms, as Inglis, Scottis, Irisch, = verse composed in ‘English’, Scots, Erse: see these adjs.
c. In reference to metrical versions of the psalms or the catechism. —1564–5 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 564/1.
To imprent the psalmis of David in Scottis metir 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 7.
Heir followis the catechisme put in meter to be sung with the tone 1600-1610 Melvill 22.
He causit … teatche the wholl psalmes in miter, with the tones thairof 1619 Misc. Bann. C. I. 243.
The people hath beene so long acquented with the old meeter, that some can sing … many of the psalmes without buik 1631 Ib. 234. 1641 Ib. II. 255.
Nyn hundreth littill psalme buikis of David in meitter 1642 Ib. 260.
Meater 1649 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 553.
Meetter 1653 Argyll Synod II. 36.
That the psalmes be turned to Irish mitre 1681 Craven Ch. in Orkney 89.
The psalms in metter
