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.
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 Lanc. 182.
Metire c1500-c1512 Dunb. lix. 8.
That fulle dismemberit hes my meter 1560 Rolland Seven S. Schort Schawing ii.
This quair … Out of plane prois now keipand meteris feit a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xxviii. ii.
Reid bakward or fordward and ȝe sall fynd the lyke sentence and metir a1570-86 Arbuthnot Ib. xxix. 171.
Bot gif I mell with meiter or with ryme a1570-86 Maitland 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 Ib. 143 (H).
Metter c1590 J. Stewart II. 48/16. Ib. 103/8.
My minschit meitir
2. Metrical composition; verse as against prose.Also plur. in same sense.(1) a1500 Colk. 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 Colk. 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 Ib. v. 4330.
He … ay … Made in metyre mete his dyte 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 Ib. 164/16. a1500 Lanc. 139. 1513 Doug. xii. ix. 3. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 176.
In luit and harp playing Versificat in meter and dyting a1585 Maitl. Q. xcv. 53.(3) 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 21.
In vulgar toung … To mak meter richt cunning 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 G. Ball. 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
