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: 1400-1631
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Murther, Murder, v. Also: murthir, -ar, -ur, -o(u)r(e; murdar(e, murdre, mwrdir, murdour. P.t. and p.p. murtherit etc., murthred; murderit, etc., ymurderit, murdred, mwrdrith. [ME. murðre(n (Ancr. R.), morþre(n (1297), murthere(n (13–14th c.), morthere(n (14th c.), mordre(n (c 1330), murdre(n (14th c.), e.m.E. mourther (15th c.), murther, murder, OE. myrðrian, OF. mordrir, murdrir, murtrir, Anglo-Lat. murdrāre.] tr. To murder. = Murdris v.To kill unlawfully and deliberately; but chiefly with very strong reprobation, to kill in a heinous fashion, to butcher, or to kill (a group of people), to massacre.Also absol., to commit murder, and with adj. or adv. complement, and fig., to destroy.(1) c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 335.
Quhen he … lyke ane tyranne oppressit and murtheryt the pepill without cause 1513 Doug. x. viii. 143.
Quhou that the fyfty ȝong men, schame to se, War fowlly murthuryt on the first nycht 1525 St. A. Formulare I. 270.
The cruell tyrannis that slew and murthirit Cryistis haly servandis 1528 Misc. Spald. C. II. 83.
The saidis personis … hes rasit fire, slane and murtharit vj men and twa wemen 15.. Clariodus iii. 1587. 1558-66 Knox I. 63. 1558-66 Ib. II. 91. 1567 Acts III. 27/2.
Tressonablie schamefullie and horriblie murthourit 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 521.
Murtherit 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 31.
Bringing with thame greit apparell of cordis to murther thame 1563-1570 Ib. 33.
Agains thame that hes murtherit ane king and sekis strangearis to murthour ane vther 1568 Id. Indict. 40.
Murthurit a1578 Pitsc. I. 79/28.
Murtherat 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 33. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Trucido, jugulo, to murther 1596 Dalr. I. 146/20. 1596 Ib. 177/28. 1600 Acts IV. 204/1.
The King cryit, I am murtherit 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xxix.
Brigandis quha for the money thay had hes murthered them 1613 Highland P. III. 127.
Murthoured 1617 Melrose P. 273.
Ministers being durked in Stirling, buried quick in Cliddisdaill, and murthoured in Galloway 1618 Criminal Trials III. 441.
James Stewart … darnet … thair to haif murthouret him 1627 Justiciary Cases I. 73.
Murthouret 1631 Ib. 170.
Murthoret 1631 Stirling's Royal Lett. II. 515.
To find out whither the chyld be murthred or not(b) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1841.
Pallamydes Not slane in-to the battall wes Bot thiftuislie murdred 1456 Hay I. 295/12.
Thai waid murdre and sla bathe brothir and sister 1456 Ib. II. 30/22.
Or slais his counsale and murderis thame a1500 Doug. King Hart 342.
Thus to murdour ws that ȝoldin ar a1500 Quare of Jelusy 174.
Ofe his own hond ymurderit and yslawe a1570-86 Dunb. Maitland Folio MS cxlviii. 10.
Haue mercie ladie bricht! Quhat haue I wrocht … That ȝe mwrdir me a sakles wicht 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 400.
Thay murderit in presoun Johne Astoun [etc.] a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 66.
On Monday the viij day Februar 1591 yeris my Lord Murray was crwille mwrdrith … be George, my Lord Huntly 1600-1610 Melvill 421.
Murdares(2) 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 24.
With hand reddy to murthour, mynd to dissaif a1578 Pitsc. I. 66/1.
Schortlie it was so lesum to ane dependant wpoun ane Douglas to slay and murder(3) 14.. Regiam Majestatem c. 138.
Bot he be of the kyn of him that is murtherit ded 1572 Satirical Poems xxxi. 37.
For innocents ar murtherit downe, Without remors, in land and towne(4) 1600-1610 Melvill 421.
fig. Nocht contented to have murderit his body, presses yit to murder his guid fame
