A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Necessar(e, n. Also: necesar(e, neces(s)air(e, -er, neceissar, -cyssar, nes(s)esar, -er, nes(s)isa(i)r, nesisr, (necesisur). [North. ME. necessar (Rolle), otherwise appar. only Sc., f. Necessar(e a.] Only in plur.: Necessaries, necessities.
1. Material needs or requirements.a. Applied to the more or less essential requirements of persons, as food, clothing, housing, etc.; also to the provisions of an army.1386 Rot. Sc. II. 85/2.
& at thai may … by thar vitailles and other thair necessairs 1510 Reg. Privy S. I, 317/2.
To cum … quhare thai pleis, for the biing of thair necessaris 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 340, 1517 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 169.
Necessaris 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxiii.
With sic fouth … of metallis that the samin ar nocht onlie sufficient for all maner of necessaris to the peple of the said ile [etc.] Ib. iv. 1536 Q. Margaret in St. P. Henry VIII V. 43.
For carying of thar veveris and uthyres necyssares 1548 Reg. Cupar A. II. 55.
To cut … ony of the samyn [wood] … except it be to thair awing necessaris alanerlie 1548–9 Treas. Acc. IX. 280.
Blak welwote to be Lady Barbara hudis, cornettis and other necessares 1548–9 Corr. M. Lorraine 296.
Nessesares 1558-66 Knox II. 446.
Necessaris 1562–3 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 20 Mar.
Archbald Mathie sall ressaue his barne … and furnis hir all necesisuris 1565 Cal. Sc. P. II. 183.
Lakyng wharwith to by my neseserys a1578 Pitsc. I. 237/21. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 215/119.
Necessairis a1597-1617 Hist. Jas VI (M.C.) 338.
Huntlie also to the end the ennemie sould have na thing to feid upon … had spulyeit all necessers 1600-1610 Melvill 29.
I haid my necessars honestlie aneuche of my father bot nocht els 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 347. 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 32. 1652 Honours Scotl. 120.
To send me some nessesers … sick as fishis 1656 Rothesay B. Rec. 265.
To labour and work to the inhabitants … in all thair necessars of smithe wark 1666 Carstairs Lett. 161.
With his bording and other nesisars 1668 Dunbar Moray Doc. 133.
And som of hir cloathes and necessars 1689 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIV. 513.
Necessars
b. Necessary or requisite supplies, equipment, tackle or furnishings, other than personal.1479 Mill Mediæv. Plays 117.
Vthiris necessaris of the play 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 196.
For the haill harnesing … in bukkillis, pendasis [etc.] … and utheris necessaris thairto 1535–6 M. Works Acc. MS. IV. 65.
To the haill furnysing of candyll to the wrychtis and tyll all othir necessaris 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII. 423.
To … mend the necessaris of the samyn [artillery] 1545–6 Ib. 433. 1547 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I. App. lxxx.
Necessares 1548 Treas. Acc. VIII. 242. 1548–9 Ib. IX. 281. 1551 Reg. Cupar. A. II. 71. 1551 Treas. Acc. X. 42.
To by colis and certane utheris necessaris to Lady Annis chalmer 1553 Reg. Cupar A. II. iii.
Vphaldand the queir in vestmentis, ornamentis and all vthir necessaris 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7659. Ib. 8716. 1563 Montgomery Mem. 198.
To vpehaid the samyn place in … sclait, tymmer … and all vtheris neceissaris 1566 Treas. Acc. MS. 109.
For … barrellis and vtheris necesseris preparit for bewalling of the king grace 1566 Peebles B. Rec. I. 302.
Nessisairis 1570 Leslie 192.
The castell … wes so well furneshed with all necessares … that [etc.] 1581 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. viii. 29.
Necessairis 1593 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 102.
Necessars c1610 Melville Mem. 361.
With men, monition and all kynd of necessairs 1611 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 334.
Nessesars 1613 Conv. Burghs II. 391.
With schip-hoyes and all vther necessars 1621 Black Bk. Taymouth 353.
Kailyeardis with sufficient dykis, kaill and utheris necessaris 1631 Edinb. Test. LV. 35.
Certane wechtes buistes & vther small necessares in the buith 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 24.
For arin vark & vther nesisrs as roset & brid & drink & mapes 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 244 b.
For leding off timber to the warks and oder neseseres 1649 Edinb. Test. LXIV. 268.
Consisting of harrow, barrow and vther necessaris belonging to his labouring 1650 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 518.
Givine to a kairter for drawing necessars to the work 1673 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 8 Jan.
Twa … new ferrie boats … with all ornaments and necessars belonging therto 1692 Misc. B. Rec. 64.
For small necessars for the gunns
c. Requisites, requirements, more generally; also const. for or to a purpose or (for) to do something.1533 Boece v. i. 163 b.
Preparing all necessaris for hoisting 1549 Treas. Acc. IX. 300.
Preparing of the keching and other necessares of the said place 15.. Clar. ii. 1353.
He bad tham thair all necessaris intake, Heir ane triumphand banquet for to make 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 284.
Pynors' feis, cart hyre and uther necessars 1588 Prot. Bk. J. Inglis 23 May.
& said that he wald be steward thairof sa lang as thair wes ony necessaris to sustene thame thairin 1596 Dalr. II. 193/2. Ib. I. 65/17, II. 419/4.
He hes hame-brocht syluer, suddartis, and vther necessairs in the weiris 1612 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 328.
To prepair sik chenyeis of irne, towis … and vthir necessaris for taking avay of the saidis stanis 1619 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 199. 1639 Wemyss Chart. 266.
Bot moneys or amunition and the vther necessares for their leadning bake to the cuntrye again 1639 Johnston Diary Ia. 47.
The want of all the necessares of warre 1641–2 Misc. Spald. C. V. 106.
To John Menȝeis … for helping him to buy necessars for his louratione 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 171.
Necessarys 1697 Foulis Acc. Bk. 204.
To my good doughter to wair for necessars to my mariage
2. In non-material uses: a. Needful or essential rights of access or use (in property). b. Needful or necessary busmess or management of affairs. c. Necessary or useful work.a. 1507 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 349.
Heretable stait … witht fre ische and entra and witht all uthir necessaris aucht and wont 1564 Inverness Rec. I. 116.
Johne Merschell … gat licience … to wse his necessaris in the locht 1586 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 659.
That … such as … sall have manses or gleibs, sall have thair necessars therto, such as fewell and pastourageb., c. 1526 Reg. Privy S. I. 513/2.
All … the provisionis and necessaris concerning us that suld be done be our casualite to provide, forsee and furnis 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I. 43.
To ane leiche … for his furth bringing lyikwalk and vther necessaris a1578 Pitsc. I. 354/7.
[The king] caussit the said craftismen to apparall his pallaceis in all maner of operatioun and necessaris 1635 Justiciary Cases I. 235.
Without spairing of coist and charges for our jorney and uther necesseris belanging to our coronatioun
