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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.

Nether, Nather, a.¹ Also: nethir, -yr, -ar, neither, neythyr, neather, (nechtir); nathir, naith-, nayther. [ME. neoþere (Ancr. R.), nyþere (c 1300), neþer (14th c.), neiþer, neyþer (1387), ME. and e.m.E. nether, neither, neyther, e.m.E. neather (1590), OE. neoþera, niþera. Cf. also Ned(d)er a.] Lower, under (often in contrast to over, uver).

1. The lower (part, end, side, etc., of anything). 1375 Barb. x. 21.
The nethir half wes perelous; … On the owthir half ane montane was 1431–2 Newbattle Coll. 20 Mar.
Lyand in … the nethir end of my awn tenement a1586 Lindsay MS. 43.
Ane litill fassone of ane trumpet hingand at the nether newk of ane scheild 1490 Irland Mir. I. 151/28.
The nethir fundament of the leddir Ib. II. 37/19.
Sa was the saule of Jhesus … in the nethir place of the erd and hell hoc est in limbo 1542 Exch. R. XVII. 570.
Et de liij s. iiij d. terrarum de nethir thrid de Glendorome 1550 Douglas of Morton 682.
Upoun the nether syde of the Westhawburn 1552–3 Cart. S. Giles cv.
To the nether end of ane piller 1587 Acts III. 522/1.
And the edge of the bottom … be pairit outwith toward the nethir syde 1591 Elgin Rec. II. 17.
Walter Innes in the nether end of the toun 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 484.
Now I stand in the nether side of my desires 1638 Bamff Chart. 253. 1640 Cuningham Journal 18.
Into the neather end of the garter 1649 Gillespie Usefull Case of Conscience Discussed and Risolved 18.
A cake not turned: hot and overbaken in the neither side 1686 Ch. in Orkney 34.
To repair the neather part of the pulpit

2. Applied to the lower-lying of two or more places of the same name.(a) 1363 Reg. Great S. (1814) 30/1.
De … tenementis de Ovirmerkhill & de Nethirmerkhill 1387 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 11. 1408 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 377.
Adam Forstar lorde of Nethir Lebertoun 1424 Ib. IV. 388.
Terras de … Nethirbulgny, Wuirbulgny, Midilmast Bulgny 1464 Liber Scon 179.
Ex terris de Nechtir Colan 1498 Acta Conc. II. 279.
His tak … of Awmernes Uver and Nethir 1521 Fife Sheriff Ct. 209.
Al & sindry the landis of Ramkelour nethir 1562 Reg. Cupar A. I. 355. 1563–4 Reg. Privy C. I. 260.
James McGill of Nethir Rankelour, Clerk of Registri 1581 Reg. Great S. 146/2. 1601 Brechin Test. I. 205 b.
Willeam Walcar in Nether Kinmont 1614 Orkney Rentals II. 133. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I. 211. 1638 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 441.
Over Altar lands and Nether Altar lands of Foverane(b) 1661 Galloway P. 4 Feb.
Of Neither Clachan 1683 Cullen Kirk S. 25 Nov.
A bridge at Neither Buckie(c) 1572 Reg. Privy S. VI. 303.
Of the landis of Nather Pirnes 1596 Dalr. I. 17/23.
Vuir Clydisdale … as lykevyse Nathir Cludisdale 1604 Inchaffray Reg. 135.
Ovir and Nathir Gorthyis 1656 Craig-Brown Selkirkshire II. 390.
The Nather Maines of Gallaschiels

b. Applied to streets and other places in towns. 1407 Misc. Spald. C. V. 19.
In vico qui dicitur ly Nethirkirkgate 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 84.
The Nethir gait undir the crag in Strivelin 1513 Ib. IV. 516.
To the Nethir port of Sanct Mary Wynd 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 210.
At the Nather Bow a1578 Pitsc. II. 251/24. 1608 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 50. 1611 Aberd. Council Lett. I. iii.
In the heid of the Natherkirkyett 1641 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 258. ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III. 30.
The other was a wyfe at the Neither Bow

c. With other terms denoting localised features, buildings, districts, or the like.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 4450 (W).
The Scottismen held the nethir way 1451 Melville Chart. 34.
Of the nether est quarter of Gowre a1500 Peblis to Play 185. 1480 Macleod P. MS. (Reg. H.).
All and hale his nethir watter of Ythane 1488 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. i.
To the nethar yard 14.. Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 205.
Le nethyrmanys 1501 Ib. 340.
The southt chek of the nethir yet of the sade Vilyamis yarde 1506 Douglas Chart. 185.
The nethir forrest of Cummyrnawld 1507 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 151. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 526.
For the theking of … the nether tour 1530 Acta Conc. Public Aff. 324.
Cliddisdale uvir ward and nethir ward 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1385. 1544 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 250.
Le nethir fery boitt … le vuer fery boit 1547 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 8. 1551 Reg. Cupar A. II. 69.
The nethyr wodys 1559 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 129.
Beginnand at the nether cairn 1566 Reg. Episc. Brechin II. 212. 1569 Crail B. Ct. MS. 17 Apr.
The merches of the Rylland bayth ower and nether 1574 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 238. 1581 Acts III. 270/2. 1614 Ayr Chart. 147. 1615 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 323. 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 121. 1652 Stirling B. Rec. I. 201. 1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 573.
The saids nether or new built cruives and dyke 1696 Stitchill Baron Ct. 120.(b) 1459 Rep. Hist. MSS. Var. Coll. V. 82.
Al the land that is to part this day neythyr feld and owyr feld(c) 1548 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. XXXIX. 50.
Thomas Reid … for the nathir oxingang ij s. a1578 Pitsc. II. 266/34.
At the nathir blockhous 1598 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 175.
Mylvart at the nather mylne 1608 Echt-Forbes Chart. 129.
The salmond fishing of the nather watter of Don 1641 Acts (1817) V. 560/1.
Landis of over & nather mure 1644 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. IV. 32. 1664 S. Leith Rec. 120.
The nather hospital(d) 1562 Armstrong Hist. Liddesdale I. civ.
Offecer of the nayther waird of Lyddesdayll 1683 Stirling B. Rec. II. 38.
The Over and Naither Hospitallis foundit in the said brugh 1578 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 120.
The Paradyce yairdis vuer and neather a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 252.
To the neather balȝe (so they call the part by which they descend to the river) 1684 Lauder Observes 136.
From the nather toune to the upper toune

d. transf. to a person. 1657 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 139.
Johne Halliewooll, nether

3. Applied to other objects.(1) c1420 Wynt. iv. 2322.
Wytht his left hand he held downe The nethir lape thare off his gowne 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 75.
The nether portell 1554–5 Ib. 165.
To the geisting of the nether stair 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 314.
The expensis … upon the nether turngris 1578 Ib. IV. 75.
Tua wyndois callyt nether wyndois … with tua ovir wyndois 1597 Elgin Rec. II. 53.
The ane to be put in the nether joggis and the uther in the over joggis(2) c1490 Irland Asl. MS. 16/5.
Betuix thire twa as the nethir & ovire milstane 1624 Peebles B. Rec. I. 365.
The auld mylne … the nether stane sewyn inches … the overstane foure inches

4. a. That occupies a low situation in a building; that is situated lower in a building (also, a coal-mine) than another or others; (the) downstairs, ground floor, basement or cellar (room, etc.) = Laich a. 3 a and b. a1500 K. Hart 388.
Our lord … That ȝit is law amang the nether bowris 1498 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 75.
Vnder the payne of putting in the netherhole incontinent 1510 Prot. Bk. J. Foular I. 122.
He has put ane end of his gest in the nether hous in the said Williamis gavill 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 29.
Ane passage betwix the Kingis grace over chalmeris and nether chalmeris 1539–41 Ib. 286.
The nether silour of the chapell 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott MS. 25.
In the nether studye ane stuill 1595 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 145. 1612–13 Misc. Spald. C. V. 92.
For transporting of the stokkis out of the nether wolt to the tolbuithe 1629 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 47.
To remove from one corner of our Lord's nether house to another 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 4b.
For redding the haseing to dry the nether roum

b. Denoting the lower part of a specific building = Laich a. 3 c. 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 284.
The sarkle about the uter nether tolbuyth quhar the justice sittis 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 148.
To beir up the haill tymmer of the brandraucht of the heich tolbuith to the nether tolbuith 1565 Bk. Univ. Kirk. I. 57. 1573 Sc. Ant. XIII. 31.
The place of examinatioun to be the nethar counsall hous 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 115.
That the said javelour … keip the over, nether tolbuythis, lordis and tounis counsalhoussis … in sic cleinnes [etc.] 1600-1610 Melvill 384.
The nather counsall-hous 1672 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 6 May.
James Porterfield hypecondrik in the nether tolbuith

c. That lies underneath; that forms the lower or lowest part of (the thing in question). 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 200.
The nether bed of the baisse of the pillars 1616 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 340.
The kirnellis corballis and reckis to be all aboue the rigging of the tolbuith … and the nether beddis thairof to be with the rigging

5. a. The lower (lip or jaw).(1) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 169/24.
And sum men has thair nether lipe samekle that it coweris thair face fra the son 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 256.
Dauid Thomsoun … being … havelie trublit & diseassit with the cancer in his nether lip 1622 Perth Kirk S. MS. 15 Oct.
And cancer fallin in his nether lip(2) a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 796.
The piper wants meikle that wants the nether chafts

b. The lower (parts of the body), the fundament or buttocks. Nether conditt, the anus.(1) a1500 Henr. III. 152/71.
Ane vnce of ane oster poik at the nether parte c1600 Medical Recipes 90.
The ouir part of ane man and the nather end of a voman that is to say the navill the vames [etc.] 1641 Sc. Hist. Rev. IX. 364.
When Jock did send home, he wrote it for news That England warr'd Ireland in wearing of trewes: For Ireland but weares them on their nether parts But England on both their heads and their hearts(2) 1533 Boece xiv. xiv. 568 b (see Condit(e n. 2 a).

6. This nether warld, the nether world, the earth as opposed to heaven, or the infernal regions as opposed to the earth. 1456 Hay I. 76/17.
It is necessair thing that this law warld … be touchand next to the speris of the hevin sa that throu thame all the vertue of this nethir warld be governyt 1659 Fugitive Poetry II. xxix. 3.
You are The man praefiguired by that forraine starre That visitt did the neather world … What houses … saw you, my lord, in hell?

7. Less advanced, junior (class in a college). 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 9.
Thys classe sal … compone largear themes than the nether classis