A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Rigour, n. Also: ryg-, reg- and -oure, -or(e, -ur; regeour; rugour. [ME and e.m.E. rigour (Chaucer), OF rigor, -our (late 12th c. in Larousse), L. rigor.]
A. noun. 1. a. Suffering or distress caused by harsh weather. b. Extreme harshness of weather; excessive cold. c. Excess (of heat); extreme severity.a. c1400 Troy-bk. i 461.
Medea … wald … hydwisly wp raise the see … Quhar-throw gret rygour oft scho wrought To the comowns that knew it noughtb. c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1658.
Wyntir … Was cummand frome his lurkand laire With his rigoure the plesand aire Puttand away frome all brichtnesc. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 158/860.
By gathering of an humour, which The rigour of heat hath made To change into a stone
2. Severity displayed by a person towards others over whom he has power or authority; excessive strictness; harshness. Also personified.(1) c1420 Wynt. v 2772 (W).
Na thare sall nane estait endure In Cesare, … Quhare that mercy takis steid Bot all with aw or rigour [C. greif, R. grew] leid a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1151 (Asl.).
Sa in his jugement regnis his rigoure To tham that … abusis his paciens 1490 Irland Mir. I 6/3.
He has … sessit all manere of rigoure vsit of before, as in His gret furore … in the tyme of Noy Ib. 6/9.
His rigor of justice He has mixt with meknes and mercy c1490 Porteous Noblenes 179/28 (Asl.).
Rigour dispyte & riatus tung makis allway stryf 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1885 (Ch.).
[A king should] mix his iustice with mercie But rigour, fauour or parcialitie 1549 Compl. 146/3.
For meiknes is changit in maleis, trauail in ydilnes, … pitie in rigor [etc.] a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. 442/28. ?
Thy spreit can nocht controll togidder His rigour with his patience a1578 Pitsc. II 279/7.
Thay … hangit the regentis souldiouris … and so … thair vas no mony vsit amangis thame bot all rigour a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1143 (Wr.).
I … truely told the naked trueth … For neither rigour nor for rueth 1586 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 110.
With what just greif we have harde of the rigour intended against our darrest mother c1590 Fowler I 186/5.
Face full of blis, which nocht bot rigour shames(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 403/18.
That the king sould … wse sic regor or malice into his mother brother Ib. II 95/8.
Regour(2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1600.
Oftymis is sene ane man of small degre, … As lord hes done rigour or grace him till 1562-3 Winȝet I 8/4.
Of the rigour to the pure dune on ȝour awin landis(3) 14.. Acts I 332/2.
Thai gif out lese than thai tak in profyt to thaim self and scath to the communite thru rugour of thar officepersonified a1500 Henr. Fab. 1472.
Quhen rigour sittis in the tribunall The equitie off law quha may sustene?
b. ? Forceful energy; ? violence, cruelty.?1438 Alex. ii 1881.
Worship, hardement and rigour Gaif thame strenth into that stour [F. proësce et vigourz leur a force doublée] c1450-2 Howlat 636 (A).
How thai come in honoure, Thir fowlis of rigoure, With a gret reire 1549 Compl. 101/10.
Gif thai … beis vencust be rigor be ȝou, thai can neuer hef rest … quhil that thai heif reuengit ȝour crualte
c. ? Strict self-examination, scrupulousness.a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 138/10.
The rigour requirit be S. Paull affore ve be partakaris of the blissit sacrament
3. The rigour of (the) law (once, lawis) (also acts, justice, jugement), the strict interpretation of the terms of the law, applied without mitigation; the letter of the law.1456 Hay I 186/14.
The king aw nocht to geve him hostage; bot be the rigour of lawe he aw to have passage c1460 Regim. Princ. 282 (Marchm.).
In case requerand rigour of justice 1511–12 Reg. Privy S. I 357/1.
With power … the tenentis inobedient be rigour of justice to punys ?1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 139.
I suld tak aventur of lyff and deid or the party had ony releiff uther wayis than the rigour of justice 1551 Hamilton Cat. 25.
I haif determit to use agains thame the rigour of jugement 1567 Crail B. Ct. MS 2 Dec.
The saidis Jhone & Jhone renuncis the rigor of the lau & submittis tham to the iugis a1585 Maitl. Q. 123/14.
Thow sekest not … To deil with ws by rigour of the law 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V 223.
That the rigour of the acts … anent the placeing of hedder staks be mitigatt 1681 Stair Inst. iv iii §1.
Where the judges of the Court of Common Pleas judge all according to the rigour of law, and so they cannot modify the most exorbitant penalties, nor give remedy but by the tenor of their known brieves(b) 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 98.
Compeirit … for his necligence and past fra the regour of law and submittit himselff in the jugis will thairfoir 1607 Crim. Trials II 521.
Albeit it be nather our will nor mynd, that the regour of the lawis be prosecutit aganis thais persounes
4. Without const., in sense 3 above: The utmost severity permitted (by the law of the land, etc.).Common in the phr. be (the, etc.) rigour, with (all, etc.) rigour, to (the) … rigour, at all rigour. Cf. F. a rigueur, a la rigueur (1458 and 1501 in Larousse).(1) 1456 Hay I 88/20.
Be the rygour he has tynt his hede Ib. 88/23.
Bot the prince … may do him sum favour that he be nocht all punyst be the rigour a1500 Henr. Fab. 2430.
Ane wickit man Quhilk dois the pure oppres … And pykis at thame all querrellis that he can Be rigour, reif, and vther wickitnes c1475 Wall. ix 391.
Be rygour ye desyryt he suld be slayn 1490 Irland Mir. I 113/3.
And ȝour hie maieste punyst all fautis be rigore, hevinly fadere [etc.] 1533 Bell. Livy II 315 (B.M.).
Appius convenit the senat, & devisit [na thing] to be done be rigour aganis the peple 1571 Fam. Rose 258.
I sall allow so mekle to yow as I may haiff be the rigour at the deliverance of the samyn —1575 Misc. Maitl. C. I 123.
And thairfoir be ony regour he sould have … bene chargeit to mak ony publict repentance … at the said pillar of repentance(2) 1496–7 Acta Conc. II 58.
And thai compere nocht … the Lordis will put the panys … til execucione with al rygour as efferis 1512–13 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 140.
Buddis or favoris to be pvnist with rigour 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 157.
[15 merks Scots … which sum shall be paid] with kyndnes and nocht with reall rigur [when John Mithag requires it] 1561 (c1650) Dundee B. Laws 23.
And the pains … to be taken up with all rigor be the kirkmaster 1562 St. A. Kirk S. 151.
Tham that [quha] falyeis heirin sall underly disciplyn of the kyrk wyth rigor 1563–4 Reg. Privy C. I 258.
Persew the saidis rebellis and thair complices, with all rigour 1603 Moysie 99.
His hienes wes heichlie offendit … and promisit to … sie that maiter repaired with all rigor according to justice 1622-6 Bisset I 54/9. c1650 Spalding II 394.
Vpon this horning, captioun with all rigour follouit(b) 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 201.
That the awneris thairof salbe pvnist with all regour 1601 Crim. Trials II 361.
Regoure 1639 Aberd. Council Lett. II 116.
Exacting the saids customes with regor and extremitie(3) 1504 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 100.
Brekares to be pvnist to the rigour but favouris 1532 Ib. II 57.
To be ryalii pvnist … to the rigour but fauouris 1533 Boece 160.
He was counsalit … that this fortunate victorie suld be vsit to the rigoure … and that Romanis vincust suld be finalie distroyit c1600 Misc. Spald. C. II 285.
I wald … that the mater wer adressitt in ane freindlye maner rather nor to pas to the rigor with the samyn —1536 Douglas Corr. 351.
That ȝour grace is delyverit to pwnes my dochtyr … to extrem rygour(b) 1541 Elgin Rec. I 60.
Regor 1556 Dundee B. Ct. III fol. 42b (13 April).
Regour 1566 Canongate Kirk S. (ed.) 58.
That bothe … salbe punychet to the regur 1574 Misc. Maitl. C. I 106.
And that the said vice be punisit to the regeour according to the act of parliament(4) 1561 Dumfries B. Ct. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 297.
viij s. of vnlaw … to be tane without at all rigour 1612 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. (ed.) 23.
The doer thairof sall be punischit as a theif at all rigour
b. Be the rigour (in opposition to be the law), ? by summary justice.1557 Digest Justiciary Proc. B 145.
To persew Robert Sandis be the law and nocht be the rigour
5. Strict accuracy; severe or legalistic exactitude.1494 Loutfut MS 109a.
Ȝit … thai diffir in to syndry poyntis as the appellacioun and … quhen it cummis to the rigour of the mater of the quhilk salbe maid remembrance 1627 Rep. Parishes 129.
It … is estimat in teynd to the rigour thre chalder of victuall [etc.] Ib. 130.
Payed of old stock and teynd ane hundreth merk at the rigour Ib. 132.
The teyndis … being equalled to the fourth pairt of the frie rent according to the rigour that hes beine vsit heirtofoir in collecting of teyndes
b. To pay the rigour, ? to pay in full the amount laid down by law.1550 Edinb. B. Rec. II 150.
Hir secund husband to pay the rigour and to haif na priuilege be hir
B. adj. Rigorous; rigidly accurate. = Rigor(o)us adj.1590 Waus Corr. 459.
To wse the rigour extremetie of the law aganes tham 1682 St. A. Baxter Bks. 142.
The decan … to exerce the haill rigor lau of traid
