A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Saphir(e, n. and adj. Also: saphyr(e, -ier(e, -er(e, -eir(e; sapphir; saffyr, -er(e; safyr, -er(e, -eir; saiffer, -ar, saifer; saufir, -er; salphir. [ME and e.m.E. saphir (a1272), safir (Ayenb.), saphire (Wyclif), safyre (14th c.), sapphire (1477), all nouns, also saphir (Lydgate), saphire (Milton), adjs., OF saphire (c1119 in Larousse), safir (12th c. in Littré), L. sapphīr-, f. the Gk.]
A. noun. 1. a. A sapphire, the precious stone. b. In general or collective use: Sapphire. c. comb. and attrib. d. transf. and fig.For further examples see the Indexes to the various vols. of Treas. Acc.a. 1464–5 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 163.
In suprema le vche discendendo per medium a gret saphiere tua mid rubijs a mid saphier et thre litill saphiris 1482–3 Acta Aud. 131*/1.
A croce of gold … with five sapphiris … a grete perle [etc.] 1494 Loutfut MS 43b.
A rycht riche & noble saphire 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 315.
Saphir 1511–12 Ib. 331. 1590 Burel Queen's Entry 264.
Anew Of rubies red and saphirs blew 1640 Black Bk. Taymouth 346.
Saphyre 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 28.
Ye may suppose it to be a blew saphir(b) c1475 Wall. vii 94.
[Scho] With a saffyr sanyt his face and eyne 1498–9 Acta Conc. II 297.
Safyr(c) ?1438 Alex. ii 3707.
The ches of sapheris war c1450-2 Howlat 333 (A).
Spar halkis … With eyne … circulit as sapheris a1500 Henr. Thre Deid Pollis 28. 1535 Stewart 11896. 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 415.
Sapher 1540–1 Ib. VII 428.
Saphere 1550–1 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 43 (6 March).
Thre ringis of gold ane with ane saphere a1578 Pitsc. I 360/6.
Sapheris(d) c1450-2 Howlat 343 (B).
Dicht as a dyademe … Circlit on ilka syd with a sapheir 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1913.
For all the ruif … Hang full of plesand lowpit sapheiris [L. saphyrs] cleir 1535 Stewart 11898.
With rubeis reid and mony sapheir blew 15.. Clar. ii 1437.
Set full of roobies and sapheiris blew 1558–9 Edinb. B. Rec. III 30. 1561 Crim. Trials I i 416.
Ane vther gold ring with ane sapheir formit like ane harte 1566 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 89 (22 May).
Ane ring with ane blew sapheir price thre score crownis of the sone 1579 Inv. Wardrobe 279. 1592 Melville Chart. 133.
Ane tablett sett with ane sapheir(e) 1488 Treas. Acc. I 82.
Ane roll with ringis, ane with a grete saffere Ib. 84.
A grete safere set in gold 1495 Halyb. 12.
Saffer 1539 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. x (Scott v. Scott & McDowalls).
Saferb. a1400 Leg. S. vi 281.
Iape [etc.] … , Saphir of assay, & berial clere a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 22.
Of siluer and saphir schirly thai [sc. banners] schane 1533 Boece 430.
In the apill ar mony fyne stanys, the smarag, jacynct, saphire [etc.] c1590 J. Stewart 93/501.
Quhill all that vattir cleir as saphir scheine Vas drumlie trublit(b) c1450-2 Howlat 343 (A).
Dicht as a dyademe … Circulit on ilk syde with the sapheire [: cleire] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 995.
The beryallis … , Rubeis and sapheir, Precious stanis that weir a1500 Rauf C. 464. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 104/36.
Moir semly na is the sapheir one to seyne 1535 Stewart 12513.
In armour bricht … Cirklit with sapheir and mony targe and schield Ib. 12705. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 108. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 307.
Off culloure lyke the sapheir blew a1561 Norvell Meroure 16a. 1618 Test. in Sempill P. p. xlvii.
Safeir(c) 1494 Loutfut MS 11a.
And the colour is liknyt til a richt noble precious stane the salphir the quhilk excedis of hir beaulte [etc.]c. 1542 Acts & Decr. I 140b.
Ane ring of gold with fyne safer stane worth jc li. 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII 290b.
Ane gold ring with ane blew sapheir stane thairin 1609 14th Rep. Hist. MSS App. iii 91.
Ane saiffer stane estimat to vij crounis 1611 Logie Par. Hist. 65.
Saiffer —1505–6 Treas. Acc. III 177.
Tua gret ringis … , ane saphir and ane amerant ringis 1574 Edinb. Test. III 113.
To my dochter … the blew saifer ringd. 1494 Loutfut MS 44a.
Of the diamont & the saiffer or of othir thingis as the price of the iustis a1568 Bann. MS 225b/11.
Fairweill my weilfair may … Fairweill the saiffar of assay
2. ? A colouring agent of the blue colour of sapphire.1647 J. Hope Diary (1919) 140.
Ane hundreth weight of saphire
B. adj. Of the blue colour of a sapphire. (Only in verse, chiefly of the sky).c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 37.
The cristall air, the sapher [B. sapheir, M. saufer] firmament a1568 Bann. MS 229b/29.
Luk on the saufir firmament a1568 Scott xv 26.
My voice surmontis the sapheir cludis hie 1587-99 Hume 27/65.
Begaried is the saphire pend [sc. the sky], With spraings of skarlet hew a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxv 55.
Hir saphir veins lyk threids of silk a1649 Drummond II 15/45.
The sunne … faintly iourneyes vp Heauens saphire path
