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.
Quotation dates: 1456-1699
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(Scaubert,) Scalb(o)urd(e, Scabard, n. Also: scawbert, scau-, scawbart, skawbert; scal-, skalbert, -bart; skealbert; scabert, -berd, skabert, -bart, -bort, scabbert, skabbert(t, -bartt, scabbord, scabboird, -boord; scobert; scha(w)bert. Also ? erroneous forms: shalder, scharber and with altered ending: skawburne. [ME and e.m.E. scauberc (1297), skawbard (Cursor M.), scaubert (c1325), skaberte (c1450), scaberd (1546), skabard (a1548), scabbert, -erd (1600–1), AF *escauberc (recorded only in pl. escaubers, -erz, escauberge (all 13th c. in OED) vagina.] A scabbard.See also Save-skalbert n.(a) 1505 Treasurer's Accounts III 175.
For … binding of Wallas sword with cordis of silk, new hilt and plomet, new scaubart, new belt to the said sword, xxvj s. 1506–7 Ib. 367.
Scawbertis 1513 Doug. iv v 160.
A swerd … Of quham the scawbart [Sm. schawbert] with brown iasp wes pight 1513 Ib. xi i 27.
Abowt hys gorget … Was hung hys swerd with evor scawbart fyne 1533 Boece 118.
Ane swerde having plwmet and hiltis of gold with ane purpure skawbert 1539 Treasurer's Accounts VII 179.
For graithing and dichting of the kingis suerdis, Jedburgh stavis, and making of skawbertis to thame 1539 Ib. 177. 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. MS XVIII (Jam., s.v. Skawbert).
Ane Frence repar with ane Scottis skawbert thairone 1549 Treasurer's Accounts IX 301.
Skawberttis(b) 1456 Hay I 110/18.
Jhesu Crist … bad Sanct Petir … that he suld put agayne the suerd in the scalburde 1456 Ib. II 43/13.
And syne suld he … kys the croce of the suerd … and sa put it in the scalbourd 1511–12 Treasurer's Accounts IV 328.
Skalbertis 1531 Ib. VI 21.
To be scalbartis … to the king ane elne … veluett 1535 Stewart 44442.
The scalbart wes of purpure poleist new 1539 Treasurer's Accounts VII 191.
For making of scalbertis to the kingis suerdis and cramppettis 1541 Ib. 480.
To … suerd slipper for his fe in making of the kingis grace skalbertis 1573–4 Elgin Rec. I 144.
For skaillis of scalbertis 1586 Edinb. Hammermen in Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 126.
[Ordered not to] make skalberts or verneis gairdis nor graith swords with unfreemen 1611 Brechin Testaments III 220.
Tuentie barkit huddrone skins appointit to be skalbert of suordis 1618 Edinb. Hammermen in Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 74.
Ane braid mountit suord with ane skalbart graythit(c) 1537 Treasurer's Accounts VI 300.
Scabertis 1545–6 Ib. VIII 432.
Skabort 1561–2 Ib. XI 107.
Skabart 1570 Leslie 75.
Ane sword, having the hiltis and skabert of gold 1590–1 Aberd. B. Rec. II 69.
And striking him with suerd being withtin the skabars [? erron. for skabart] on the hed 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 155/57. 1600 Criminal Trials II 156.
My lord … rysing agane … drew his tua suordis furth of ane skabert c1614 Laing MSS 138.
Two fyne gilt swordis withe fyne wellvet skabertis and guid clips 1616 Master of Works Accounts (ed.) II 5.
Suord skabertis a1651 Calderwood VI 73.
The rapper … was so rousted in the skabert that skarse two men could pull it out perforce 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 92.
Scabard(d) 1540 Treasurer's Accounts VII 407.
Scabbertis to his grace raperis 1605 Aberd. B. Rec. II 277.
They saw … James Watt strik … Willeam Ingram with ane sword, skabbertt and all … athort the scholderis c1615 Chron. Kings 159.
Steilling out his suord and putting ȝokis of egis in the skabbert c1615 Ib. 162.
Skabbartt(e) 1600–1 Cal. Sc. P. XIII 765.
[A] dule scabbord [of cloth] 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 510.
For a new scabboord [MS scabboird] to my lord sword £1 4 s.(f) 16.. Glasgow Hammermen 10.
[Essay for an armourer:] Ane old shable … dight and ane new scobert made therto(g) 1660 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 273.
Admitted freeman as a sword dresser making skealberts and scheathis(h)1694 Dunferm. Hammermen 13.
[In St. Andrews the] armour-dresser [was only to] dress swords, mak shalders, mak sheathes and scharp bygginets(i)1634 Dunferm. Hammermen in Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 55.
The said James sall not … mak vantage of any new sword blead bot to hald himself with old wark except one scharber in the veik(j)1474 Treasurer's Accounts I 25.
A pirne of gold for a skawburne to the sammyn swerdattrib. 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VI 411.
Blew purpure velvet to be skawbert beltis to the kingis grace rappariscomb. 1547 Elgin Rec. I 92.
Androv Cove, alias Skabertmaker 1547 Ib.
Schabertmakar 1573–4 Ib. 144.
Skalbert makar 1580 Ib. 155.
Scabbertmackerproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 173.
A sword holds ane uther in the scaberd a1598 Ib. No. 1629.
Ye hav lyen in your skabert as many good sword dois
