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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Tar(r)y, -ie, Taré, v. Also: tarye, tariey, tairie, tayré, tairrie, tery, teré. [ME and e.m.E. tarye (Manning), tary (Rolle), tarie (c1350), tery (c1400), tarry (1579), of obscure origin.]

1. tr. To delay, detain, hold back, impede, hinder (a person). Also const. fra, (wp)on.(1) pres. 1375 Barb. vi 604.
He thocht giff thai war worthi Thai mycht hym trawaile and tary And hald hym swagate tariand Till the remanand com at hand ?14.. Ship Laws c. 4 (H2).
And the maistir will he may amend hir he nocht taryand his schipmene to lang c1500 Barounis Lawis 13b.
To tary the court with excepcionis friuolus & cauillaciounsp.t. c1420 Wynt. ii 389.
All thus he taryid [C. tareit, W. angryit] thame so fast Tyll thame behuvid at the last, For tyll lewe ane wytht hym on nede a1568 Bann. MS 82a/13, 14.
No tyme tareid thame for thair tyme away drew Bot thay tareit tyme as we do every day(b) c1420 Wynt. viii 2083.
Wyth hyr slycht scho tayryd [C. tareide, W. taryit] than Hys fays, qwhill till the wod he wanp.p. c1420 Wynt. vii 2100.
This Phylipe, … Kyng off Frawns, Wes noucht all taryd [C. tareid, W. taryit] in swylk chawns Bot come hame in his awyne land c1475 Wall. vii 1241.
The Scottis men on slauchtir taryt was 1494 Loutfut MS 132b.
For quhan the enemys ar tarid with travaill walking & incommoditeis and thai be than invadit thai ar … vencust 1513 Doug. ii v 61.
O Troiane hope, maist ferm defens in fyght, Quhat has thé tareit? 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 272.
The lattyr buke of Dan Virgill Quhilk me had tareit [Sm. tareyt, Ruddim. taryit] al to lang a quhile a1538 Abell 107a.
Be frawd of Inglis men thai wer tarit quhill thai had wan a gret part of France 1549–50 Treas. Acc. IX 375.
To the boitmen that past to Lindores … and wes taryit thair be storme of wedder thre dayes 1582 Misc. Bann. C. I 92.
My Lord of Thirlustane … quha is presentlie tayreit upoun sum courtis(2) 1513 Doug. vi xii 19.
Sa far as that thir noysum bodeis cald Nocht tareis [Ruddim. taryis] thame tharfra, nor doith withhald 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (STS) 397.
I think it not greitlie neidfull to tary thé thairon, bot will remit thé to lerne it at thair mouthis

2. To delay, postpone, hold up (a thing or action). 1513 Doug. ii ii 77.
Quhy tary I my deth? And ȝe lyst, stryke 1515 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 45.
Gif that I may nocht eschew uthir wayis or I have the bullis tariit and to have the paipe gracius to your lordschip … I will nocht stand in that mater 1567 G. Ball. 176.
Kingis to marie and sum to tarie Sic is his [sc. the Pope's] power and mycht a1568 Bann. MS 82a/14 (see 1 p.t. above).
Tareit 1570 Bann. Memor. 30.
The nobilitie now assembled will tarie [pr. tarce] thair conjunctioune, sa lang as … convenientlie thai may 1573 Cal. Sc. P. IV 636.
Tarrie 1622-6 Bisset II 240/29.
The … visitouris … salbe obleist to reddilie visie … nocht causand stay and tarie the departing of schipis

b. In fig. context: To cause to linger, give pause to. 1531 Bell. Boece I liii.
Thus it wer neidfull to put ane end to our cosmographie, wer nocht ane uncouth and wounderfull historie taris a litill our pen

c. To prolong, draw out. 1533 Bell. Livy II 78/29.
Exhorting thame to curage, throw quhilk he tarijt [L. trahebat] the batell lang tyme aganis the Romanis

d. p.p. ? Gone by, past. 15.. Sym & Bruder 60.
Bot or thay twynd him & his dudis The tyme of none wes tareit

3. ? To endure, put up with, withstand. 1558-66 Knox I 260.
Thei saw the febilness of thare god, (for one took him [sc. the statue of St. Giles] by the heillis, and dadding his head to the calsay, left Dagon without head or handis, and said ‘Fye … young Sanct Geile, thy father wold haif taryed four such')

4. To waste, use up wastefully. c1420 Wynt. iii 1105 (W).
Thare names … to rehers … It suld bot tary space and tyme

5. intr. To linger, loiter; to delay, hesitate (in doing or to do something). 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 169.
Giff ony man fallis in the handis of refaris als sone thar handis as he may withchap he sal nocht tary c1450-2 Howlat 814 (A).
Thow [sc. the raven] ischit owt of Noyes ark & to the erd wan, Taryit as a tratour and brocht na tythingis c1460 Thewis Gud Women 140.
And quhen scho pasis hir erand, Byd nocht lang one it tareand 1494 Loutfut MS 112a.
& it hapnyt the ta partii to tary at our that tym the tothir may allege that he had won his actioun a1500 Bk. Chess 2001.
Currouris that beris letteris … Thai suld nocht tarye be the waye thai go c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 119/25.
Beleif dois liep, traist dois nocht tarie c1552 Lynd. Mon. 843.
I lyst nocht tarye tyll declare All properteis of that place preclare a1578 Pitsc. I 302/15.
His freindis … gaif him consall … to pase haistallie in Scottland … dreadand gif he tairrieit that he sould haue … enemeis start wpe aganis him 1582 Cal. Sc. P. VI 146.
And your lordship had teryid x dayes langer your lordship had byne kyped nerelye a1605 Montg. Flyt. 490 (T).
Be ane eftir midnicht, thair office they endit, For then it wes na tyme for trumpouris to tairie [H. tarrie, Hart tarie] 1684 Hay Fleming Six Saints II 227.
He that will come shall come and will not tariey

b. To continue, persevere. c1475 Wall. iv 345.
In frustyr termys I will nocht tary lang

c. To devote an inordinate amount of time to, to waste time on (something). c1475 Wall. i 143.
Off cornikle quhat suld I tary lang? 1547 Corr. M. Lorraine 180.
For I ame nocht in haill nor uther wayis to tary apon ther lang besynes

6. To pause, remain, stay, wait (until something happens or is done, or to do something). Also with temporal adv. and/or clause complement.(1) 1375 Barb. vi 605 (see 1 pres. above).
Tariand 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 111.
Geue ȝe lyst tary I sall tell Quhow my infortune first befell a1561 Norvell Meroure 40b.
Thy brest muste bear the plate of righteousnes: And tarie by the trueth 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 730.
Tuo moneth he tareit efter that, But never presence agane he gat a1578 Pitsc. I 314/13.
Ȝe sall tairrie heir on this know … and I sall pase and put ȝone theiffis of the ground a1578 Pitsc. I 314/17.
The king tairieit still as he devyssit(2) 1530–1 Perth Guildry 193 (July).
And quhen ony brother of gild or his wif decesis give the said iiij torchis tareis byrnand quhill the cors be erdit … to pay tua pund of walx to the haly blud 1538 Lynd. Justing 29.
Tary (quod James) ane quhyle 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7470.
Quod he gude freinds, hartlie I ȝow beseik, Tary ane time quhill I the empreour speik 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 175.
Thai tarriet ane gude quhile or Galloway came down to let thame in(3) a1500 Henr. Fab. 295.
Thay taryit [Bann. tareit] not to wesche, as I suppose, Bot on to ga a1500 Seven S. 1300.
He his hors with spurris scharpe Straike and tarijt nocht to carpe 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 155.
I may nocht tary to desyd it, Quhow than the court, ane quhyle, was gydit 15.. Clar. iv 2439.
I may not tary … to tell ȝow … of the coursis that did multiplie

7. To wait for (a person or circumstance); to attend, wait on (a person). Const. for, (up)on, with. ?14.. Ship Laws c. 7 (H2).
Gif thai will haif ocht ellis the maistir is nocht haldin to get thame sic thing na the schip aw nocht to tary lang for thame 1541 Sc. Hist. Rev. VI 156.
Mons. de Guise … quhome apoun I haue tariit Arundel MS 248/275.
O thou sueit angell that taryis with me c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1178.
Ilk ane did vther consolatioun, Taryand vpon dispensatioun 1567–8 Crim. Trials I i 501.
And thairefter he taryed on me for other hose and claithis … quhilke I gave him a1578 Pitsc. I 50/21.
This William, … tairrieit wpoun opertwnitie of tyme to be revengit

8. To stay temporarily, sojourn. Const. adv. and/or clause complement specifying the duration of the stay. c1475 Wall. i 243.
Wallace … knew the hous his eyme had lugit in … thai suld nocht lang tary at that in c1515 Asl. MS I 263/15.
The thrid ȝere of his regne he ȝeid throu Yngland … and tarijt thair xv dayis 1547–8 Cal. Sc. P. I 97.
The governor com thair the viij and taret all the ix and x of Marche in the toun of Dounbertan c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 334.
Alexander … renewit the band with France, and tarryit thair fyftene dayis 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 529.
[I] tereit [at London] 1570 Leslie 75.
Eftir he had tereat certane space in Scotland, he returnit into Fraunce a1578 Pitsc. I 406/31.
He [sc. the king] passit to Edinburgh and thair tairit viij dayis 1681 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS (2 Nov.).
And ordaines them to tarie in prisone till they pay the same 1701 Brand Orkney & Shetl. 136.
The Hamburgers … are obliged to tarry from home through the summer, waiting for their lading