A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1599
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Tigir, Tygir, n. Also: tigar, -er, tigre, tygyr, -ar, -er, tygre, tegir, tegre. [ME and e.m.E. tygre, tigre (both Chaucer), tiger (1585), OF tigre, L. tigris (OE pl. tigras).] A tiger, freq. in comparisons as a type of cruelty or ferocity. a1400 Legends of the Saints xi 374.
Twa tygris bath fers & fell … dwel ?1438 Alex. ii 11015.
Leopardis, tygris and lyonis, Beris, vnicornis [etc.] 1460 Hay Alex. 11496.
Tigris a1500 Henr. Fab. 891.
Tiger a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i 449.
Tigir 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 276/14.
Put thé neuer in the dangar of a gelious woman … for thai ar mair cruell than a lyon or a tygar 1494 Loutfut MS 17a.
The tigre is a rycht licht best gangand swift as ane arow a1500 Quare of Jelusy 557.
[So] art thou here ay wastit and y brent [An]d birnying as the tigir ay in hete c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 261.
Thought ȝe be kene … Thought ȝe as tygris be terne a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 287.
Tigiris serpentis and taidis will remane In Dumbar wallis 1513 Doug. iv vii 11.
Thou sowkyt nevir womanis breist, … I wait, Bot of sum cruel tygir of Araby The pappis thé fosterit 1513 Doug. ix xii 15.
Lyke as ane rageand wild tygyr onstabill 1558-66 Knox III 298.
O thou beast! I speake to you Wynchester, more cruel than any tygre 1589 Exchequer Rolls XXII 70.
For keping, nurisment, and intertenement of the kingis grace lioun, tyger, and lutervis being in his custodie 1590 Burel Pilgr. ii 349.
Sic men … Amangs our selfs we se, As bregers and tygers, Delyts in blud to be
b. A (heraldic) representation of a tiger. a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 457.
He bair grauit in gold … Ane tyger ticht to ane tre, ane takin of tene
c. transf. or fig. A fierce or cruel person (or devil). Also attrib. and possess. a1500 Quare of Jelusy 355.
He … turnyth all to harm … This tygir with his false ymagynyng c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 12/11.
Dungin is the deidly dragon Lucifer … The auld kene tegir with his teith on char c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5823.
Quene Semeram … Ane tygir full of sturt and stryfe a1570-86 Maitland Folio MS 235/5.
O cruell tyger and serpent vennomous … Sawar of discorde this cuntre vp and doun a1578 Pitsc. II 72/25.
Amang those cruell tigaris thair was ane fallis hepocreit … callit Johnne Gray 1581 Satirical Poems xliv 175.
Tegre c1590 Fowler II 26/7.
Sic … beistlynes is hard to be credeit of thame quha knawes not the nature of thir cruell tygersattrib. c1500 Rowll Cursing 197 (B).
Sum [devils] with teith and tegir tungis 15.. Clariodus ii 276.
This Lady … With tygir myndpossess. 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 4.
From ȝour flyting, wald God, that I wer fred, or ellis sum tygerris toung wer to me lent a1585 Maitland Quarto MS 253/20.
Fy on thé filthie faithles dame Fy on thy cruell tygirs hairt
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"Tigir n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/tigir>
