A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Trava(i)lour, Trawalo(u)r, Travel(l)our, n. Also: travailar, travel(l)ar, traveller, -or, trawelo(u)r, -owr, traweller, treaveler. [ME and e.m.E. trauaillour (Piers Plowman), trauailour (c1430), trauailler (1548), traveller (a1591).] a. One who travels, a traveller or wayfarer. b. One engaged in transporting merchandise from place to place as a living; ? a merchant from another place. Also comb. with codger and chepman. Also proverb.a., b. a1400 Leg. S. xxv 10.
The trawalouris … , Quhene thai come til thar herbry 1530 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 117.
Trawaloris(b) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (STS) 473.
Trawelouris and pilgremys 1549 Banff Ann. I 25.
To howis … ony passingerrs or trawellers … without lecience 1571–2 Crail B. Ct. 8 Jan.
That na trawelour withowt this burgh passes … within the boitis to by thair … heryng 1572 Inverness Rec. I 220.
Trawelouris wyth barkit leddyr a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 43.
James Sayng, trawelor in Aberden a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 45.
Trawelowr(c) c1420 Wynt. ii 1157.
To ta thare gudys, and thare towne Hale in thare possessioune, And mak thai men thare travalourys [C. trawalouris, W. lauboraris], Masownys, wrychtys, and pynowrys 1425 Acts II 10/1.
That na burges … resave … ony sic travalouris or strangeris bot alenarly common hostelaris 1456 Hay II 28/35.
Evill men that lettis labouraris merchandis, and travalouris to travale throu the warld a1500 Bk. Chess 180.
Travalour(d) 1456 Hay II 28/11.
Travailouris(e) a1500 Rauf C. 82.
Nouther hes thow had of me fyre, drink, nor meit, Nor nane vther eismentis for trauellouris behuse 1494 Loutfut MS 35b.
He … wes a gret travellour in diuers contreis 1513 Doug. x xiii 111.
The travellour … may, when the son schynys agane, Exers hys iourne 1525–6 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 79.
He that avay holdis it [sc. merchandice] sal pay [etc.] … and quhair a man can be tentit … feand ony travelar to pas by the town [etc.] 1530 Prot. Bk. J. Brydin No. 105.
Martin Ker … tuk horses, meil [etc.] … fra travelours … of Annanaile [? erron. for Annandaile] … we understand that thai are trew travelouris in Moffat toun, we haf geffin all theis geirs … unto thaim agane 1530 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 106.
Ve dischairgis ony induellaris to herbry ony chepman or utheris travelouris 1556 Glasgow Bakers 59.
Nayne travellour that bringis breid to the mercat to sell 1563 Grant Chart. 128.
Allegeing the woddis … continuallie … distroiit be the travelloris upon the said loucht 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 34.
Thevis … quhilk spoylis trauellaris, cadgearis, and chepmen be the way 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 132.
Oswald Bell travellar in Anandaill 1570 Lanark B. Rec. 53.
Meill men, cadgaris, travellouris … that … nane of thame pas furth of this toun to sell nor by, upon Sondayis 1574 Perth Guildry 359 (16 Dec.).
That na trauellour top ony merchandice being onfremen 1582 Perth B. Ct. 30 Oct.
To … pay to James McGibboun travelour and burges of Perth … tuenty four lib. … for butter 1583 Reg. Privy S. VIII 221/2.
Traveller 1597 Misc. Maitl. C. I 128.
Jane Moresone, doghtir to Johnne Moresone, travellar 1597 Brechin Test. I 158a.
Johne Kynendmond trauellar … the said vmquhill Johne … being bot ane pure trauellar [etc.] 1607 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 12.
James Cleghorne travellour to Airshire 1632 Lithgow Trav. i 19.
I need no information of any Romane nouice traueller 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 365.
To Johne Gillaspie traveller for carying of the nyne meassounes haill grathe … to Glasgow, vii lib. iiii s. 1616 Irvine Mun. II 48.
That in everrie burgh … thair may be according to … the frequencie of travellouris a mor sewer innes buldit(f) 1703 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct.) 20 Sept.
John Clarke of Preston and treaveler in Englandproverb. 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. Prov. No. 112.
Trauellers wordes ar not muche trusted a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1628.
Travailars gets ay tydingscomb. 1574 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 5.
That nane of the travellouris cadgeris withtin the said burcht … tape or sell ony … fische in the mercat bot thair awin 1594–5 Edinb. B. Rec. V 128.
James Sprottie, chepman travellour
