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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.

Vangard, Vandgard, n. Also: vangarde, -gart, -gaird, -guard, vanegaird, wangard(e, -gair(d, waingaird, vandgarde, vantgard(e, -guard, wandgaird, wantgard(e, vauntgaird, -guard. [Late ME and e.m.E. vaunt garde (c1450), vanguarde (1503), vantgarde (a1548), OF avan(t)garde.] a. The foremost division of an army; the forefront, the van. Also to taik the vantgard, to be in the forefront or ? a further example of b. b. (To have, give, etc.) the vangarde, (to have, give, etc.) command of the vanguard. c. The commander of the vanguard. d. transf. The forefront of a hunting party.See also Rer(e)-gard n. for further examples, and Vaward n.(1) 1460 Hay Alex. 1355.
Vangard 1460 Hay Alex. 1439.
All thai that maid the brag and bost With all the flour of king Nicolas host War semblit on the vangaird 1460 Hay Alex. 1747.
That … Nother the reirgard nor the gret battall Leve thame the honour that maid the first assale That was the vangard and the wingis a1500 K. Hart 227.
Dame Plesance hes hir folk arrayit weill Fra that scho saw thai wald battell abyde So bewtie with hir wangarde gane to reill The greitest of thair ost scho can our ryde 1513 Doug. ix i marg. (Ruddim.).
The oistis cummys fordwarte arrayit in battell. The vangard. The reyrgard. The grete armye 1513 Doug. xii v 210.
Alsus … ruschis abak for feir, … In the vangart [Ruddim. vandgarde] throw mony a poyntit glave 1531 Bell. Boece I lvii.
He that wes maist noble, desirit erest to fecht in the wangard 1535 Stewart 26841.
This gude schir Loth the wangard led that da 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 379.
Wangard a1578 Pitsc. I 75/13.
His men … ruschit sa furieouslie wpoun the Inglisch wangaird witht exis speiris and halbertis a1578 Pitsc. I 97/12.
The earle of Huntlieis wangaird a1578 Pitsc. II 40/2.
Baitht the wangaird and the great battell was schortlie disconfest and put out of order 1596 Dalr. I 313/17.
He … obteynet the name and honour of capitane of the kingis vangaird a1639 Spotsw. Hist. (1677) 124.
The Lord Ruthven with the horse men was placed in the vanguard(b) 1375 Barb. xi 164 (C).
Till renownyt erllis twa Of Glowcister and [Herfurd] … He gaf the vandgard [E. waward] in ledyng, With mony men at thar bydding 1460 Hay Alex. 10938.
Wantgarde c1475 Wall. x 107.
He bad him tak the wantgard for to gy 1533 Boece 116a.
Quhen the vantgarde and vtheris fechtaris in forefront war ourethrawin 1533 Boece 393b.
The vantgarde was stuffit with archearis bering cors bowe, hand bowe, dart and slung 1570 Leslie 95.
The Scottis vantgard feirslie sett on with speris and lang weaponis 1558-66 Knox I 211.
Vantgard a1578 Pitsc. I 270/23.
The Inglische men war all come ower the brige and the wandgaird was neir mearchant togither a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 25.
The gentilmen of the surname of Hammilton war on the Queynis vantgarde and my lord Hereis … on thair wyng 1598 Bk. Islay 106.
Sir James in the beginning caused his vantguard to mack a compas in fashion of a retrait 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 43.
Hugh, Erle of Rosse, commanded the vantguard of the Scottish army a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 16.
That the earle of Angus and his successors have the priviledges of bearing the croun at parliament, leiding of the vauntguaird, and first place and voitt in parliament(c) a1538 Abell 95b.
Thare abowt the wangair of batell fell strife betuix Wallace and the Stewart(d) a1578 Pitsc. I 208/2.
The Homes and the Hepburns came so fast wpoun the kingis waingaird(e) 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 128.
The Earl of Angus, with the vaunt guard of the Scottish army being over throwen(2) 1558-66 Knox II 355.
The Forbesses, Hayes, and Leslyes, took the vantgard, and promessed to feght the said erle without any other helpeb. 1460 Hay Alex. 905.
Syne maid he his luftennend generall That is to say the duke of his battall The duke of battall suld the vangarde haue 1535 Stewart 19415.
Eugenius … Dewydit hes his ost in battellis thre; To his bruther … The wangaird gaif … The secund battell he commandit till [etc.] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 36.
Of this oist the Erle Angus haid the wangaird … In the reirward was the erle of Bothwill 1596 Dalr. I 345/24.
The contentioun that fell amang thir thrie capitanis … for the vangarde 1633 Maxwell Mem. II 234.
He resingit his auld liberties … kariage of the croun and vanegaird in battell(b) 1570 Leslie 95.
The Erle of Huntly haveand the vandgardc. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 73.
The gentilmen of the cuntrey past the samyn day furth of Abirdene in thair best array; the principallis quhairof wes the erle of Erroll, my lord Forbes, and the laird of Balquhaine as wangairdd. a1500 K. Hart 136.
Hapnit this wourthy quene … With hir fresche court … Hunting to ryd, hir to disport and play … Fresche bewtie had the vangarde and wes gyde