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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.

Wageour, n.¹ Also: wageoure, wageo(w)r, wagiour, wagyour, wagwr, vageo(u)r, vageowr, vager, vajur, waggeour, wadegeoure, waigeour, wayger, waeger. Pl. also waigerons. [Wag(e n. or Wage v.] A soldier hired for wages; a mercenary. Also in fig. context.(a) 1375 Barb. xi 48.
Off tresour sua stuffyt is he That he may wageouris [C. vageowris] haiff plente c1420 Wynt. iv 679.
Thre hundyre thousand he had by Off wagyouris armyd c1420 Wynt. viii 3030.
Wageowris 1456 Hay I 87/9.
Say I of a knycht that is wageour till a king … Sen it is sa that he has maid him athe … than suld he stand with him to the utterest c1475 Wall. x 755.
Thai wageours sone he put to confusion 1481 Acts II 140/1.
The tane half of the said wageouris salbe speiris 1497 Treas. Acc. I 346.
Giffin to Henrj Fowlis to the wageouris that lay in Coldinghame, xx lib. 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 287.
To the wageouris and … marinaris at the schippis 1513 Doug. i xii 12.
Quhat Myrmydon … Or knycht wageor to cruel Vlixes 1521 Edinb. Hammermen 108b.
Item that Sonday that the wagwris was feit gevin to tham in aill xvj d. 1524 Reg. Privy S. I 495/1.
The said Robert … principale capitane … of our garde, band and cumpany of wageouris, baith futmen and horsmen 1531 Bell. Boece I 75.
He send his horsmen, with sindry wageouris in weir-cartis, to breke the array 1531 Bell. Boece II 70.
Wagiouris 1533 Boece 261a.
Britan ȝit had riches to conduce wageouris fra Germanye and France quhilk wald fecht for Britouns 1532 Douglas Corr. 348.
That the caus of sending certane vageouris to ȝour bordouris wes nocht to ennoy nor molest our subjectis 1533 Bell. Livy II 27/14.
Wageoure 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3003.
War I ane king … I sould gar … mak ȝow vagers on the bordours 1542 Aberd. B. Rec. I 186.
Vageouris 1545 Douglas Corr. 154.
Vajurs 1545 Reg. Privy C. I 19.
Wageoris 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. I 260.
The prouest, … ordinit thair feit vageouris to be vagit still and pait yit for ane moneth to cum 1549 Aberd. B. Rec. I 268.
Vageor 1558 Aberd. B. Rec. I 309.
Vageris c1610 Melville Mem. 334.
The townschip kepes ther toun, making watche and ward without wageours(b) 1532–3 Aberd. B. Rec. I 144.
Waegeris 1535 Stewart 21542.
Waigeouris 1549 Hawick Ann. 28.
Waygers 1560 Maxwell Mem. II 23.
Lord Semple … now haldis ane hous of weir with certain waigerons to oppres the hail cuntre 1596 Dalr. II 273/15.
The men of weir waigeours, quhom he commandes to bring the gret gunis(c) 1533 Boece 509a.
Wadegeourefig. 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 71.
Gif thou be aganyst God, … Than art thou wageour onto Lucifer 1598 Melvill Propine 82.
Downe from the starnie vouttes he sall discende with garisons of winged waggeours monie score, and heauenly legions

b. A hired man. (Cf. Wage v. 2 b). Also in fig. context,? someone hired rather than belonging by right of kinship. 1547 Perth Hammermen 60.
The said Robert hes exonerit him of play silver for valx and money giffin to wageours and uthir necessaris pertening to the craftfig. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 242 (Harl.).
O vale of teris, … How wichis thow the witt of thi wageouris, Syling thare sicht witht gleme of thi glyding

c. attrib.? Mercenary or ? bribed. (Cf. Wag(e n. 6). 1567 G. Ball. 182.
Thocht wageour freiris faine wald lie The treuth will furth